The Rise and Fall of the Nazi Regime: A Historical Overview
In 1925, Dawes is the plan with the consent of France and Britain to reduce the debt to Germany, which is financially crippled and has been recovering. The Dawes Plan aimed for immediate economic recovery from 1925 to 1930, but then lost support from the Nazi and communist electorate. By 1933, a small crisis emerged, impacting the two political parties.
The Nazi Party was anti-communist and fascist, causing social conflicts. The oligarchy supported the NSDAP, believing that socialism and communism could coexist. Ultimately, the NSDAP and Hitler aligned with the Democrats, leading to a time when state socialism and communism were removed, resulting in the establishment of a dictatorship in 1933, known as the Nazi dictatorship.
Chronology of the Nazi Dictatorship (1933-1945)
Hitler aimed to make Germany the most powerful country by strengthening its industrial base and military capabilities.
With these efforts, Hitler prepared for a possible war with Europe, as the Nazi regime adopted an expansionist foreign policy, promoting the idea of the Aryan race.
In 1937, Germany occupied Austria (Anschluss) and Czechoslovakia.
The Society of Nations in 1938, in Munich, confirmed that Hitler ordered the occupation of Czechoslovakia, which refused to comply. This event solidified fascism and Nazism as powerful ideologies. Hitler sought to expand further but was denied access to Danzig, leading to military occupation and the start of World War II.
Consequences of World War I: The underlying causes included the Treaty of Versailles, which led to Germany’s territorial losses and the rise of Nazism and communism.
The 1929 crash triggered a crisis in the 1930s, coinciding with the growth of fascism and communism and the weakening of democracies.
In 1933, the Nazi state militarized science for the service of war, leading to German territorial expansion.
Immediate Causes: The Munich Conference, the Danzig crisis, and the failure of the Society of Nations.
Hitler and Stalin signed the German-Soviet Pact to divide Poland, a secret agreement despite their ideological differences, on August 23, 1939.
Mussolini’s Italy and Hitler formed an alliance, agreeing to join the pact in the event of an attack by a third power on May 22, 1939.
World War II:
1st Stage: The lightning phase from September 1939 to June 1941 involved the German-Soviet non-aggression pact and the invasion of Poland. In 1940, Germany occupied Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. The Battle of Britain was not conquered, while Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia became satellite states that allowed occupation and conquest in North Africa.
2nd Stage: The equilibrium phase began in June 1941 with the Russian campaign, where Hitler betrayed Stalin. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. In 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad marked a Soviet victory over the Germans, while American forces landed in Africa, initiating the first offensive in the Pacific. In 1943, Germany faced defeat at Stalingrad, leading to a withdrawal from Africa. The German invasion of America from Italy faced significant resistance from Italian partisans. Allied troops liberated Nazi-occupied territories and returned to Germany, but many were stolen and violated.
3rd Stage: The victory and Allied offensive began in September 1943, with the Russian advance into Poland and British operations in Greece. By 1944, the Allied victory became irreversible, with advances in Italy, U.S. progress in the Pacific, and the Normandy landings in June, leading to the liberation of Paris. The Allied occupation began in May 1945, with the bombing of Germany, and in August, Japan formally surrendered, marking the end of the war in September 1945.
Consequences of the War:
Demographic: 50 to 60 million dead, wounded, and missing, with violence and indirect victims among the civilian population. Many population movements into exile occurred, including the Nazi genocide, or extermination of the Jews, known as the Holocaust, resulting in 6 million deaths.
Economic: Postwar Europe faced a crisis, ravaged by bombings, requiring food, commodities, and housing. Prices rose, and inflation surged, necessitating external aid to escape this misery. U.S. hegemony emerged as a significant ally in Europe, while the Soviet Union also contributed to rehabilitation efforts.
Political: The fall of fascist regimes and dictatorships led to the rise of democracies, resulting in conflict between democracy and communism. Europe became divided into two blocks: capitalism and communism, although fascism in Spain did not collapse.
Ideologies: Fascism ceased to be a viable alternative, with capitalism and communism emerging as the primary ideologies.
Peace Conference: The Yalta Conference in February 1945 brought together leaders Roosevelt (USA), Churchill (Great Britain), and Stalin (USSR). The division of Germany into four zones was anticipated, although the war process was not yet complete, leading to the Nuremberg Trials.
Territorial Changes: Germany was divided, with one part becoming capitalist and democratic. The USSR gained Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, while Poland shifted westward, and Germany was divided into four zones.
Potsdam Conference: In August 1945, agreements were made regarding denazification, the return of territories, the persecution of Nazi war criminals, and German debt agreements.