IGCSE Notes 2019

Hitler's Early Role in the Nazi Party 1919 - Hitler joined the German Workers' Party (DAP), a right-wing group led by Anton Drexler. 1920 - Hitler became the Party's leading public speaker and propagandist. 1920 - Name changes to National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) 1921 - Hitler is elected Party Chairman and leader of the Nazis. Nazi Ideology Fuhrer The idea that there should be a single leader with complete power rather than a democracy. Autarky The idea that Germany should be economically self-sufficient. A strong Germany The Treaty of Versailles should be destroyed and all German-speaking people united in one country. Germany was in danger Communists and Jews were a 'threat' that needed to be dead. Lebensraum The need for 'living space' for the German nation to expand. Social Darwinism The idea that the Aryan race was superior and Jews were 'subhuman'. Changes to

Weimar Republic On November 9th, 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm 2 abdicated his throne after people revolted and he refused to make Germany more democratic. The next day, Friedrich Ebert (who was socialist_ became the new leader of the Republic of Germany, and the next day signed an armistice. Strengths of the Weimar Constitution A Bill of rights guaranteed every Germany citizen freedom of speech and religion, and equality under the law. All men and women over the age of 20 could vote. There was an elected president and an elected Reichstag. The Reichstag made the laws and appointed the government. Weaknesses of the Weimar Constitution Proportional Representation Weimar Germans voted for a party, not an MP. Each party was then allocated seats in the Reichstag exactly reflecting the number of people who had voted for it, which meant that there were lots of tiny parties and no one got the majority, Article 48 In an 'emergency', the president didn't need t