2. Hitlers Rise To Power
Hitler's rise to power was based upon
long-term factors - resentment in the
German people, the weakness of the
Weimar system - which he exploited
through propaganda (paid for by his
rich, Communist-fearing backers), the
terror of his stormtroopers, and the
brilliance of his speeches.

3. During the 'roaring twenties' Germans
ignored this vicious little man with his
programme of hatred. But when the
Great Depression ruined their lives,
they voted for him in increasing
numbers. Needing support, and
thinking he could control Hitler,
President Hindenburg made the
mistake in January 1933 of giving Hitler
the post of Chancellor

4. Woodrow Wilson
• Woodrow Wilson
• Wilson got:
• 1. A League of Nations,
• 2. Self-determination for the peoples of Eastern Europe,
• But he was disappointed with the Treaty:
• a. Some of his ‘Fourteen Points’ did not get into the
Treaty,
• b. When Wilson went back to America, the Senate
refused to join the League of Nations, and even refused
to sign the Treaty of Versailles.

5. Georges Clemenceau
• Georges Clemenceau
• liked the harsh things that were in the Treaty:
• 1. Reparations (would repair the damage to France),
• 2. The tiny German army, and
• 3. The demilitarised zone in the Rhineland (would both
protect France),
• 4. France got Alsace-Lorraine, and German colonies.
• But he was disappointed with the Treaty:
• a. He wanted the Treaty to be harsher
• b. He wanted Germany to be split up into smaller
countries.

6. David Lloyd George
• David Lloyd George
• Many British people wanted to ‘make Germany pay’, and
Lloyd George liked:
• 1. The fact that Britain got some German colonies
(expanded the British Empire),
• 2. The small German navy (helped Britain to continue to
'rule the waves').
• But Lloyd George hated the Treaty:
• a. He thought that the Treaty was far too harsh and
would ruin Germany,
• b. He thought it would cause another war in 25 years
time

7. • Activities:
• Imagine you are David Lloyd George. What
would you have said about the following articles
of the Versailles Treaty:
• a. Article 231.
• b. The German army set at 100,000 men and
the German navy disbanded.
• c. £6,600 reparations for the damage done
during the war.
• d. Germany lost Alsace-Lorraine, other land in
Europe, and all her colonies.

8. Study this and
work out
what you
think the
artist is trying
to convey?

9. • The cartoon means that future cannon
fodder (cannon food), being the kids of
today are going to be the ones that suffer
from the Treaty of Versailles, due to it
being so harsh towards the Germans they
are bound to want revenge and
Clemenceau who is French and the also
who wants to be harshest on the Germans
“ curious I seem to hear a child weeping?”
they don’t really care about the future.

10. Quick Facts
• Germany did not pay off the reparations bill until
2010. Repayment was interrupted by Hitler
during his time in power, which delayed the final
pay off to 1996.
• However, a clause in the agreement said that
Germany would have to pay interest on the bill if
Germany were ever to reunite, which of course it
did in 1990. So the final historic payment of
£59m was made on Sunday, 3rd October 2010,
ninety-two years after the war ended.

11. Munich Putsch
• By 1923 Hitler was the leader of the Nazi Party. With inflation
running high, Hitler thought the time was ripe for his party to seize
control in Germany. With a group of ex-soldiers, including a war
time air ace Hermann Goring, and Field Marshall Ludendorff, the
Nazis plotted to seize control of Munich, the capital of Bavaria, and
then stage a march on Berlin. It was a disaster. The plotters had not
planned things carefully enough and Hitler lost his nerve. He spent
most of the crisis making speeches to his own supporters in a beer
hall. When Ludendorff finally persuaded him to lead a march
through the streets, the police fired on the marchers and Hitler and
the Nazis ran away. Two days later Hitler was arrested.
• Hitler received a five year prison sentence for the Munich Putsch,
but prison was very comfortable and he was let out after serving
less than a year. He spent the time writing a book about his ideas -
Mein Kampf.

12. • In 1929, the American Stock Exchange
collapsed, and caused an
economic depression. America called in all its
foreign loans, which destroyed Weimar
Germany. Unemployment in Germany rose to 6
million.
• The government did not know what to do. In July
1930 Chancellor Brüning cut government
expenditure, wages and unemployment pay - the
worst thing to do during a depression. He could
not get the Reichstag to agree to his actions, so
President Hindenburg used Article 48 to pass
the measures by decree.

13. Bibliography
• http://www.johndclare.net/
• http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/lessons/ris
eofhitler/
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize
/history/mwh/germany/hitlerpowerrev1.sht
ml