Nazism and the Rise of Hitler
Chapter - 3
(Solutions)
Q. 1. Describe the problems faced by
the Weimar Republic.
Answer:- The problems faced by the Weimar Republic were:
Versailles treaty: The Versailles Peace Treaty at the end of the First World War dispossessed Germany of its territories, its resources and its pride as a nation. She also had to pay 6 billion pounds as war compensation. In spite of the harsh terms, the Weimar Republic accepted the humiliating treaty, thereby making it unpopular amongst the German masses.
Economic Crisis: The German state was financially crippled due to overwhelming war debts which had to be paid in gold. Subsequently, gold reserves depleted and value of German mark fell. Prices of essential goods rose dramatically.
Political defects: The Weimar Republic was weak due to inherent constitutional irregularities such as proportional representation and Article 48 (which gave the President the power to impose emergency and rule by decree). The democratic parliamentary system seemed to give the people no solutions or benefits in the times of the severe economic crisis.
Q. 2. Discuss why Nazism became popular in Germany by 1930.
Answer:- Nazism became popular in Germany by 1930 due to lot of reasons:
Answer:- The peculiar features of Nazi thinking were
Answer:- Nazi propaganda was effective in creating hatred for the jews:
Answer:- Role of women in Nazi society followed the rules of a largely patriarchal or male-dominated society. Hitler hailed women as "the most important citizen" in his Germany, but this was true for only Aryan women who bred pure-blood, "desirable" Aryans. Motherhood was the only goal they were taught to reach for, apart from performing the stereotypical functions of managing the household and being good wives. This was in stark contrast to the role of women in the French Revolution where women led movements and fought for rights to education and equal wages. They were allowed to form political clubs, and schooling was made compulsory for them after the French Revolution.
Q. 6. In what ways did the Nazi state seek to establish total control over its people?
Answer:- The Nazis established control over its people by various means:
Answer:- Once the Nazis came to power they introduced legislation intended to deny Jews freedom and restrict their rights. Boycotts of Jewish doctors, lawyers and shops began in 1933 and by 1935 Jews were not allowed to join the civil service or the army. The introduction of the Nuremberg Laws in September 1935 further increased Jewish marginalisation. Jews were banned from marrying non-Jews and their citizenship was removed, including their right to vote. As time progressed, more restrictions were brought in – Jews were barred from all professional occupations and Jewish children were prohibited from attending state schools. In 1938, further laws decreed that men must take the middle name ‘Israel’ and women ‘Sarah’. All German Jews would have their passports marked with a ‘J’. On 9 November 1938 the Nazis initiated pogroms (organised attacks on a particular group) against the Jews in all Nazi territories. It was a night of vandalism, violence and persecution that many have since described as ‘the beginning of the Holocaust’. 91 Jews were murdered, 30,000 were arrested and sent to concentration camps and 267 synagogues were destroyed. This night became known as Kristallnacht– the ‘Night of Broken Glass’ – so called because of the smashed glass which covered the streets from the shops which were looted.
Q. 8. What did the Nazis envisage for youth?
Answer:- Hitler was fanatically interested in the youth of the country. He felt that a strong Nazi society could be established only by teaching children Nazi ideology. Therefore all schools were ‘cleansed’ and ‘purified’. This meant that teachers who were Jews or seen as ‘politically undesirable’ were dismissed. Children were first segreated and undesirable children – Jews, physically handicaped, Gypsies were thrown out of schools. And finally in the 1940s, they were taken to the gas chambers.
Answer:- The German economy was the worst hit by the economic crisis. By 1932, industrial production was reduced to 40% of the 1929 level. Workers lost their jobs or were paid reduced wages. The number of unemployed touched an unprecedented 6 million.
Q. 10. State the rise of Hitler to power?
Answer:- Born in1889 in Austria, Hitler spent his youth in poverty. When the First World War broke out, he enrolled for the army, acted as a messenger in the front, became a corporal, and earned medals for bravery. In 1919, he joined a small group called the German Workers Party. He subsequently took over the organisation and renamed it the National Socialist German Workers Party. This party came to be known as the Nazi Party. By 1932 the Nazi Party had become the largest party with 37 % votes. Hitler was a powerful speaker. He promised to build a strong nation.Hitler devised a new style of politics. He was projected as a messiah for distressed people.
Q.11 How did Nazi government effect the German Policy?
Answer:- The problems faced by the Weimar Republic were:
Versailles treaty: The Versailles Peace Treaty at the end of the First World War dispossessed Germany of its territories, its resources and its pride as a nation. She also had to pay 6 billion pounds as war compensation. In spite of the harsh terms, the Weimar Republic accepted the humiliating treaty, thereby making it unpopular amongst the German masses.
Economic Crisis: The German state was financially crippled due to overwhelming war debts which had to be paid in gold. Subsequently, gold reserves depleted and value of German mark fell. Prices of essential goods rose dramatically.
Political defects: The Weimar Republic was weak due to inherent constitutional irregularities such as proportional representation and Article 48 (which gave the President the power to impose emergency and rule by decree). The democratic parliamentary system seemed to give the people no solutions or benefits in the times of the severe economic crisis.
Q. 2. Discuss why Nazism became popular in Germany by 1930.
Answer:- Nazism became popular in Germany by 1930 due to lot of reasons:
- The most apparent being the Great Depression. The Weimar Republic did little to remedy the country's economic downfall, and Hitler was presented as a saviour to the humiliated German people living in economic and political crises.
- The powerful speeches of Hitler in which he sought to build great nation, undo the injustice of the Versailles Treaty, restore the dignity of German people and provide employment for all stirred hopes in people.
- Nazi propaganda was unique. Red banners with the Swastika, Nazi salute and the rounds of applause attracted the people making Nazism very popular.
Answer:- The peculiar features of Nazi thinking were
- A belief in racial heirarchy and Lebensraum or living space.
- Nordic German Aryans were at the top, while the jews formed the lowest rung of the racial ladder.
- They believed that only the strongest race would survive and rule.
- New territories must be gained for enhancing the natural resources and power of Germany.
Answer:- Nazi propaganda was effective in creating hatred for the jews:
- The Nazis used the language and media effectively with great care. The racial theory put forward by the Nazis that the Jews belonged to a lower race and as such were undesirable.
- The traditional Christian hatred for the Jews, because they were accused to have killed Christ, was fully exploited by the Nazis in order to make the Germans pre-judicial against Jews.
- The Nazis injected hatred against the Jews even in the minds of the children from the very beginning during the days of their schooling. The teachers who were Jews were dismissed and Jews children were thrown out of the schools. Such methods and new ideological training to the new generation of children went a long way in making the Nazi’s propaganda quite effective in creating hatred for the Jews.
- Propaganda films were made to create hatred for the Jews. Orthodox Jews were stereotyped and marked. For example, one such film was‘The Eternal Jew’.
Answer:- Role of women in Nazi society followed the rules of a largely patriarchal or male-dominated society. Hitler hailed women as "the most important citizen" in his Germany, but this was true for only Aryan women who bred pure-blood, "desirable" Aryans. Motherhood was the only goal they were taught to reach for, apart from performing the stereotypical functions of managing the household and being good wives. This was in stark contrast to the role of women in the French Revolution where women led movements and fought for rights to education and equal wages. They were allowed to form political clubs, and schooling was made compulsory for them after the French Revolution.
Q. 6. In what ways did the Nazi state seek to establish total control over its people?
Answer:- The Nazis established control over its people by various means:
- They used different propaganda through posters or films to glorify their behaviour.
- Media was carefully used to win support for the regime and popularise it.
- Nazism worked on the minds of the people, tapped their emotions and turned their hatred and anger against those marked as ‘undesirable’.
- Special surveillance and security forces to control and order society in ways that the Nazis wanted, was created.
- The police forces had powers to rule with impunity. Genocide also created an atmosphere of fear and repression which helped them to establish total control over its people.
Answer:- Once the Nazis came to power they introduced legislation intended to deny Jews freedom and restrict their rights. Boycotts of Jewish doctors, lawyers and shops began in 1933 and by 1935 Jews were not allowed to join the civil service or the army. The introduction of the Nuremberg Laws in September 1935 further increased Jewish marginalisation. Jews were banned from marrying non-Jews and their citizenship was removed, including their right to vote. As time progressed, more restrictions were brought in – Jews were barred from all professional occupations and Jewish children were prohibited from attending state schools. In 1938, further laws decreed that men must take the middle name ‘Israel’ and women ‘Sarah’. All German Jews would have their passports marked with a ‘J’. On 9 November 1938 the Nazis initiated pogroms (organised attacks on a particular group) against the Jews in all Nazi territories. It was a night of vandalism, violence and persecution that many have since described as ‘the beginning of the Holocaust’. 91 Jews were murdered, 30,000 were arrested and sent to concentration camps and 267 synagogues were destroyed. This night became known as Kristallnacht– the ‘Night of Broken Glass’ – so called because of the smashed glass which covered the streets from the shops which were looted.
Q. 8. What did the Nazis envisage for youth?
Answer:- Hitler was fanatically interested in the youth of the country. He felt that a strong Nazi society could be established only by teaching children Nazi ideology. Therefore all schools were ‘cleansed’ and ‘purified’. This meant that teachers who were Jews or seen as ‘politically undesirable’ were dismissed. Children were first segreated and undesirable children – Jews, physically handicaped, Gypsies were thrown out of schools. And finally in the 1940s, they were taken to the gas chambers.
Answer:- The German economy was the worst hit by the economic crisis. By 1932, industrial production was reduced to 40% of the 1929 level. Workers lost their jobs or were paid reduced wages. The number of unemployed touched an unprecedented 6 million.
Q. 10. State the rise of Hitler to power?
Answer:- Born in1889 in Austria, Hitler spent his youth in poverty. When the First World War broke out, he enrolled for the army, acted as a messenger in the front, became a corporal, and earned medals for bravery. In 1919, he joined a small group called the German Workers Party. He subsequently took over the organisation and renamed it the National Socialist German Workers Party. This party came to be known as the Nazi Party. By 1932 the Nazi Party had become the largest party with 37 % votes. Hitler was a powerful speaker. He promised to build a strong nation.Hitler devised a new style of politics. He was projected as a messiah for distressed people.
Q.11 How did Nazi government effect the German Policy?
Answer:- When Adlof Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933, he introduced policies aimed at improving the economy. The changes included privatization of state industries, autarky (national economic self-sufficiency) and tariffs on imports.
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