Samenvatting History 3TTO Memo 1.5, 2.2 & 2.3 (WW2)

Summary 1.5, 2.2 & 2.3
1.5 The Roaring (= roerige) Twenties

GER: after 1924 (Dawes Plan) the economy improved and GER joined the League of Nations (founded in
1919). GER became a consumer society; normal people buy new machines (radio, cars, fridges).

In the US it is normal to take out a loan to buy new machines: everybody wanted them. The US was
capitalist: companies just wanted profit (winst): supply and demand were normal (More demand 
companies produce more more supply  goods are cheaper)



1.5 1919: Economic crisis

In 1929 people rapidly began to sell shares (=aandelen)their value dropsstock market crash.

People who loaned money could not loan it backbanks collapse

People buy lessbusinesses failunemployment rises.

This adds to the problems the US already had: they sell less farming products and banks loaned money
too easily. The president Hoover did not intervene: the economy should fix itself.



1.5 Germany & the New Deal

In 1924, the US loaned money to GER (Dawes Plan), but this stopped in 1929 because the US stock
market crashedGER companies and banks go bankruptunemployment.

The ‘normal’ political parties in GER decided to print more money again which leads to inflation
againGermans lose hope for a better future.

In the US, president (new) Roosevelt makes the New Deal: he builds bridged and fixes the economy in
1933.



1.5 the NSDAP

People lose confidence in the normal political parties, and middle class people are afraid of communist
parties  more and more people vote for Hitler, who says he can fix Germany and make it the best
party in the word again.

 Hitler’s party, the NSDAP (Nationalist Socialist German Workers Party) becomes the largest party in
the elections of 1932.

, 2.2 The NSDAP

The NSDAP (National Sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter Partzei = Nazis) is Hitler’s political party. They
are/have 4 things:

1. Anti-democracy: Nazi’s wanted one leader/Früher. He would make the Germans proud again.
2. Nationalistic: they wanted all Germans in one German Empire.
3. Militaristic: they had their own assault groups (knokploegen, the SA), and thought war and
soldiers were great.

2.2 4. Racial Doctrine

The Nazi’s divided the people in the world into groups: races. The Germans were the Ayran race, mostly
blond with blue eyes and they were the best: the Übermenschen. Other groups were considered bad
and inferior: the Untermenschen. They were jews, Roma (‘’zigeuners’’) and many more. The
Übermenschen would be weakened if they mixed with Untermenschen. Hatred towards Jews is called
antisemitism.

2.2 Hitler’s organizations

NSDAP: biggest party in 1932, gets the most power in Jan. 1939 when Hitler is appointed Chancellor (=
prime minister)

SA: Sturmabteilung. Assault group. Intimidated enemies and held rallies (bijeenkomsten) until 1934.

SS: Schatzstaffel. First bodyguards in the SA, then the elite military unit. Organised the concentration
camps. Leader = Himbler.

2.2 The Reichstag Fire

In Feb. 1933 the Reichstag burns down (the Nazis blame a communist). Hitler uses this to give himself
more power: he forbids the communist party and passes emergency laws which lower the power of the
parliament and take away freedom of speech.

Then, Hitler pusses the Enabling Act, which let him pass laws without parliament: he has unlimited
power.



2.2 After the Enabling Act

1933: Hitler banned all other political parties, Opponents were sent to prison or concentration camps.

The NSDAP controlled everything: the press, the trade, the youth movements and books for school. BER
became a totalitarian state = the state controlled the lives of people.

Children were indoctrinated in National Socialism.