SGQ4

QW's:

1. “The aims and policies of single-party state rulers rarely followed their declared ideology.” To what extent do you agree with this assertion?
2. Compare and contrast the rise to power of two rulers of single-party states, each chosen from a different region.

MWH 309-318

1. What did National Socialism stand for?
A. What were the movements four general principles?
i. The re-birth of the nation as a "national community"
ii. The organization of the masses under the social government.
iii. The state being organized with military in mind
iv. The race theory, that Aryans were superior to all other races.
B. What evidence suggests Nazism was a "natural development of German history"?
i. The same terror was seen in the 18th century with Prussian militarism.

ii.

C . What evidence suggests Nazism was a "distortion of normal development" of German history?

The ideals that made it possible for Hitler to gain power were created about 20 years before the First World War.
D . What evidence suggests Nazism was a bit of both?

Hitler was able to exploit the circumstances in which he was put.

2. How did Hitler consolidate his power?
A. Actions leading up to the March election of 1933
i. They used media such as the radio and the press.
ii. Senior policemen were replaced with reliable Nazis
iii. Meetings of all parties except the Nazis were wrecked.
B. The Reichstag fire
i. what happened?
A young Dutch anarchist burned and badly damaged the Reichstag building.
ii. what did it mean?
Hitler was able to use this to stir up support for the Nazis and against the Communists.
3. How was Hitler able to stay in power?
A. What was the Enabling Law?
A law allowing the government to pass laws without the Reichstag, sign agreements with foreign countries, and disregard the constitution in general.

B. How did the Enabling Law pass?
The Nazis planted the SS and SA outside the hall, chanting, "We want the bill, or fire and murder."
C. What was Gleichschaltung?
A policy that turned Germany into a Facist state.
D. What were the characteristics of gleichschaltung?
i. Germany became a single-party state.
ii. The power of the seperate state parties was replaced by a Nazi Special Commissioner.
iii. The civil service was purged of enemies of the state.
iv. Trade unions replaced by German Labour Front, no strikes allowed.
v. The education system was completely controlled by the government, resulting in an education with Hitler as the predominant subject.
vi. Pure Arayns awarded medals for breeding, Jews, gypsies and others forcefully sterilized.
vii. Minister of Propaganda appointed, all aspects of art, music and media controlled by government.
viii. How was the economic life of the country organized?
a. Industry success based on need, unneeded factories closed down.
b. Moving workers to where jobs were available
c. Encouraged farmers to increase grain output
d. Controlled food prices and rent
e. Manipulated foreign rates to avoid inflation
f. Introduced public works: Slum clearance, land drainage, motorway building
g. Forced exports on foreign countries
h. Manufacturing synthetics (rubber, wool)
i. Increased spending on armaments
ix. How was religion handled?
a. Catholics
Initially, it was accepted, but when parallels were run between the Hitler Youths and the Catholic Youth league, the Pope sent out the word that the Nazis
b. Protestants
Hitler tried to organize them into a Reich church, but they disagreed, becoming one of the few active resistances against Hitler.
x.

xi. Antisemitism
a. how was it legalized?
The Nuremberg Laws, which took away the Jews' citizenship, and did not allow them to marry a non-Jew
b. examples of the law being carried out
1. The Night of Broken Glass
2. The "Final Solution"
3. The Nuremberg Laws

E. How popular were Hitler's policies?
i. personal appeal - He organized huge rallies to help the idea of a new Germany.

ii. unemployment - Hitler managed to eliminate unemployment by creating posts with his new party, as well as the vacancies left by those purged.

iii. working people - Hitler made sure to give the working people benefits and keep them happy.

iv. upper class - Because of Hitler, there were no more trade unions to bother with. They could also buy back shares sold the state, and now felt safe from a communist revolution.

v. farmers - Farmers were held in a special place because of the focus on self-sufficiency and food production.

vi. the Army -
a. officers - Hitler made clear that one of his aims was to set aside the restrictions of the Versailles treaty by rearmament.

b. lower ranks - National Socialist were beginning to filter into the lower officer classes

c. Night of Long Knives - The army leaders were impressed by how Hitler handled the Night of Long Knives.

vii. foreign policy - His foreign policy was a complete success, and more and more Germans began to think that he couldn't be stopped.

IRL 2

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/129104/communism

This is a link to an online article from the Britannica Online Encyclopedia. It relates to our class studies on the ideas of Marxism and Russian communism. It adds value by distinguishing between socialism and communism, as well as providing a history of Communist societies, before, after and during the time of Soviet Russia. The Encyclopedia Britannica is one of the most reputable encyclopedias in the world. It is limited due to the fact that it actually provides judgment on the cause of the Russian revolution(s), instead of just giving pure facts.

IRL1

http://www.notablebiographies.com/St-Tr/Sun-Yat-Sen.html

This link is a biography of Sun Yatsen, a Chinese revolutionary communist. He was mentioned in our text both in class and for homework. However, this article greatly expands upon the details of the multiple failed takeovers by Sun and his men, as well as providing context for Sun's actions, including his childhood education (western and eastern). The facts are backed up by university-published books and the site seems generally ad-free. However, just like any other .com site, it must be assumed that the intention is profit, thus limiting the value of this source.

SGQ1

Why did the Weimar Republic fail?
A. Disadvantages
1. why was Versailles "humiliating" and "unpopular"?
i. It had arms limitations.
ii. It had reparations.
iii. It had the "war guilt clause".
2. who did people generally believe should run the country?
i. The "officer class," members of the army.
were the German people justified in the view? why/why not?
ii. They were not justified in this view because it was the general of the German Army himself who asked for an agreement.
3. what weaknesses existed in the Weimar parliamentary system?
i. It relied on proportional representation, so that no party was able to gain a majority and carry out its agenda.
ii. The parties of the lower house of Parliament, the Reichstag, now had the final say. However, they had little experience and were not good at compromising, so decisions were difficult to make.
4. why did the political parties have no experience?
i. Because prior to the Weimar parliamentary system, they were not in control; The chancellor had the final say.
how did the political parties deal with their bitter rivalries?
ii. The communists refused to work with the Democrats, who in turn built up private armies to defend themselves.

B. Outbreaks of Violence
1. Sparticists
i. who was behind it?
The communists.
ii. how bad was it?
They occupied every major city, and besieged the President.
iii. how was it defeated?
The government enlisted the Freikorps, an independent army, to help them defeat the Sparticists.
2. Kapp Putsch
i. who was behind it?
The right-wing groups, including the Freikorps.
ii. how bad was it?
The Freikorps had one of their men appointed Chancellor, and the German army didn't stop them.
iii. how was it defeated?
The workers went on strike, paralyzing the capital and allowing the weak governmet to take control.
3. assassinations
i. who was behind it?
The ex-Freikorps members.
ii. how bad was it?
The Jewish Foreign Minister and the leader of the armistice delegation were both killed, and the government was powerless to stop them.
4. Beer Hall Putsch
i. who was behind it?
Hitler and General Lunderdorff.
ii. how bad was it?
Hitler didn't manage to do much before his arrest.
iii. how was it defeated?
His band was broken up by the police, and he was sentenced to five years in prison (although he only served nine months).
5. private armies
i. who was behind it?
The Nazis and the Communists.
ii. how bad was it?
The government was powerless to stop the opposing armies from attacking each other.
iii. how was it defeated?
It wasn't.
C. Economic problems
1. why was Germany facing bankruptcy?
The huge cost of the war.
2. what was the problem with the reparations payments?
Germany didn't have enough money to continually pay the payments.
3. how did France attempt to deal with the reparations issue?
They occupied the Ruhr to get goods from factories and mines.
E. Nazi popularity

1. how did the Nazis propose to fulfill their promises?
i. Getting rid of the "real problems": Marxists, "November criminals," Jesuits, Freemasons and Jews.
ii. They promised to overthrow the Versailles settlement.
2. i.What was the SA?
Hitler's private army.
ii. Why was the SA so popular?
It gave young men a small wage and a uniform.
3. Where did the fear of communism come from?
From the Russian's Communism failure.
4. What were Hitler's political abilities?
i. Tremmendous energy.
ii.Will-power.
iii. A gift for public speaking.
iv. Use of modern communication: rallies, parades, radio, and film.
5. What kinds of people supported the Nazis?
The lower middle class, those most harmed by the economic crisis.