1. TOTALITARIAN GERMANY

2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
• Germany was devastated by World War I.
• Reparations further destroyed the German economy.
• The land Germany lost, both in the Treaty of Versailles and
afterwards that France took as payment for reparations,
was the most productive parts of Germany.
• The Depression therefore hit Germany worse than
anywhere else.
• It was the perfect opportunity for a dictator to rise to power.

3. • Hitler was heavily motivated by
Mussolini's rise to power in
Italy.
• Hitler modeled Nazism after
Italian Fascism.
• The Nazi Party was officially
the National Socialist German
Workers party. (similar to
Fascism and Communism!)
NAZISM’S ITALIAN ROOTS

4. • In 1923, Hitler first
attempted to take over
the Weimer Republic
(German government
after World War I) from,
of all places, a bar!
• He was sent to prison.
HITLER’S FIRST ATTEMPT TO TAKE CHARGE
Not your typical 1920s prison

5. • Blamed other countries for
Germany’s hardships.
• Discussed his hatred
especially for the Jewish
people.
• Spoke of his desire to unite
all German speaking people.
• While in prison, Hitler wrote
Mein Kampf (My Struggle),
his autobiography.
• He discussed his desires to
create a new powerful
Germany.
• Claimed Germans were
Aryans (a master race).
MEIN KAMPF

6. • The Nazi Party became more
popular
• By 1932, Hitler, his book, and
his Nazi Party were the most
popular group in Germany.
• German President Paul Von
Hidenburg appointed Hitler to
be the chancellor (what we
would consider president!)
AS THE DEPRESSION CONTINUED…..

7. TO INCREASE HIS POWERS
• Borrowing from Mussolini, Nazis used
mass rallies, special salutes, and
special troops called the Brown Shirts
and used the swastika as its symbol.
• He established the Gestapo, a secret
police force.
• He outlawed other political parties and
imprisoned people who disagreed with
him.
• And he censored the news and
promoted propaganda.

8. THE FUHRER
• Hitler named himself de Fuhrer (the leader).
• As the leader, he took control of the economy, outlawed
unions, and focused on building factories (which could be
used to build weapons) and infrastructure (government
stuff).
• He ignored the Treaty of Versailles and began to
remilitarize Germany.

9. PUTTING THE TROOPS TO WORK
• His troops invaded the Rhineland (1936), took over
Austria (1938), the Sudetenland (1938), and
Czechoslovakia (1939).
• Once again, the League of Nations just told him to stop.