NAZISM AND THE RISE OF HITLER

1. Write the main features of the foreign policy of Hitler.

Ans. a) On 30th January 1933, Hitler became the Chancellor of
Germany and established dictatorship.
b) Right from the beginning he showed a policy of aggression
and war towards the other countries.
c) He pulled out of the League of Nations in 1933, reoccupied
Rhineland in 1936 and brought Austria and Germany under
the slogan “One people, one empire, one leader”.
d) He had a dream of world empire, ignored the Treaty of
Versailles and started a policy of militarization of Germany.
e) In 1939 he invaded Poland and in 1940 he signed a
tripartite pact to form an alliance with Italy and Japan and
fought against Allied powers in the second world war.

2. Explain the steps taken by Hitler to militarise Germany.

Ans. A) Hitler began to rebuild the army, navy and airforce
virtually from the scratch.
b) In 1936, he sent his army to acquire Rhineland. The
Western powers did not take any action against it.
c) The growing power of USA alarmed them and he realised
that he should consolidate his power by maintaining the
regular army.

3. What is political radicalism?

Ans. It was an uprising by the Spartacist League against the
Weimar Republic. This League demanded a soviet style
government based on Bolshevik idea. The Weimar republic
crushed the uprising with the help of war Veterans
organization called the ‘Free Corps’. Spartacist formed the
communist party of Germany. Communist and socialist both
wanted political radicalism against Hitler’s rule.

4. Explain why Nazi propaganda was effective in creating

a hatred for Jews.
Ans. The Nazi regime used language and media with care,
and often to great effect. Media was used to gain support for
the regime and to make it popular all over the world. They
spread their ideas through visual images, radio, posters,
slogans, speeches, films etc. All enemies of Germans
especially the Jews were mocked, abused and called as evil.
The most infamous film ‘Eternal Jew’ was shown all over to
the people. All orthodox Jews were stereotyped and shown as
supporting long beards and wearing loose clothes. These Jews
were called names such as rats, pests and vermins. Nazi
propaganda completely brainwashed the people who began to
believe that Jews are to be hated and dispised. Whenever they
sighted a Jew, hatred and anger welled up inside them. Jews
were looked upon with suspicion and even their living areas
marked.

5. What was the role played by women in Nazi society?

Ans. It was made obvious that women were radically different
from men. Boys were taught to be aggressive, masculine and
steel hearted, girls were told that they had to become good
mothers and rear pure blooded Aryan children. They had to be
the bearers of the Aryan culture and race. They had to look
after the homes and teach children Nazi values. They were
encouraged to bear many children. But the children had to be
‘desirable’ children. Honour crosses were awarded to them. If
the Aryan women deviated from the prescribed code of
conduct they were publicly condemned and severely
punished.
6. What were the main features of Nazism?
The main features of Nazism were---1) The State is above all.
All powers should be vested in the State. People exist for the
State, not the State for the people. 2) It was in favour of
ending all types of parliamentary institutions and glorified the
rule of a great leader. 3) It was in favour of crushing all types
of party formations and oppositions. 4) The Nazi party
considered Germany superior to all other nations and wanted
to have her influence all over the world.5) It wanted to
denounce the disgracing Treaty of Versailles.6) It aimed at
increasing the German Empire and acquiring all the colonies
snatched away from her.
7) Explain any three ways in which the Nazi state sought
to establish control over its people.
The Nazi state used both the methods i.e. punishing the
people and rewarding them too, for their c operation and non-
co operation in leading their lives according to the dictates of
the Nazi party. 1) After becoming the dictator in
1934A.D.Hitler captured all the powers. He set up a strong
central government. He demolished democracy. 2) A
massive programme of militarism was launched to enhance
the military power of Germany to make it a powerful country
and to restore her international honour and glory. 3) Germany
almost became a police state.He set a network of spies
throughout the country to keep an eye on his opponents.
Thousands of socialists, communists and dissenters were sent
to the concentration camps where they suffered many
atrocities at the hands of the state.
8) How did the common people react to Nazism?
1) Most of the people in Germany genuinely believed Nazism
would bring prosperity and improve the living standards of
the people of the country.They saw Hitler as a great Hero,
who would bring back the national honour through Nazism. 2)
Many were ardent supports of the Nazi party. They were
against the Jews. 3) But not every German was a Nazi. Many
resisted to Nazism and embraced death.
9) Discuss why Nazism became popular in Germany in
1930.
Some of the main causes of the rise and popularity of the rise
of Nazism in Germany are the following- 1) Humiliating
Treaty of Versailles-Germany was forced to sign a harsh
Treaty of Versailles after her defeat in the World War I. She
lost much of her territories and colonies. She had to pay huge
sum as war indemnity. It created the feeling of dissatisfaction
among the people to take revenge of the defeat and restore the
old prestige of Germany.2) Economic Crisis-Germany
witnessed a grave economic crisis due to war. She suffered a
huge loss of life and property. Many factories, towns villages
and fields were ruined. Trade was destroyed. The government
failed to tide over the crisis.Hitler promised the people peace,
prosperity and happiness under the rule of the Nazis.The
people believed him and saw their future and happiness under
Nazism alone.3) Spread of Communism-Being inspired by
the Russian Revolution of 1917 A.D. the Communist Party
also tried to bring about a revolution in Germany. Hitler
exposed the destructive results of Communism to the people
and instigated them against it.As a result the workers and the
masses joined the Nazi Party in large numbers.4) Germany
had no faith in Democracy-The Germans did not favour
democracy because it was against their culture and traditions.
This mentality of the Germans went a long way in the rise of
the Nazi Party and helping Hitler to become a
dictator.5)Personality of Hitler-Hitler had a very charming
and influential personality. He was a great orator, an able
organizer, a resourceful person and a tireless worker.So, the
Germans had a blind faith in him and regarded him as the
symbol of the revival of the old German glory.
10) What are the peculiar features of Nazi thinking?
The peculiar features of Nazi thinking were-1)That people
exist for the Stat e rather than the State for the people. 2)
There was no equality between the people but only racial
hierarchy. In this hierarchy the German Aryans were at the
top and the Jews at the lowest rung.3) Their hatred for Jews
was like a new religion. Jews were terrorized, pauperized,
segregated, compelled to leave the country, ghettoized and
killed in gas chambers.4) They believed in extreme
nationalism and glorified war. They aimed at uniting all the
people of German race under one State to form a greater
Germany to conquer land and territory.5) From a very young
age children were taught the Nazi ideology both inside and
outside school.They were taught to hate Jews and worship
Hitler.6) Women were regarded as radically different from
men. The fight for equal rights was thought detrimental to
society.Women were seen as mere bearers of Aryan culture
and race.
11) Describe the main provisions of the treaty of
Versailles.
1) The treaty declared Germany and her allies guilty of
aggression.2) Alsace and Lorraine were returned to France.3)
The coal mines in Germany called the Saar were given to
France for 15 years, but the area was to be governed by the
League of Nations.4) Germany ceded parts of her pre-war
territories to Denmark,Belgium,Poland and Czechoslovakia.
5) The area of Rhine valley was to be demilitarized.6)
German was dispossessed of her colonies which were
distributed among her victors.7) The strength of the German
army was limited to 100,000 and she was not required to have
any air force and submarines.8) Germany was also required to
pay for the loss and damages suffered by the Allies during the
war.
12) Discuss the main causes behind USA’s entry in the
Second World war.
1)USA for long followed a policy of isolation after World war
I as it was unwilling to face the economic crisis that World
War I had caused.2) Under the lend-lease agreement between
Britain and USA in 1941, USA gave a large number of war
planes, ships and other defence equipments to the British with
an understanding that they would pay for the same after the
war.3) However USA could not stay out of war for long as
relations deteriorated between USA and Japan. Japan was
expanding its power in the East. She used diplomacy and
occupied French Indo –China and planned to attack US naval
base in the Pacific.4) On December 7th 1941 when Japan
bombed US base at Pearl Harbour ( US lost 350 planes, 3700
men and 5 battleships) 2 days later US entered the World War
II , which turned the war in favour of the Allies.