“What we must fight for is to safeguard the existence and reproduction of our race and our people, the sustenance of our children and the purity of our blood, the freedom and independence of the fatherland, so that our people may mature for the fulfillment of the mission allotted it by the creator of the universe.” -Adolf Hitler
The Nazification of Germany
With Adolf Hitler being chancellor of Germany, the Nazi Party quickly gained power.
In the next six years Hitler changed Germany into a police state. Germany began to increase its military, in violation of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. Hitler skillfully began to negotiate with other European countries and expressing his goal for peace while using propaganda to convince Germany that he was doing the right thing for the good of the country.
In the next six years Hitler changed Germany into a police state. Germany began to increase its military, in violation of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. Hitler skillfully began to negotiate with other European countries and expressing his goal for peace while using propaganda to convince Germany that he was doing the right thing for the good of the country.
1933-
On January 30, 1933, President Paul von Hindeng appointed Hitler Chancellor to keep the Nazi Party "in check", or keep Hitler from revolting.
On Feburary 27th, 1933, the Reichstag building caught on fire. Nazis immediately claimed that it was the beginning of a Communist revolution. This lead many people to believe that the Nazis actually set the fire. This incident allowed Hitler to convince Hindenburg to issue the Decree for the Protection of People and State that gave the Nazis the power to deal with the emergency.
Within months of Hitler's appointment as Chancellor the Dachau concentration camp was built. The Nazis began arresting Jews, Communist, Socialists, and labor leaders. Dachau became a training center for concentration camp guards and later commandants.
Civil laws were passed that barred Jews from holding positions in the civil service, legal and medical positions, and in teaching and university positions. The Nazis encouraged boycotts of Jewish owned shops and businesses and began burning books by Jews.
1934-
The SA had been integral in Hitler's rise to power. He began to fear the regular army would force him from office, so Hitler gained their favor by attacking the leaders of his SA army in the "Night of the Long Knives." Hitler arrested many of the leaders in the SA and had them shot by the SS.
On August 2, 1934, President Hindenburg died and Hitler combined the offices of Reich Chancellor and President, declaring himself Führer and Reich Chancellor, or Reichsfürher.
1935-
The Nuremberg Laws were created in 1935. These laws stripped Jews of their civil rights as German Citizens and separated them from Germans legally, socially, and politically. Jews were defined as a separate race. Being Jewish was now determined by ancestry. These laws forbade marriages or sexual relations between Jews and Germans.
More than 120 laws, decrees, and ordinances were created after the Nuremberg Laws.
1936-
In 1936 Berlin hosted the Olympics. Hitler saw this as a perfect opportunity to promote his view of Nazism to the world. Stadiums and Olympic facilities were constructed as Nazi showpieces.
It was questioned whether the Nazis could really accept the terms of the Olympic Charter of participation, which says class, creed, or race can't be restricted. There were calls for a U.S. boycott of the games. The Nazis guaranteed that they would allow German Jews to compete. The boycott did not occur.
1938-
In March 1938, as part of Hitler's goal of uniting all German-Speaking people, Germany took over Austria without bloodshed. No countries protested this as a violation of the Treaty of Versailles.
In September 1938, Hitler started looking at the northwestern area of Czechoslovakia, called the Sudetenland. Hitler didn't want to march into the Sudetenland unless he was certain no other countries would intervene. He threatened war if he didn't get the Sudetenland, and in October, 1938 Germany owned the Sudetenland.
In Germany, open antisemitism became increasingly accepted. Kristallnacht, or "Night of the Broken Glass", took place on November 9th, 1938. On this night a free-for-all against Jews was initiated. Nearly 1,000 synagogues were set on fire and 76 were totally destroyed. More than 7,000 Jewish businesses and homes were looted, and about 100 Jews were killed while about 30,000 Jews were captured and sent to Concentration Camps.
Within days the Nazis forced Jews to transfer their businesses and expelled all Jewish students from their schools.
1939-
On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. This is what officially started World War II. Two days later Britain and France declared war on Germany. Poland collapsed in less than 4 weeks.
On January 30, 1933, President Paul von Hindeng appointed Hitler Chancellor to keep the Nazi Party "in check", or keep Hitler from revolting.
On Feburary 27th, 1933, the Reichstag building caught on fire. Nazis immediately claimed that it was the beginning of a Communist revolution. This lead many people to believe that the Nazis actually set the fire. This incident allowed Hitler to convince Hindenburg to issue the Decree for the Protection of People and State that gave the Nazis the power to deal with the emergency.
Within months of Hitler's appointment as Chancellor the Dachau concentration camp was built. The Nazis began arresting Jews, Communist, Socialists, and labor leaders. Dachau became a training center for concentration camp guards and later commandants.
Civil laws were passed that barred Jews from holding positions in the civil service, legal and medical positions, and in teaching and university positions. The Nazis encouraged boycotts of Jewish owned shops and businesses and began burning books by Jews.
1934-
The SA had been integral in Hitler's rise to power. He began to fear the regular army would force him from office, so Hitler gained their favor by attacking the leaders of his SA army in the "Night of the Long Knives." Hitler arrested many of the leaders in the SA and had them shot by the SS.
On August 2, 1934, President Hindenburg died and Hitler combined the offices of Reich Chancellor and President, declaring himself Führer and Reich Chancellor, or Reichsfürher.
1935-
The Nuremberg Laws were created in 1935. These laws stripped Jews of their civil rights as German Citizens and separated them from Germans legally, socially, and politically. Jews were defined as a separate race. Being Jewish was now determined by ancestry. These laws forbade marriages or sexual relations between Jews and Germans.
More than 120 laws, decrees, and ordinances were created after the Nuremberg Laws.
1936-
In 1936 Berlin hosted the Olympics. Hitler saw this as a perfect opportunity to promote his view of Nazism to the world. Stadiums and Olympic facilities were constructed as Nazi showpieces.
It was questioned whether the Nazis could really accept the terms of the Olympic Charter of participation, which says class, creed, or race can't be restricted. There were calls for a U.S. boycott of the games. The Nazis guaranteed that they would allow German Jews to compete. The boycott did not occur.
1938-
In March 1938, as part of Hitler's goal of uniting all German-Speaking people, Germany took over Austria without bloodshed. No countries protested this as a violation of the Treaty of Versailles.
In September 1938, Hitler started looking at the northwestern area of Czechoslovakia, called the Sudetenland. Hitler didn't want to march into the Sudetenland unless he was certain no other countries would intervene. He threatened war if he didn't get the Sudetenland, and in October, 1938 Germany owned the Sudetenland.
In Germany, open antisemitism became increasingly accepted. Kristallnacht, or "Night of the Broken Glass", took place on November 9th, 1938. On this night a free-for-all against Jews was initiated. Nearly 1,000 synagogues were set on fire and 76 were totally destroyed. More than 7,000 Jewish businesses and homes were looted, and about 100 Jews were killed while about 30,000 Jews were captured and sent to Concentration Camps.
Within days the Nazis forced Jews to transfer their businesses and expelled all Jewish students from their schools.
1939-
On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. This is what officially started World War II. Two days later Britain and France declared war on Germany. Poland collapsed in less than 4 weeks.