Germany 1918-1933 Germany 1918-1933

Hitler and the Nazi's took advantage of several issues and events in Germany. He opportunistically exploited situations that were of great importance to the people of Germany. Germany still owed reparations to other nations due to WW1'S Treaty of Versailles, upsetting many German citizens. They were upset by the treaty , as it caused loss of land, jobs and money. Unemployment benefits were scarce and not enough to live on. The loss of money caused major economic crises in Germany. The Weimar Republic was in power when hyperinflation hit Germany. People thought that the Weimar Republic was to blame for hyperinflation, as they believed in maintaining and following through with the Treaty of Versailles. The Nazi's saw this as an opportunity for them, as people did not have faith that the Weimar Republic was helping Germany in a positive way. People thought that maybe a change in Government may help Germany. The Nazi's promises and propaganda led German citizens to believe that if the Nazi's were voted into power that things would change and Germany would be a better place. Hitler focused on the majority of German citizens, which were working class and unemployed. Farmers, miners, blacksmiths and factory workers were all promised better living conditions, including food and money, for them and their families. Unemployment benefits were touted to include more money and food. The combination of promises and propaganda led to an increase in Nazi party votes, putting them in close popularity to the Communist party in the year 1932 with 37% of the vote. As the Nazi's still had not won the majority, they desperately tried to find anyway possible to put the communists in a bad light. The Nazis published smear campaigns and provoked the Communists in every way possible. They blamed the Communists for bad events or choices. A prime example was the Reichstag Fire. The Nazi's led people to believe that the Communists were to blame and it was their wrong doing.

All the Nazi's work and propaganda paid off. Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933 and from there Hitler's popularity increased, therefore gaining Nazi votes. Following Paul von Hindenburg's death, Hitler became his successor as the of Head of State and the Head of Government. With his new position of power Hitler started changing Germany into his ideal vision which imposed anti-semitism on Germany. This delusion of righteousness led to the start of World War Two.

The Nuremberg Race Laws

Here are some answers to several questions regarding The Nuremberg Race Laws:

1. Who could now be defined a Jew.

For a person to be defined a Jew, they did not have to practice the religion themselves. If a person had had three or four Jewish grandparents or if the rest of their closer family were Jewish. People who had previously practiced Judaism and had not for a long time were also considered a Jew, even people who had had family members who had converted from Judaism to Christianity were also considered Jewish.

2. What was meant by "Aryanizing" Jewish Businesses?

German Businesses were avoided and given unfair treatment by the Nazis. Workers and Managers were left without jobs, and in most cases the buisness was taken over by the Nazis and sold to other non- Jewish Germans for a fixed, Nazi price.

3. How were Jews who were professionals (lawyers, doctors etc.) restricted?

All Jewish Doctors were not allowed to assist, medicate and practice on non-Jewish citizens. Jewish Lawyers were not allowed to operate law practices or practice law.

4. What did Jewish identity cards need to include now?

All Jewish Identity cards had to have a large red J stamped on them. Also all Jewish people were to have a new middle name. For males it was Israel and for females it was Sara. These changes were to help Nazi identify Jews more easily.

5. What was the "Law for the Protection of the Hereditary Health of the German People" (sum up in your own words)?

The "Law for the Protection of the Hereditary Health of the German People" required all marriages to be approved and certified as legal. A certificate of "Fitness to Marry" was handed to the couples when their marriage was approved. No person with contagious illnesses or "Hereditary Diseases" as they were worried that it would affect their offspring or affect each other and ruin the non-Jewish German Citizens. They wanted all non-Jewish Germans to be healthy and proper.

Civil Rights During The Holocaust

Civil rights are rights that help people maintain privacy, give freedom of speech and allow people to have and express an opinion. Civil rights are put in place to protect people from discrimination and pressure. Civil rights are meant to help give a person privacy/protection from others and the government. Below, is what I see as some of the major civil rights of humans that were broken during the Holocaust. These articles come from the “United Declaration of Human Rights”.

· Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

· Article 2

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

· Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

· Article 4

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

· Article 5

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

· Article 18

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

· Article 9

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

I think that some people may of seen Hitler’s push to remove civil rights in a positive way. They were lead to believe that the non-Germans were stopping them from rising as a country. The rights of Germans were improved and the others were punished and had all their rights taken from them. It didn’t affect the majority of the Germans, so it was good in their point of view. Some people may have seen it as necessary to remove certain civil rights in order to remove Germany’s current government and change the way the country was run. Some may of seen it as a positive change in the country.

"Treaty of Versallies"- Fairly Unfair

I believe that the "Treaty of Versallies" was an unfair agreement, as it put Germany in a difficult situation. Although Germany may of played a huge part in WW1 and the destruction caused, they were not the only nation to blame. My reasoning is based on several things. It is unreasonable to assume Germany was at fault for starting the war. The man who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and caused the starting uproar, was from Serbia, not Germany. Germany was not the only nation to continue the war, but Germany had started and participated in the most battles and attacks.

There are several rules and agreements of the "Treaty of Versallies" that are a bit harsh and strict. As an example, Rules #159 stated that; The German military forces shall be demobilized and reduced not to exceed 100,000 men. Similarly, Rule #181 specified that; The German navy must not exceed 6 battleships, 6 light cruisers, 12 destroyers, and 12 torpedo boats. No submarines are to be included. Rule #198 required that; The Armed Forces of Germany must not include any military or naval air forces. This describes taking away and lessening Germany's military forces. I understand they may have of done this to prevent Germany starting a battle or causing trouble, but it is also dangerous for the safety and protection of Germany. If a nation were to attack Germany, they would not have the military equipment or personnel to defend themselves. Further to this they were required to fulfill harsh repatriations by several nations, including France, Italy and Belgium, for their coal, steel, agriculture and industrial factories. Severe repatriations to these countries resulted in Germany’s economy suffering hyperinflation. The lack of coal was especially hard on Germany’s people as they suffered extreme cold winters. People became desperate and sought opportunities to escape the growing depression.

Overall I agree Germany played a big part in WW1 and deserved reprimand for their deeds. I think that the "Treaty of Versallies" was of fair intent and for good reason however in practice it left the country vulnerable to exploitation and immense suffering.

Religion and Morals

What are the Connections Between Morals and Religions?

Morals and Religions are very connected with one-another.

Religions are based on morals or suggest and provide morals to live by. In Buddhist beliefs, they center and focus their religion on the moral of being kind and respectful to all. In Hindu beliefs, they focus on the moral of kindness and non-violence. Most all rules to follow in a religion are to follow certain morals. Morals are the rules and guidelines for being a good and ethical person. Most religions believe that is important to live and lead a good life in order for good things to happen to you after death (karma). All religions have some sort of goal they wish to reach, this can also only be reached if a person has lived a moral and good life. Religion relies on morals. Religious Followers use the morals in their religion to guide them and to help them in their lives. They follow and refer to these morals when they make choices and decisions.

This I Believe

This I Believe is a site that has various voice recordings and essays about personal experiences connected with peoples beliefs. We were asked to reflect and write about a recording we watched.

The name of the recording I listened to was called A Duty to Family, Heritage, and Country recorded by Ying Ying Yu at the age of 13. The Belief being discussed was responsibility.

Ying Ying Yu has lived her whole life being pressured by her parents and teachers to do well in school. In China, her home country, grades mean more to them than the compassion and caring given by a family. Teachers were strict and beat students when they got a bad grade. Her life was based on her parents dreams of her becoming a lawyer, even when she hoped and wanted to be a gardener. She felt that she had no choice than to follow her parents dream. She thought that she could not let all her parents and teachers hard work to get her where she is now, go to waste. Even though people have also told her to follow her heart and wants, she thinks that it is her duty to become a lawyer and follow her parents and teachers wishes. She wants to make them all proud. Ying Ying Yu talks of how she believes in duty and how "duty can bring her to something greater than herself".

This appealed to me because she was at an age close to my own. It made me feel lucky that I am not beaten when I get a bad grade and that I am not pushed and have choices in what I want to do with my life. It makes me wonder how so much pressure can be pushed on one person, especially when your just 13.

Domi-Know Profile

We were learning about our domi-know profiles today in humanities and what they can teach us about our learning. and learning styles. Here are some of the things I learnt.

I learn best when I am focusing visually and studying the details of information. I need to see the details in order for me to learn. I learn best visually and kinesthetically. I may need to learn something visually, the learn the same thing kinesthetically.

I need to work on being able listening to, remembering and being able to write down the details in an organized fashion after seeing the details.

Some strategies/activities that would help me include reading out loud, listening for the words of a song and following along and doing activities that involve both sides of my brain such as drawing and knitting. It may also help me to doodle or play with something such as clay, during class.

I want my teachers to know that doodling helps me relax and de-stress. My Domi-know profile suggests I doodle as it would be beneficial to me.