1. In B e t w e e n T h e
Wa r s

2. Bell Ringer
• What were the terms of the Treaty of
Versailles?
1 minute
Discuss with your partner

3. Treaty of Versailles
• Germany:
– Lost territory
– Took all blame
– Demilitarized
– Paid reparations

4. T h e W e im a r
R e p u b lic
Germany Post WWI

5. Germany
• Plagued riots, strikes, and rebellions
• Many groups vying for power
– Communists
– Social Democrats
– Nazis (Hitler’s political debut)
• When Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated, Germany
was declared a republic

6. New German Republic
• First order of business: to sign peace
treaty
• Many Germans (including Hitler) saw
this as an act of treason
• Still, elections took place and the
Reichstag (German parliament) was
able to create a new constitution that
was very democratic in nature

7. Weimar Republic
• This new, democratic government was
called the Weimar Republic
• It would stay in power for 14 years

8. Financial Hardship
• G - unable to pay reparations
• By 1922 - defaulted on payments
• Result = France & Belgium occupied
the Ruhr region (industrial heartland)
with intent to use the products as
reparation

9. Economic Disaster
• Occupation led to economic disaster:
– Production decreased
– Unemployment increased
– Prices rose dramatically --> more money
printed --> hyperinflation

10. Hyperinflation
Marks needed to buy one US
Year Month dollar
1919 April 12
1921 November 263
1922 July 493
December 7,000
1923 January 17,000
August 4,621,000
December 4,200,000,000,000
Source: www.historyhome.co.uk

11. (More) Hard Times
for the Germans
• Germans lost life savings
• Workers paid with worthless money
• Literally cost millions for groceries -
hunger riots

13. •It indicates…
•It was drawn
after…
•It is a comment
about…
•The purpose
is…
•It
symbolizes…
•The POV is…

14. The Rise of
Totalitarianism
in Interwar Europe

15. Totalitarianism
• What root word do you notice in
totalitarian

16. Totalitarianism
• A gov’t that exerts total control over
a nation
• It dominates all aspects of life
• Uses terror to:
– Suppress individual rights
– Silence all forms of opposition

17. Fascism
• Emphasizes the importance of the
nation or an ethnic group and the
supreme authority of the leader

18. The Insane
Let’s Play…
in the Brain
Totalitarian
Game

19. Germany On the Brink
• Economic hardships  political discord
• Got worse when the WR resumed
reparation payments
• Germans furious with gov’t - wanted
something done…

20. Introducing
Totalitarian Fascist #1
The Megalomaniacal
Demagogue

21. Hitler’s Plan
Hitler & Nazis plotted:
– Kidnap Bavarian leaders
– force them (at gunpoint) to accept Hitler
as their new leader
– Win over the Army
– Declare national revolt
– Overthrow democratic gov’t

22. From Beer Hall Putsch…
• Munich, Germany
• November 8-9, 1923 -
8:30 pm
• Hitler & posse stormed
beer hall = leaders
freaked out
• “The National
revolution has begun!”

23. To Beer Hall Putz…
• Comedy of errors…
• Result - Hitler arrested - charged with
treason
• 5-week trial - guilty verdict
• Sent to Landsberg Prison (where he
wrote his famous book, Mein Kampf)

24. Did Hitler Really Lose?
• Ultimately, no (it helped him!)
• Trial made him a national figure
– Platform to make his views known outside
Nazi party
– His defense gave him the opportunity to
attack those he hated (Jews, communists,
etc.)

25. Hitler in a Lederhosen!

26. Back on Track
• New chancellor/foreign minister (Gustav
Stresemann - 1923-1929)
• Introduced new currency that ended
hyperinflation
• Negotiated reduction in reparations
(Dawes Plan)
• This upswing gave way to great cultural
advances (Brecht, Weill, Dietrich,
Einstein, etc.)

27. Great Depression
• International banking, manufacturing
and trade made the world dependent
upon the US
• US demanded Fr & GB pay wartime
debts + kept import taxes high
• Result: Allies had to rely on G’s
reparations

28. Global Collapse
• 1929: US Stock Market crashed (not
much impact on Europe) BUT…
• 1931: Collapse of Credit-Anstalt
– Austrian bank – considered impregnable
– When it fell  domino effect across Europe
– This signaled GLOBAL DEPRESSION

29. Global Depression

30. Collapse of Weimar Republic
• Depression
– Financially crippled Germany
• Weak Government
– President von Hindenburg
• Elderly
• Too weak to fight Hitler
• Tried to outsmart Hitler…backfired

31. Adolf Hitler
• Watch the following
video & jot down the
sequence that led
him from Chancellor
to Führer

33. Timeline: Hitler’s Rise
• 1930
– Sept: Germans elected Nazis to Reichstag
• 1933
– Jan 30: Hindenburg appointed Hitler Chancellor
– Feb 27: Reichstag fire
– March 23: Enabling Act – gave Hitler legislative power
• 1934
– June 30: Night of Long Knives (liquidated opponents)
– Aug 2: Hindenburg died

34. Introducing
Totalitarian Fascist #2
The Pompous
Arrogant Dictator

35. Sometimes there are no words….

36. Benito Mussolini
• Fascist Doctrine HW

37. Closure
• Compare/Contrast Hitler & Mussolini’s
Rise to Power
Discuss w/ Partner
1 min