Hitler & the Nazis
History: KS3, topic 19.1.2
Hitler and the Nazis
Germany was controlled by Hitler and his Nazi Party. Hitler wanted to expand the German empire. To do so, he invaded Poland and started World War Two.
The Nazi Party
- The Nazi Party was very right wing.
- The Nazis were the only party allowed in German politics. This made Germany a ‘one party state’.
- The Nazi dictatorship controlled the population through a combination of terror and propaganda (information which is biased and aims to communicate a political message).
Hitler
- Hitler was the leader of the Nazi Party. He called himself the ‘Führer’.
- Hitler wanted to expand Germany and create an empire which could last 1,000 years.
- He also believed that only Aryans (an ideal Aryan was someone with white skin, blue eyes and blonde hair) should live in Germany.
German expansion
- Over the 1930s, Germany had been expanding.
- For example, in 1938 Germany unified with Austria (this was called the Anschluss).
- In the summer of 1939, the Germans and the Soviet Union made a secret agreement to invade Eastern Europe. Their plan was to split their conquered lands between them.
- In September 1939, they invaded Poland.
Response to the invasion of Poland
- After Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland, Britain declared a war.
- This was the start of World War Two.
Test yourself on Hitler & the Nazis
Was the Nazi Party right wing or left wing?
Which country had Germany unified with in 1938?