Nazism and the Rise of Hitler

SUMMARY OF THE TOPICS

Birth of the Weimar Republic
Hitler’s Rise to Power
The Nazi Worldview
Youth in Nazi Germany
Ordinary People and the Crimes Against Humanity

Birth of the Weimar Republic

Germany was a powerful empire in the early years of the twentieth century. It fought the First World War (1914-1918) alongside the Austrian empire and against the Allies (England, France and Russia). The Allies were strengthened by the US entry in 1917 and won the war in November 1918.

The defeat of the Imperial Germany paved the way for democratic republic in Germany. The parliamentary parties met at the National Assembly at Weimar and established a democratic constitution with a federal structure. Universal suffrage was allowed for electing the Deputies to the German Parliament (Reichstag).

Versailles Treaty: But after the First World War, Germany was forced to accept certain terms which hurt the pride of the German people. As per the peace treaty signed at Versailles, Germany lost its overseas colonies, a tenth of its population, 13% of its territories, 75% of its iron and 26% of its coal to France, Poland, Denmark and Lithuania. To weaken its power, the Allied Powers demilitarized Germany. The War Guilt Clause forced Germany to pay compensation amounting to £6 billion. The resource rich Rhineland was occupied by the Allied armies for much of the 1920s. Because of these developments, many Germans were not happy with the Weimar Republic.

The Effects of the War

Europe had turned into a continent of debtors from being a continent of creditors, after the war. The Weimar Republic was forced to pay for the sins of the old empire. The supporters of the Weimar Republic became easy targets of the attacks by the conservatives.

Glorification of Soldiers: 

After the First World War, the soldiers came to be placed above civilians all over Europe. Politicians and the media glorified the life of a soldier. 

Aggressive war propaganda and national honour became the theme of public debate. 

Democracy was a nascent idea which could not survive the war-ravaged Europe.

Political Radicalism and Economic Crises

This was the time when the Spartacist League revolution began to rise on the pattern of Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. There was a charged political atmosphere in Berlin and there were demands for Soviet style governance.

The socialists, democrats and the Catholics met in Weimar to give shape to the democratic republic. The uprising of the Spartacist was crushed with the help of war veteran organizations called Free Corps. The Spartacist later founded the Communist Party of Germany.

The economic crisis of 1923 further heightened the political radicalization in Germany. Germany had to pay war reparations in gold which led to depletion of gold reserve. When Germany refused to pay in 1923, the French occupied its leading industrial area Ruhr; to claim their coal.

Germany responded with passive resistance and printed paper currency recklessly. Increased circulation of currency led to hyperinflation in Germany. Price rise was phenomenal.

Finally, America decided to bail out Germany from this mess. America introduced the Dawes Plan. According to this plan, the terms of reparations were reworked to ease the financial burden on Germany.

The Years of Depression

Some stability could be seen between 1924 and 1928. But that stability was short-lived because the industrial recovery in Germany was dependent on short-term loans. A large portion of those loans came from the USA. This support was withdrawn after the infamous Wall Street crash.

The Wall Street Exchange crashed in 1929 and people sold their shares in a mad spree. This was the beginning of the Great Depression. The effects of this recession in the US economy were felt all over the world.

The German economy was the worst hit by Great Depression. By 1932, industrial production became 40% of what it was in 1929. Number of unemployed touched a high of 6 million. Unemployment also led to an increase in criminal activities.

Fragile Republic: 

The Weimar Republic was politically fragile as well. 

Its constitution had some inherent defects and hence the Weimar Republic was prone to be unstable and vulnerable to dictatorship. 

The provision of proportional representation meant that majority by a single party was impossible and coalition government was the norm. 

Article 48 gave the President the powers to impose emergency to suspend civil rights and to rule by decree. 

The average life span of a cabinet was just 239 days and emergency was declared many times. People were losing confidence in the republic.

Hitler’s Rise to Power

Hitler was born in 1889 in Austria and spent his youth in poverty. He served in the army during the First World War where he rose through the ranks. He was furious at various sanctions imposed on Germany through the Versailles Treaty. In 1919, he joined a small group called the German Workers’ Party. Subsequently, Hitler took over the organization and renamed it the Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party. This came to be known as the Nazi Party.

In 1923, Hitler made an unsuccessful bid to capture power at Berlin. He was arrested, tried for treason and later released. Till early 1930, the Nazis could not mobilize popular support. The Nazi Party got about 2.6% votes in 1928 but emerged as the largest party; with 37% votes; in 1932.

Oratory Skills of Hitler: 

Hitler was a powerful orator. He could sway the masses with his powerful words. He promised to build a strong nation and restore the dignity of German people. He promised all around development and employment to youth.

Hitler understood the significance of rituals and spectacle in mass mobilization. He used the Swastika symbol, red banners, pamphlets and ritualized rounds of applause to great effect during his massive rallies.

Hitler was projected as a messiah; who could free people from their distress. For people who were shattered by acute economic and political crises; Hitler provided a ray of hope.

The Destruction of Democracy

On 30 January 1933, Hitler was offered the Chancellorship by President Hindenburg. 

It was the highest position in the cabinet of ministers. 

After acquiring power, Hitler began to dismantle the structures of democratic rule.

A mysterious fire broke out in the German Parliament in February and it gave an excuse to Hitler to assume all the powers. A Fire Decree was announced on 28 February 1933. 

Under the Decree, various civic rights were suspended.

After that, Hitler turned on to his archenemies, the Communists. Most of the Communists were packed off to the newly established concentration camps.

The famous Enabling Act was passed on 3 March 1933. This Act gave all powers to Hitler and established dictatorship in Germany. All political parties and trade unions were banned; leaving the monopoly to the Nazi Party. The state acquired complete control over the economy, media, army and judiciary.

Special surveillance and security forces were created to control and order the society. The regular police in green uniform and the SA or the Storm Troopers were the existing police forces. Additional police forces were also raised; viz., the Gestapo (secret state police), the SS (the protection squad), criminal police and the Security Service (SD).

These police forces enjoyed extra-constitutional powers. People could be detained in Gestapo torture chambers, rounded up and sent to concentration camps, deported at will or arrested without any legal procedures.

Reconstruction

The responsibility of economic recovery was given to the economist Hjalmar Schacht. 

He initiated a state-funded work-creation programme to ensure full production and full employment. 

The famous Autobahn and Volkswagen were the results of this period. The economy was on the road to prosperity.

Hitler got quick successes in foreign policy as well. In 1933, he pulled out of the League of Nations. He reoccupied the Rhineland in 1936 and integrated Austria and Germany in 1938. After that, he went on to wrest German-speaking Sudentenland from Czechoslovakia and usurped the entire country. England gave unspoken support to Hitler in these endeavours.

Expansion Spree: 

Hitler was convinced that expansion of territory was a surefire way to acquire resources and more resources would help tide the economic crisis. Germany invaded Poland in September 1939 and this event started a war with France and England. 

A Tripartite Pact was signed between Germany, Italy and Japan in 1940. This fact strengthened Hitler’s claim to international power. In a large part of Europe, puppet regimes (which were supportive of Nazi Germany) were installed. By the end of 1940, Hitler was at the zenith of his power.

Soviet Hegemony over Eastern Europe: 

Now Hitler moved to achieve his long-term aim, i.e. of conquering the Eastern Europe. Hitler attacked the Soviet Union in June 1941 which proved to be a historic blunder. 

With this step, the western front of Germany was exposed to British aerial bombing and the eastern front was exposed to the powerful Soviet armies. 

The German Army was handed a crushing defeat by the Soviet Army and the Soviet forces finally reached the heart of Berlin. This established the Soviet hegemony over the entire Eastern Europe for half a century thereafter.

US involvement in War: 

The USA did not want to face all the economic problems which were caused by the First World War. 

Hence, the USA was unwilling to get involved in the Second World War. But Japan’s advances in the east, its support to Hitler and bombing at the US base at Pearl Harbor, forced the US to enter the Second World War. 

The US dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima in Japan and the war ended in May 1945 with Hitler’s defeat.

The Nazi Worldview

The Nazi ideology did not believe in equality among people but only in a racial hierarchy. 

According to this, the Nordic German Aryans were at the top and the Jews were at the bottom. All other coloured people were placed in between. 

Hitler interpreted the ideas of Darwin and Spencer to suit his own views. While Darwin and Spencer proposed the idea of Natural Selection and Survival of the Fittest, 

Hitler wanted human intervention to ensure the elimination of other races. According to him, such races were not fit for survival and should be eliminated to make place for the purest race; the Nordic German Aryans.

Hitler’s ideology was also related to the geopolitical concept of Lebensraum, or living space. He believed in acquiring new territories to spread the race of the Nordic German Aryans.

Establishment of the Racial State

The Nazis quickly began to implement their dream of creating an exclusive racial community of pure Germans. 

They did this by physically eliminating all those who were seen as ‘undesirable’ in the extended empire. The pure and healthy Nordic Aryans were seen as the only ‘desirable’ race. Many Germans who were considered ‘undesirable’ were killed under the Euthanasia Programme. Even the mentally or physically unfit were killed under this programme.

The Jews, the Russians and the Poles; all of them were widely persecuted. After the German occupation of Poland and parts of Russia, the captured civilians were forced to work as slave labour. Most of them died because of hard work and starvation.

Stereotyping the Jews: There had been a long tradition of Christian hostility towards the Jews. They had been stereotyped as killers of Christ and usurpers. Until medieval times, the Jews were barred from owning land. Trade and money-lending was their only means for survival. Periodic organized violence and expulsion from land were often used for persecuting the Jews.

The Nazis wanted a complete elimination of the Jews. From 1933 to 1938, the Jews were compelled to leave the country through different means of terror and segregation. In the next phase (1939-1945), there was an aim of concentrating them in certain areas and eventually killing them in gas chambers.

The Racial Utopia

After German occupation, Poland was divided up and much of north-western Poland was annexed to Germany. Poles were forced to leave their homes and properties behind. They were to be occupied by ethnic Germans brought in from occupied Europe.

The Poles were sent to the other part which was called the General Government. Members of the Polish intelligentsia were killed so the Polish could be kept intellectually and spiritually servile. Some of the largest ghettos and gas chambers were also present in the General Government. Thus, it also served as the killing field for the Jews.

Youth in the Nazi Germany

Hitler felt that by teaching the Nazi ideology to children, a strong Nazi society could be established. All schools were ‘cleansed’ and ‘purified’ to propagate the Nazi ideals. The teachers who were Jews or seen as ‘politically unreliable’ were dismissed. German and Jew children were segregated and the ‘undesirable children’; Jews, physically handicapped and Gypsies; were thrown out of school. Finally in the 1940s, they were taken to the gas chambers.

School textbooks were re-written so that the ‘Good German’ children could be brainwashed through a prolonged period of ideological training. Racial science was introduced in the curriculum to justify the Nazi ideas of race.

Children were taught to be loyal and submissive, hate Jews and worship Hitler. The sport of Boxing was promoted to instill mental strength among students.

Youth organisations were given the responsibility of educating the German youth in the spirit of National Socialism. Ten year olds had to enter Jungvolk. At 14 years of age, all boys had to join the Nazi youth organization; Hitler Youth. After a long and rigorous training in the Nazi ideology, they had to join the Labour Service; usually at the age of 18. After that, they had to serve in the armed forces and enter one of the 

Nazi organizations.

The Nazi Cult of Motherhood

The boys were taught to be aggressive, masculine and steel hearted. The girls were told that they had to become good mothers and rear pure-blooded Aryan children. The girls had to maintain the purity of the race and hence had to distance themselves from the ‘undesirables’.

Women who bore racially undesirable children were punished. On the other hand, women who bore racially desirable children were awarded. They were given special treatment in hospitals and also got concessions in shops, theatres and railways. Honor Crosses were awarded to encourage women to produce more children. A bronze cross was given for four children, silver cross for six and golden cross for eight or more. The ‘Aryan’ woman who deviated from the prescribed code of conduct was publicly condemned and severely punished.

The Art of Propaganda

The Nazi regime used the language and media with great effect. They coined various deceiving terms to be used for ‘killing’ or ‘murder’. Photographs, films, radio, posters, catchy slogans, etc. were used to propagate the Nazi ideology. Those opposed to the Nazis and the Jews were stereotyped through various campaigns.

Many people began to see the world through Nazi perspective. There was widespread hatred against the Jews. People believed that Nazism would bring prosperity and improve general well-being.

But many others organized active resistance to Nazism, braving police repression and death. But a large majority of the German population was composed of passive onlookers. They were too scared to act, to differ, to protest.

Knowledge about the Holocaust

Information about Nazi atrocities had trickled out of Germany during the last years of the regime. But it was only after the end of the war that the world came to realize the horrors suffered by the Jews and other ‘undesirables’. Many Jews wrote their memories in diaries and notebooks, and created archives.

When the Nazi leadership could see that they were fighting a losing battle, they distributed petrol to its functionaries to destroy all incriminating evidences.

I. Answer the following questions:-

Q.1. Describe the  effects of Treaty of Versailles on Germany? 

• The peace treaty  signed between Germany and the allied powers at Versailles was a harsh and humiliating. 
• Germany lost its overseas colonies ,a tenth of its population, 13 per cent of its territories,75 per cent of its iron and 26 per cent of its coal to France, Poland, Denmark and Lithuania. 
• The Allied Powers demilitarised Germany to weaken its power. 
• The War Guilt Clause held Germany responsible for the war and damages the Allied countries suffered. Germany was forced to pay compensation amounting to £6 billion. 
• The Allied armies also occupied the resource-rich Rhineland for much of the 1920s. 
• Many Germans held the new Weimar Republic responsible for not only the defeat in the war but the disgrace at Versailles.  

Q.2..What were the main reasons for the birth of Weimar Republic?Describe the problems faces by the Weimar Republic. 

• The defeat of Imperial Germany and the abdication of the emperor
• gave an opportunity to parliamentary parties to recast German polity.
• A National Assembly met at Weimar and established a democratic
• constitution with a federal structure. 
• Deputies were now elected tothe German Parliament or Reichstag, on the basis of equal and universal votes cast by all adults including women.

Problems faced by Weimar Republic;

• The Weimar Republic did not have the support of large sections of the people as they held it responsible for signing the humiliating Treaty of Versailles.
• The Republic carried the burden of war guilt and was financially crippled by being forced to pay compensation.
• The 1923 and 1929 crisis led to widespread inflation, misery and despair.

Q.3. Examine any three Inherent defects in the Weimar Constitution. 

• The Weimar constitution had some inherent defects:-
• Politically  the Weimar Republic was fragile which made it unstable
• and vulnerable to dictatorship. 
• One was proportional representation and this made achieving a majority by any one party a near impossible task, leading to a rule by coalitions. 
• Another defect was Article 48, which gave the President the powers to impose emergency, suspend civil rights and rule by decree. 
• Within its short life, the Weimar Republic saw twenty different cabinets lasting on an average 239 days, and a liberal use of Article 48. 
• As a result the crisis could not be managed and people lost confidence in the democratic parliamentary system which seemed to offer no solutions.

Q.4. Who was Hitler ? 

• Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 in Austria and  spent his youth in poverty. 
• During the First World War he enrolled for the army, acted as a messenger in the front, became a corporal, and earned medals for bravery. 
• The German defeat horrified him and the Versailles Treaty made him furious. 
• In 1919, he joined a small group called the German Workers Party. He subsequently took over the organisation and renamed it the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. 
• This party came to be known as the Nazi Party.
• Hitler was a dictator, a strong leader and a powerful speaker.

Q.5.What steps did Hitler take to systematically destroy democracy?  

• On 30 January 1933 when President Hindenburg offered the
• Chancellorship to Hitler the highest position in the cabinet of ministers,  Hitler dismantled the structures of democratic rule. 
• A mysterious fire that broke out in the German Parliament building in February facilitated his move.
• The Fire Decree of 28 February 1933 indefinitely suspended civic rights like freedom of speech, press and assembly that had been guaranteed by the Weimar constitution. 
• Then he turned on his archenemies, the Communists, most of whom were packed off to the concentration camps. 
• The Communists were repressed severely. 
• The Enabling Act helped to established dictatorship in Germany. 
• It gave Hitler all powers to sideline Parliament and rule by decree. All political parties and trade unions were banned except for the Nazi Party and its affiliates. 
• The state established complete control over the economy, media, army and judiciary.
• Special surveillance and security forces were created to control and order society in ways that the Nazis wanted.

1. What is referred to as Fascism in History? Mention two Fascist powers which existed during the Second World War.

Fascism was first propagated by Benito Mussolini. Under the Fascist system power of the state is vested in one person or a group of persons.

The two fascist powers were Germany and Italy.

2. Give the name of the book written by Hitler. Mention two ideas expressed by Hitler in the book.

Name: 'Mein Kampf Hair' Ideas:

(i) The book expressed Hitler's belief in the superiority of the Aryan race.

(ii) His hatred for Jews.

(iii) His desire to once more make Germany a powerful nation.

3. How did the US help Germany to overcome the 1923 financial crisis?

'

German bonds' were sold to private American investors which helped Germany pay its reparations to Britain and France.

4. Name the four countries included in the Allied Powers in World War II.

England, France, Russia and USA were included in the Allied Powers.

5. Which countries were known as Axis Powers in World War II?

Germany, Italy and Japan were known as Axis Powers.

6. List the single most factor for the victory of the Allies in World War I.

The single most important factor for the victory of the Allies in World War I was the entry of USA in 1917. The Allies were strengthened by US entry.

7. What factors enabled the recast of Germany's Political System after World War I?

The factors which enabled the recast of German policy after World War I were the defeat which Imperial Germany suffered in World War I and the abdication of the German Emperor.

8. What was the German Parliament called?

The German Parliament was called Reichstag.

9. How were the deputies of the Reichstag appointed?

The deputies of the Reichstag were elected on the basis of universal adult franchise including women.

10. How did the Republic of Germany get its name?

The Republic of Germany was named Weimar after the name of the town where the constituent assembly had met and framed the new Constitution.

11. Why was the Weimar Republic not well received by the people of Germany?

The Weimar Republic was not well received by the people because many in Germany held the Republic responsible not only for the defeat in World War I but also for the humiliating terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

12. Who were called the 'November Criminals'?

Supporters of the Weimar Republic, mainly Socialists, Catholics and Democrats were mockingly called the 'November Criminals'.

13. Mention two most important clauses of the Treaty of Versailles.

The two important clauses of the Treaty of Versailles were:

(i) German area of the Rhine Valley was to be demilitarised.

(ii) Germany was to pay war reparation for loss and damages suffered by the Allies during the war.

14. When and between whom was the Treaty of Versailles signed?

Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919 between Germany and Britain, France and USA.

15. What does the term Great Economic Depression signify?

Great Economic Depression (1929-1934) signified the collapse of US economy which began with the crash of the Wall Street Exchange in 1929. It had repercussion all over the world and led to sustained large scale unemployment.

16. The Nazi Party was renamed after which organisation?

The Nazi Party was renamed after the National Socialist German Workers Party.

17. What was the significance of the Enabling Act?

The Enabling Act enabled Hitler to sideline the Parliament and rule by decree.

18. What were the provisions and significance of the Fire Decree (Feb. 28, 1933)?

Provisions of the Fire Decree enabled indefinite suspension of civic rights like freedom of speech, press and assembly that had been guaranteed by the Weimar Republic.

It was significant because it enabled Hitler to acquire power and dismantle the democratic structure.

19. How did Hitler propose to bring about economic recovery in Germany?

Hitler proposed to bring about economic recovery by aiming at full production and full employment through state funded work creation programmes.

Secondly he sought to accumulate resources through expansion of territory.

20. Which concept of Hitler's ideology revealed his desire for an extended empire?

The geopolitical concept or concept of living space revealed his desire for an extended empire.

21. What was the Nazi argument for their imperialist ambitions?

The Nazi argument for their imperialist ambitions was, the strongest race would survive and the weak perish. To retain purity of the Aryan race they had to dominate the world.

22. Who were the supporters of the Nazi ideology?

Nazi ideas found support in the army and the class of big landlords. They received the full backing of the industrialists who were alarmed at the growth of the socialist and communist parties.

23. Give two steps taken by the Weimar Republic in 1923, to acquire political stability in Germany.

To acquire political stability in Germany, the Weimar Republic:

(i) Introduced a new currency called Rentenmark. This considerably strengthened Germany's monetary system.

(ii) A new method was negotiated between Germany and the Allies for payment of separation dues. Thereby the French Army withdrew from the Ruhr region.

24. What is meant by the term appeasement? Who adopted it towards whom?

Appeasement means a policy of conciliating an aggressive power at the expense of some other country.

The Western powers namely Britain and France adopted a policy of appeasement towards Germany and Italy.

25. What was the reason behind the Western powers following a policy of appeasement towards Germany in the years before World War II?

The only reason behind the appeasement policy of the western powers towards Germany was to ensure that German aggression remained directed against Communist Russia.

26. What marked the beginning of World War II?

The invasion of Poland by German}' on September 1, 1933 marked the beginning of the World War II.

27. Who were the signatories of the 1940 Tripartite Pact?

Germany, Italy and Japan were the signatories of the 1940 Tripartite Pact.

28. Why Hitler's attack on Soviet Union is in 1941 regarded 'a historic blunder'?

Hitler's attack on Soviet Union in 1941 is regarded as a historic blunder because henceforth German armies had to simultaneously fight on two fronts. While Germans were fighting the aerial bombings of the British on the western front, the eastern front remained exposed to the powerful Soviet armies.

29. Name some countries which became victims of Hitler's aggressive policy.

Some countries which became victims of Hitler's aggressive policy were-Poland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Holland, Belgium, France, North Africa and Russia.

30. What was the immediate cause for American entry in World War 11?

Both US and Japan were competing for domination in the Pacific. The immediate cause for American entry in World War II was the sudden bombing by Japan on the American naval base at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, destroying American ships and aircrafts.

31. Mention the major events of 1941 that turned the war into a global war.

The German invasion of Soviet Union, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour and United States entry in the war turned the war into a truly global war.

32. Which country used atomic bombs during World War II?

USA used atomic bombs during World War II against Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

33. What event brought the end of World War II?

Hitler's defeat and the US bombing of Hiroshima in Japan brought the end of World War II in 1945.

34. Hitler's ideas on racialism were based on which thinkers?

Hitler's ideas on racialism borrowed heavily from thinkers like Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer.

35. Who according to Hitler topped the racial hierarchy? Who formed the lowest rung of the hierarchy?

The Nordic German Aryans were at the top while the Jews were located at the lowest rung of the racial hierarchy.

36. Who according to the Nazis were 'desirables'?

Pure and healthy Nordic Aryans alone were considered 'desirables' by the Nazis.

37. Who were regarded and treated as 'undesirables' during the Nazi regime?

Jews, many Gypsies, blacks living in Nazi Germany, Poles and Russian civilians belonging to German occupied territory, were treated as 'undesirables'. Even Germans who were seen as impure or abnormal were classed as 'undesirables'.

38. How did the common people react to Nazi behaviour and propaganda of Jews?

Many common people reacted with anger and hatred towards Jews, others remained passive onlookers scared to protest, many others protested braving even death.

39. What does the term 'Holocaust' refer to?

The term Holocaust refers to the atrocities and sufferings endured by Jews during Nazi killing operations.

40. What was Hitler's World View?

As per Hitler's World View there was no equality between people, only racial hierarchy.

41. (a) What does the term 'Genocidial War' refer to? (b) List the three stages leading to the extermination of Jews.

(a) The term Genocidial War refers to the mass murder of selected groups of innocent civilians in Europe by Germany, during World War II.

(b) The three stages in the extermination of Jews were exclusion, ghettoisation and annihilation.

42. For what was Auschwitz notorious during the Nazi period?

Auschwitz was notorious for mass scale gassing chambers used for mass human killing.

43. What did Nazis fear most after the fall and death of Hitler?

Nazis feared revenge from the Allies after the fall and death of Hitler.

44. Where and when did Hitler and his propaganda minister Goebbels commit suicide?

Hitler and Goebbels committed suicide collectively in the Berlin bunker in April, 1945.

45. (i) Why did Germany attack Poland? (ii) What were its consequences?

(i) Poland's refusal to return Danzig, and a rail road corridor through Poland linking East Prussia with the rest of Germany led Germany to attack Poland. (September 1, 1939).

 (ii) This led Britain and France to deliver a joint ultimatum to Germany demanding a cessation of hostilities and immediate withdrawal of German forces from Poland. 

When Germany refused to comply both the countries declared war on Germany, leading to the start of the Second World War.

46. Why did Germany want Sudentenland?

Germany wanted Sudentenland because:

(i) It had a substantial German population.

(ii) This area also formed l/5th of Czechoslovakia.

(iii) Had the largest ammunition factories in the world.

47. When did the Second World War end in Europe?

After the Soviet armies entered Berlin and Hitler committed suicide, Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 7, 1945. All hostilities ended on May 9, 1945.

48. Why was the International Military Tribunal set up in Nuremberg and for what did it prosecute the Nazi's?

Germany's conduct during the war raised serious moral and ethical questions and invited worldwide condemnation. Therefore, the International Military Tribunal was set up in Nuremberg to prosecute Nazi War Criminals.

The Tribunal prosecuted the Nazi's for Crimes against Peace, for War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity.

49. How did the Jews feel in Nazi Germany?

So thorough was Nazi propaganda that many Jews started believing in the Nazi stereotypes about themselves. The images haunted them. Jews died many deaths even before they reached the gas chambers. Even then many a Jews lived on to tell their story.

50. The retribution meted out to the Nazis after World War fl was far short in extent of their crimes. Why?

The retribution of the Nazis was far short of the brutality and extent of their crimes because the Allies did not want to be harsh on defeated Germany as they had been after World War I. They came to feel the rise of Nazi Germany could be partly traced back to the German experience at the end of World War I.