Class IX – Nazism and the Rise of Hitler

Ans. At the end of the World War II, an International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg was setup to prosecute Nazi war criminals for Crimes against Peace, for War Crimes Against Humanity.

Ans. The Allied Powers were initially led by the UK and France. In 1941 they were joint by the USSR and USA. They fought against the Axis Powers, namely Germany, Italy and Japan.

Ans. Reichstag

Ans. Rhineland

Ans. Socialists, Catholics and Democrats were supporters of Weimar Republics, who were held responsible for the signing the humiliating treaty of Versailles with the Allied Powers.

Ans. It was a revolt organized by the supporters of Soviet style of Government in Germany. Free Corps crushed the Revolt.

Ans. Germany had fought the war largely on loans and had to pay war reparations in gold. This depleted gold reserves.

Ans. It was introduced by USA to extend loans to Germany so that country could relieve itself from the economic crisis of 1923.

Ans. The Wall Street Exchange crashed in 1929. This marked the beginning of the Great Economic Depression.

Ans. National Socialist German Party, which came to be known as Nazi Party.

Ans. The system of proportional representation made achieving majority by any one party a near impossible task, leading to a rule by coalitions.

Ans. He had planned a seizure of power by marching to Berlin. He was tried for treason and later released.

Ans. President Hindenburg

Ans. Red banners with the Swastika, the Nazi Salute, and the ritualised rounds of applause after the speeches were all part of spectacle of power.

Ans. The Fire Decree of 28 February 1933, Enabling Act of 3 Marc 1933 and creation of special surveillance and security forces.

Ans. With too much printed money in circulation, the value of the German mark fell. As the value of the mark collapsed, prices of goods soared. This crisis came to be known as hyperinflation, a situation when prices rise phenomenally high.

Ans. In 1938, Hitler integrated Austria and Germany under the slogan One People, One Empire and One Leader.

Ans. In September 1940, Germany, Italy and Japan signed Tripartite Pact.

Ans. Hitler attacked Eastern Europe for obtaining food supplies and living space for Germans. It resulted in the defeat of Hitler by the Soviet Red Army in the battle of Stalingrad in 1941.

Ans. The US entered the Second World War after Japan bombed the US base at Pearl Harbor.

Ans. Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer.

Ans. The Nordic German Aryan race had to retain its purity, become stronger and dominate the world and the weak ones had to perish.

Ans. It meant living space. Hitler believed that new territories had to be acquired for settlement of Germans. This would enhance the area of the mother country. It would also enhance the material resources and power of the German nation.

Ans. Many Germans who were considered mentally or physically unfit were condemned to death.

Ans. Girls were bold that they had to become good mothers and rear pure-blooded Aryan children. Girls had to maintain the purity of the race, distance them from Jews, look after the home and teach their children Nazi values.

Ans. Nazi ideas were spread through visual images, films, radio, posters, catchy slogans and leaflets. In posters, groups identified as the ‘enemies’ of Germans were described as evil. Socialists and liberals were attacked as malicious foreign agents. Jews were referred to as vermin, rats and pests.

Ans. The Eternal Jew

Ans. The Holocaust refers to Nazi killing operations, i.e., mass murder of Jews.

Ans. Killing on large scale leading to destruction of large sections of people e.g., by gassing them in various killing centers like Auschwitz.

Ans. Hitler attacked Eastern Europe to ensure food supply and living space for the Germans.

Ans. USA joined the Second World War only in 1941 to take revenge from Japan, who had bombarded Pearl Harbor.

Ans. Nazis condemned Jews as they were considered killers of Jesus Christ.

Ans. Hitler introduced the policy of war to deal with economic crisis.

Ans. Proletarianisation meant that all people would become poor like the working classes of Germany.

Ans. Hyperinflation in Germany in 1923 was caused due to the availability of excess printed money in circulation.

Ans. November Criminals were those Germans who had been supporters of Weimer Republic.