-
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany. He was a terrifying leader and while rising to power, he used violence, nationalism, and antisemitism to gain popularity. Through the Nazi Party, Hitler would rant his political views and then he was able to gain power by force and not election. He was a phenomenal public speaker and most of the German population actually believed that he was positively influencing Germany. Subsequently, he was a terrifying leader and used unique ways to gain power. -
The Holocaust
The German Army supported Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust. There were 44,000 concentration camps in several countries across Europe but they were all ruled by Nazi Germany. The Nazi's targeted and murdered the Jews and they were placed into forced labor camps. Many of the camp civilians were tortured, starved, and killed. The very first concentration camp was Dachau concentration camp and it was established in March of 1933. -
Food Rationing Starts
The home front in Germany contributed to the war efforts by rationing food. The standard rations in Germany consisted of a four-day supply of food. This included 25 ounces of gray rye bread, 6-10 ounces of canned meat or sausage, five ounces of vegetables, a half ounce of butter, five grams of sugar, and six cigarettes. These items were rationed at home and were given to the soldiers. -
Germany Joins World War II
Hitler invaded Poland from the west; and two days later, France and Britain declared war on Germany. This is led to the start of WWII and how Germany got involved. -
German Women on the Home Front
When husbands left to fight in WWII, wives and women were often left all alone to raise their children. Not only were they raising children, but they were also cooking, cleaning, farming, and sewing. German women and women all over the world had to take on the responsibilities that their husbands previously took care of. They did what they could to keep the home front under control until the war was resolved. -
Auschwitz
Auschwitz was the largest concentration camp created and it was run by Nazi Germany but located in Poland. It had three different camps and housed about 1.3 million inmates. Unfortunately, at least 1.1 million of those inmates died from mass killings. There were eight gas chambers and forty-six ovens that could dispose 4,400 corpses per day. -
Axis Powers -Tripartite Pact
Germany, Italy, and Japan were all apart of the Axis Powers during WWII. After signing the Tripartite Pact, Germany, Italy, and Japan were able to formally have the name "Axis Powers". -
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the Axis code name for the invasion of the Soviet Union. It was a turning point in WWII and forced Nazi Germany to fight a two-front war. Operation Barbarossa was unsuccessful and it did not destroy the Soviet's fighting power or force a capitulation. This was the deadliest military operation in history with 775,000 German casualties and more than 800,000 Soviets had been killed. An additional 6 million Soviet soldiers had also been wounded or captured. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad ended Germany's advancements into Eastern Europe and Russia. This battle also marked Germany's first major loss during WWII.The Soviet Union won the battle under the lead of Josef Stalin. The defeat was avoidable but Hitler became obsessed with the idea of capturing the city. At the end of the Battle, the Soviets found 250,000 German and Romanian corpses that resulted from the battle. The total Axis casualties are believed to be around 800,000. -
Erich von dem Bach-Zelewiski
Erich von dem Bach-Zelewoski was a high ranked SS (Schutzstaffel) commander of Nazi Germany during WWII. He gained influence and rose to power when he openly joined the Nazi party and the SS. He became the commander of "Band-Fighting Units" and carried out mass murder that killed 35,000 people in Riga and more than 200,000 in Belarus and eastern Poland. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The Allied offence exhausted the Germans on the Western Front and the German collapse opened way for the Allies break of the Siegfried Line. This resulted in 80,000-100,000 casualties for the Germans. -
Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin is also know as the Fall of Berlin. It was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre during World War II. During the battle, 92,000 German soldiers were killed, 220,000 were wounded, and 22,000 German civilians lost their lives. This led to the surrender of the German Army and the death of Hitler. -
Adolf Hitler dies!!
Adolf Hitler took his own life in April 30, 1945 as the result of a gun shot to the head and a capsule of cyanide in his mouth. At the same time, his wife Eva also took her own life. Hitler committed suicide due to the fear of being captured by enemy troops. Hitler and his wife were both found dead in his bunker in Berlin, Germany. -
The Losing Side
During the first two years of the war, Germany was very successful under the control of Hitler. Come December 1943, Germany hit a turning point in the war. Thousands of local civilians died, winter was bitter, and Nazi Germany lost about 140 planes in a dogfight. Hitler's triumphs were not enough for a long term victory and there was no turning back. Several battles led to the downfall of Germany and they surrendered on May 7, 1945. -
Politics in Germany after WWII
After WWII, Germany was divided into four zones. These zones were controlled by the United States, Britain, France, and the former Soviet Union. These divisions were provisional. There was also reconstruction in Germany after the war which converted Germany into an agricultural nation and many factories were destroyed.
