What Impact Did World War 1 Have on Hitler

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What Impact Did World War 1 Have on Hitler?
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By Caitlin Frost and Francesca Morgan 10A (Group
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Presentation overview

• To help answer the question above, we will look
  into the following sections.
• Hitlers early life
• Impact of Hitlers experiences as a Corporal
• Impact of the Treaty of Versailles on Hitler

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Hitlers Early Life

• Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, the
  fourth child of Alois Schickelgruber and Klara
  Hitler in the Austrian town of Braunau.
• When Adolf was three years old, the family moved
  to Passau, along the Inn River on the German side
  of the border. A brother, Edmond, was born two
  years later.
• Adolf's father died in 1903 after suffering a
  pleural hemorrhage. Adolf himself suffered from
  lung infections, and he quit school at the age of
  16, partially the result of ill health and
  partially the result of poor school work.
• Hitler spent six years in Vienna, living on a
  small legacy from his father and an orphan's
  pension. Virtually penniless by 1909, he wandered
  Vienna as a transient, sleeping in bars,
  flophouses, and shelters for the homeless,
  including, ironically, those financed by Jewish
  philanthropists.

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Hitlers Early Life Contd.

• It was during this period that he developed his
  prejudices about Jews, his interest in politics,
  and debating skills.
• In May 1913, Hitler, seeking to avoid military
  service, left Vienna for Munich, the capital of
  Bavaria, following a windfall received from an
  aunt who was dying. In January, the police came
  to his door bearing a draft notice from the
  Austrian government.
• The document threatened a year in prison and a
  fine if he was found guilty of leaving his native
  land with the intent of evading conscription.
  Hitler was arrested on the spot and taken to the
  Austrian Consulate.

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His Experiences as a Corporal

• In 1913 Hitler moved to Munich to avoid military
  service in the Austro-Hungarian army.
• He attained the rank of corporal and saw active
  service in France and Belgium as a messenger.
• He was wounded and gassed and won the Iron Cross
  for bravery.
• During the war he acquired a passionate German
  patriotism, despite not being a German citizen
• He was shocked at the German capitulation in
  November 1918, when the German army was (so he
  believed) undefeated.

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Impact of the Treaty of Versailles

• The Treaty of Versailles radically altered the
  Geography of Europe. It had clauses that resulted
  in areas of land being taken from Germany. The
  maps on the next slide illustrate the scale of
  these losses.

- From the maps on the next slide it is clear
that Germany suffered large territorial losses.
The provinces of Alsace and Lorraine returned to
France parts of Schleswig were given to Denmark
to the east, new countries were created to
roughly match the ethnic balance of the area and
finally, 'The Polish Corridor' was created which
gave the Poles a broad strip of land that
connected it to the sea - and consequently
separated Eastern Prussia from the rest of
Germany. In total, Germany lost over one millions
square miles of land (28,000 of which had
previously formed part of European Germany) and 6
million subjects.
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The Financial Impact of the Treaty

• -The Treaty of Versailles blamed Germany for the
  First World War. As a result of this Germany was
  also held accountable for the cost of the war and
  the Treaty dictated that compensation would have
  to be paid to the Allies.
• -These payments, called reparations, would be
  paid monthly and would total some 6,600 million
  (This figure was agreed by the Allies in 1921).
  Although Germany would also have to reconstruct
  her own economy at the same time as paying
  Reparations.
• -In addition, Germany had lost some of her most
  precious sources of Raw materials as her
  colonies, and some of the areas that were given
  to other countries, were rich sources of income.
• These factors would make it harder for the German
  economy to cope. Further to this it is important
  to note the casualties suffered during the war.
• Germany lost some 1.7 million men during the war,
  and a further 4.2 million are listed as being
  wounded.

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The Political Impact of the Treaty

• The Treaty triggered a number of political
  reactions.
• Firstly the government of the day resigned,
  having refused to sign it. The incoming
  government had no choice but to sign the Treaty
  but was accused by some, General Ludendorff for
  example, of stabbing the Germany people in the
  back. This Theory grew in popularity as the
  economy suffered and many, former soldiers in
  particular, believed that the politicians had
  lost the war rather than the army. This, amongst
  other things, led to a growth in the number of
  people who distrusted the Weimar Republic and
  were unwilling to support it. This manifests
  itself in uprisings such as the Kapp Putsch and
  the Munich Putsch, though there are other factors
  which led to these uprisings.
• -The Treaty also called for the trial of the
  former Kaiser. This never happened as the Dutch
  government refused to hand him over, but this
  effectively stopped any chance of a restoration
  of the monarchy in Germany.

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The Political Impact of the Treaty cont...
- In Western Europe the Treaty signaled the
beginning of a period of isolation for Germany.
She became an outcast in international politics
and was feared and distrusted by the Allies. This
had a significant impact on the role that Germany
would, and potentially could, play in European
and World affairs in the early post war climate.
However, whilst it is evident that Germany became
politically isolated in the West, some historians
would point out that their isolation has been
exaggerated by Westerners.
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Did You Know?

• Hitler did not drink alcohol.

• Hitler was nervous of women.

• Hitler had deep hatred of Jews Marxists.

• Hitler did not like democracy.

• Hitler did not get involved in day to day running
  of country.

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Upon reporting to Salzburg for duty, Hitler was
found "unfit...too weak...and unable to bear
arms."
Spend 5 minutes discussing this quote and form
your own opinion Do you agree?