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Semester-Ii) Paper-Iii History of the World (1919-1991

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M.A. (HISTORY) PART-I (SEMESTER-II) PAPER-III HISTORY OF THE WORLD (1919-1991) LESSON NO. 1.2 AUTHOR : DR. S. KADHIRVEL THE RISE OF NAZI GERMANY After the first World War, two-factors- Democracy and Nationalism, dominated and guided the course of affairs in the world. The armistice agreement between the Allies and Germany was based on the cardinal principle of democracy which followed self-determination and freedom to choose political allegiance. Another general concept that governed world affairs was the preponderant nationalism. While science and technology were welding the nations together, nationalism was dividing them. Germany was no exception to this general principle. But the character of the Germans was such that they were a proud nation, and prepared to sacrifice anything for the sake of their national prosperity and prestige. Therefore, when humiliation and disgrace were inflicted on them they drove nationalism to the logical conclusion to put state above individual in order to restore Germany to her greatness. The result was the rise of National Socialism-OR Nazism. Causes for the Rise of Nazism Germany's defeat and surrender in 1918, her loss of prestige, the humiliation of the peace treaty, of the warguilt clause, of the military occupation, of the compulsory disarmament, of the dismemberment of her empire, cession of colonial possessions, territorial losses, the burden of war indeminity, the cancerous problem of reparations sank deep into the national consciousness, producing in a war-stained and underfed people, with no sound constitutional tradition, bitterness, revulsion and moral, political and psychological collapse. Parliamentary Republican Government Under such circumstances, it is natural that they search for a ventilation, and the first reaction was against the monarchy. Under this course the Communists tried to emerge in the name of revolt. Before their movement could gain momentum, it was routed, and a parliamentary republican government was set up at Weimar in 1919. The propensity of the problems facing the new government was monstrous in proportion. The people at large were projected and demoralized, and wanted a rapid recovery. The Government was unschooled in parliamentary procedures, and inexperienced in party system. The inflation created by the war and the dislocation of industries created economic confusion. The middle class was pauperised, and the labour class faced unemployment, especially after the Franco-Belgian occupation of the industrial belt Ruhr. Germany Marches on 7 M.A. (History) Part-I (Semester-II) 8 Paper III However, starting with 1924, under the leadership of Steersman, Germany revised the policy and hard industry and devotion put her back on the world map. Her rapid recovery brought fom co-operation of the other powers. She was accepted as a partner in world affairs. Germany signed the Locarno Treaty guaranteeing Western frontier of France. The Versialles terms began to be modifies ; in 1926 the first of the three occupied zones was evacuated, and Germany was admitted to the League of Nations with a permanent seat in the council : in 1927 the commission to check armament was withdrawn; and after her acceptance of the much debated Young plan, all the zones in Rhineland were evacuated by 1930. Failure of the Democratic Government The peace of treaty revision was, however, too slow for the German people. Her improvement in international position did not solve the internal suffering and problems. The world depression of 1929-31 added fresh problems and aggravated the situation. The Bruning Government (1930-32) failed it rise to the occasion and they provided no solution to any of the problems. The creaking parliamentary system began to break down. Bruning's belief in emergency decrease and mismanagement of the whole situation discredited him. His inability to get through the proposed customs union with Austria, and failure to recover freedom of rearmament for Germany at the Geneva conference 1932 brought about his fall. Paper's and Schlecher's governments met the same fate. The German lost their faith in democratic institutions since the Republic of Germany failed to solve her economic, political and international problems. While every other nation was rearming. the national sentiment of the Germans was aroused when Germany could not do so. It was during this period that Hitler emerged as leader. Hitler Adolf Hitler was born in 1889. His father was a custom official in the Austrian Civil Service. He joined military service during First World War. Though an Austrian by birth, he joined the German army and felt bitterly the German defeat in the war. After the war he joined a political organization, the National Socialist or Nazi Party and in 1923 he tried to seize power, but failed and was thrown into prison. It was in the prison that he wrote his autobiography called Mein Kampf (my struggle) the Bible of Nazism. The book elaborated in detail the aims and methods of the Nazi Party. The Nazi Party : The Nazi Party exploited the miserable situation created in Germany by the World War. It gave a dynamic programme to the people race. Hitler believed and M.A. (History) Part-I (Semester-II) 9 Paper III spread the idea that the Germans belonged to the finest in the world (Nordic race) and were destined to dominate other nations. Hitler considered that the Germans alone were culture builders and the inferior races like the Jews and the Negroes were culture-destroyers. He demanded territorial expansion because the growing population needed Libensrown (living space). In all public meeting Hitler condemned the Treaty of Versailles in violent terms and said that their defeat in the war must be avenged and the Versailles treaty must be torn up. To achieve these objects, Germany's military strength must be increased. The Nazis stood for one party dictatorship. The state was made the super-person and the individual had no rights against it. His duty was simple to follow the commands of the state. Thus Germany become a totalitarian state dominated by a single political party, the Nazi party, and only leader, Fuehrer. Hitler moves up Hitler, was highly egoistic eccentric. He advocated the Nazi programme with a frenzy. His fiery speeches kept the audiences spell bound. His dynamic personality was responsible for the growth of the party. He was assisted by Goebels, Hess and Himmomler in his propaganda. The party also gained the support of the students, the middle classes, landed aristocrats and industrialists. Hitler exploited the popular hatred against the Treaty of Versailles and the economic depression of 1933. He raised a private army "Storm Troops" who wore brown shirts with arm bands bearings the Nazi emblem, the Swastik, He gave to it the Nazi, anti-Democratic and militarist programme in 1924, the Nazi's had only 14 seats in the Reichstag but in 1923 their representation increased to 230. In January, 1933 the President Hinderburg as a result of the Reichstag fire incident was compelled to confer the leadership of the Government on Hitler. The new Reichstag endowed Hitler with dictatorial powers. After the death of Hinderburg in August, 1934 Hitler became the Feuhrer. Hitler's Programme and Nazification Political All opposition parties were dissolved. The Nazi party alone was declared legal. Party and State organisation became interlocked. Public services were filled by party security forces. Trade unions were abolished. Communists were jailed and tortured. Social Democrats were sent to concentration camps; the press, the theater, lecture hall and radio converted into Nazi-mouth pieces : the Brown Shirts given a blood bath : the jews persecuted and expelled : all parties other than the Nazi dissolved ; "Hitler Youth" organisation set up and the component parts of Germany brought under Nazi domination. His programme can be summed up under following headings :- (a) Anti-Jew (b) anti-profiteer, (c) anti-foreign, (d) anti-weimar, (e) anti- M.A. (History) Part-I (Semester-II) 10 Paper III Versailles coupled with (f) Aryansation, (g) employment (h) self-sufficiency (i) rearmament and militarism became the gospel of Nazi Germany. Economic Developments : 1. Trade : Dr. Sahacht, known as an economic wizard, juggled with exchange control moratorium, government 1.6 barter economy and the unscrupulus trick of making the creditors foot the bill to promote Germany's trade in spite of the tariff walls raised against her. 2. Agriculture : Every effort was made to secure self-sufficiency in agriculture. Hitler introduced 'Back to the Land' schemes, settled families here and there on small farms, sent young men to labour camps where they did useful work in the open air, increased the area of cultivation by draining the marshes and dything the low lands and the productivity of the land by the use of machines and fertilizers and the output of the dairy farms by importing cows of superior milk capacity and raised the tarifts on farm products to assure better profits of agriculturists. 3. Industry : To meet German demand for raw-materials and ensure self-sufficiency in case of blockade and unceasing search for Ersatz (substitue) material was stimulated, synthetic sugar was made from saw dust and potatoes ; gasoline from wood and coal, clothes from chemical fibre, buna (rubber) from coal and lime ; etc. 4. Employment : Hitler's antifeminist policy of Kinder, Kinder, Kirche and Kurche withdrew women from the labour market. German professionals were substituted for the jews ; her agricultural industrial schemes increased the demand for labour and above all, his prodigious programme of armaments produced such a scarcity of hands that the there Ks had to be abandoned and women drafted into factories. Conclusion Hitler ruled Germany in the most authoritarian and totalitarian way. He had no human consideration for any one. The youth of the country were put through a vigorous Nazi training programme.
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