Almost half of Germany’s Jewish population fled to other countries such as Switzerland, Britain or the USA. Those who remained in Germany were to suffer even more over the following seven years as Hitler put his Final Solution into place. This ‘solution’ was the total destruction of all Jews in lands under Nazi control.
Hitler put Himmler
in charge of this operation and Himmler began to set up concentration camps and, later, extermination camps all across Nazi- controlled Europe.
RECALL
1. Who was Josef Goebbels and what was he responsible for? 2. What methods of indoctrination did the Nazis use on young people? 3. Why do you think the Nazis wanted to indoctrinate young people? 4. What economic policies did the Nazis introduce? 5. What does the term ‘anti-Semitism’ mean? 6. What changes did the Nuremberg Laws make? 7. What was Kristallnacht? 8. What was Hitler’s Final Solution?
D. Tensions Rise Across Europe
Countries drifted towards World War II between 1933 and 1939 due to Hitler’s aggressive foreign policy and the British and French policy of appeasement (agreeing to unjust demands in the hope of peace). Europe was still recovering from the results of World War I and most politicians were anxious to avoid any future conflict. However, Hitler had made no secret of his plans when he outlined his beliefs in Mein Kampf. As soon as Hitler had complete control of Germany in 1933, he began to put his plans for expansion into place.
The destruction of the Treaty of Versailles
Hitler’s policies in Germany broke the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. He had begun to re-arm the German military, he had introduced conscription (forced enrolment into the army) and he had increased army numbers from 100,000 to 550,000.
In March 1936 Hitler marched German troops into the demilitarised area between Germany and France called the Rhineland. Hitler was not sure what the international reaction would be to this move. He ordered his
Fig 13.30 Germans look at the damage done to a Jewish shop after Kristallnacht.
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Fig 13.31 A Jew wearing a Star of David.
Fig 13.32 Nazi troops march into the Rhineland. 357