Hitlers Influence on Germany - 09/01/16

Hitler's Effect on Germany : This source includes images, written descriptions, and links.
Questions:
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What, if any, positive impacts did Hitler have on Germany?

How did Hitler rise to power?
Did his upbringing influence his ideas as an adult?
I wonder if he would be able to affect the world as much is he was in power today.
How was Hitler able to suppress those who disagreed with him?

Connections:
In class, weve learned about Stalins rule of Russia as well as Mussolinis reign over Italy along with
different ideologies of government. We have also explored their rise to power, how they maintained it, and
the impact they had on their respective nations. This source relates well to what we have learned in class
because it describes Hitler's influence on Germany during the time he was in control. Although we have
not discussed him in class, he represents another example of fascist rule, which we have learned about
already. During WW2, Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin were all still in control and thus involved in the war. By
examining Hitlers effects on Germany I am able to learn about a different, more extreme fascist state.
Hitlers impact on Germany was somewhat unique because the majority of Germans were accepted by
the Nazi Party, and therefore turned a blind eye to the horrible treatment of groups that were not
accepted. This allowed them to acknowledge Hitler rather than despise him.

New Knowledge:
1. Something interesting I learned is that for ordinary German people, life was good. There
were numerous benefits to being German while Hitler was in control such as full employment,
holidays, improved transport, and frequent, colorful rallies that gave the people hope. In addition,
most people trusted Hitler and felt a sense of security with him in power. However, there were
drawbacks. For example, citizens lost the freedom of speech, could be shot for striking, and were
strictly censored by the government.
2. Another thing I discovered about Nazi Germany was that many other groups besides
Jews were also prosecuted by the government. According to the source any group of people
thought to be socially or racially inferior were despised by the Nazi Party. As a result, black
people, mentally disabled children and adults, gypsies, deaf people, and more were all sterilized
and/or killed by the government. If they werent killed, they were sent to concentration camps
which many thought of as worse than death.
3. In addition, I learned more about the impact the youth had on society. Something I didnt
know was that children were encouraged to report their parents to the Gestapo for criticizing
Hitler or the Nazi Party, and that this caused many parents to fear their children. Also, the HJ and
BDM told these children they were special and that they knew more than their parents, which
empowered them and made them feel better about themselves. Lastly, a select group of girls
regarded as truly Aryan were sent to special camps where they were bred with certain Aryan
boys.