World War 1 had a great affect on the world especially those in Europe.

·     Germany was also made to accept all responsibility of the war, ‘the war guilt’ cause. When the treaty was published in 1919 most of the German people were shocked. Many did no believe that Germany had lost the war including Hitler. The German army had become furious because they said they were betrayed by the politicians and the bankers who were Jews. Germany had no choice but to sign the treaty. They were given 2 choices they were to sign the treaty or to be invaded by allies something Germany could not afford. This left heaps of anger among the German people as they felt they have been treated unfairly. Germany also hated the way they were blamed for the cause of the war which resulted in them having to pay for the damages world war 1 had created. The ministers who signed the treaty even though they didn’t have a choice were from that day known as the ‘November criminals’. It was felt that Germany was just simply blamed for everything the other countries did. Feelings like this led to a great deal of fighting in 1919-1922. Returning soldiers had formed armed gangs who roamed the street attacking people. There was a revolution by the communists in January 1919. There were many murders; among them were two ministers who had signed the armistice. There was also High Unemployment, and really serious Hyperinflation, infact Hyperinflation was so high that a loaf of bread in 1918 was worth 0.63 marks which soon in November 1923 became worth 201,000,000,000 marks. Burning money for fuel became a symbolic sign in Germany in the 1920’s. In 1922 and 1923 money Germany made was almost worthless, people would be literally taking their pay home in wheel borrows and by lunch time the money could of become worthless. The country was politically instable with many political parties being formed. There were to major (main) parties however they were the Christian Democrats (socialists) and the Nazis (communist). Germany was also occupied by the allies who were France and Britain. The conditions in Germany after World War 1 was perfect for a party such as the Nazi party to rise and take power. Adolph Hitler who was a war hero had become the leader of the Nazi party. The things Hitler was promising the people of Germany was just the thing they wanted to hear, what they wanted for Germany. Hitler had promised the people he would bring order to Germany, so they would be less chaos. He would provide Jobs for the people, He would provide security, He will get back all the lost territory and above all he would make Germany rich so that hyperinflation in the country would never be an issue for the Germans again. With these sort of promises anybody living in the conditions the German citizens were living in would condemn these promises. But there was a catch as always The Germans had to give up their freedom and rights. On the 30th of January 1933 Hitler had become Chancellor and for the next 12 years there was no democratic Government in Germany. Hitler had saw to it that Germany had become a 1 party state. Shortly after receiving power in 1933, the NAZI party had passed their first anti- Jewish legislation, which gave them the right to remove Jews from their homes and professions and situate them in ghettos, this was all part of the plan for the nazis as by situating these Jews in the ghettos and having them wear the star of David on their left breast or arm they were easy to find so when it was time to ‘exterminate’ the Jews they were found easily. In September 1935 two Nuremberg laws were passed this was a supposed law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour. The first of these laws, known as the Reich Citizenship Law, made Jews as second-class citizens and their civil basic rights were removed. The second of the Nuremberg Laws, was as the Law for the protection of German Bold and Honour, which applied to anyone who either considered themselves Jewish or had four or three Jewish grandparents. Even a person who had one single Jewish grandparent was at risk in Nazi Germany. The Nuremberg Laws in Germany was not classifying Jews and a religion or even a culture but as a race, which meant that even non-practising Jews or Jews who had converted to any other religion were still included. Slavs which were considered to be an inferior race to the Nazis were used as slaves, Gypsies and the handicapped were considered to be ‘threats’ to their perfect and pure German race and therefore they were to be killed as well, homosexuals were also on the list for extermination. The Nuremberg Laws which were written up consisted of these contents: ·     They were to loose all German passport/ their nationality which was brought in 1936. ·     There was to be NO sexual relations between Jews and non-Jews. ·     No marriage to Jews. If you were already married to a Jew it was strongly advised that you file for divorce. ·     All Jewish people over the age of six were required to wear the Star of David on their left arm or left breast. ·     Jews were not allowed to do business with non-Jews ·     If Jews were in a partnership with a German there were required to sell their share. ·     Since 1936 the Jewish community were required to live in special ghettos. All together there were 88 Laws. After the Jews were all rounded up and placed in ghettos it had made it very easy for the Gestapo and S.S to collect the people for ‘extermination’. The Germans had tried many methods of killing these people but they soon found it was costing a lot of money and was quit so time efficient. On the 20th of January 1942 conference took place in a town called Wansee. The purpose of it all was to decide the best way to complete their destruction of all Jews. Reinhard Heydrich the deputy in charge of the S.S, the governors of occupied land and Territories, Bankers, Industrialists, S.S, Gestapo (political police), Government Ministers all attended this conference. During the first part of this extermination 1,500,000 Jews and other people were murdered by military groups which rounded them up and shot them, this way however seemed to be costly as that is why the conference was held. The final solution was to have top priority, they discussed ways for more efficient extermination at a not so costly price, thus a more efficient form of killing was to be developed. But then you will have heaps of bodies, so of course a more efficient method of disposal of the bodies was to be developed. It was all to become government policy and a profit out of all this was to be encouraged. Finally the method of releasing Zyklon B gas, a pesticide in a shower like room in the concentration camps was thought up of and agreed on. This way they could kill people at thousands at a time. They disposed of the bodies by having them cremated in large ovens which were working 24 hours a day 7 days a week. All this was controlled by a man called Kernel Adolf Eichman who was only 36 years of age when he had received this job. Prisoners in the concentration camps were worked to death, as slave labourers and the extermination camps was were they murdered these people in the gas chambers. The first concentration camp ever built was that of Dachau which was built in 1933. The most famous concentration camp however was Auschwitz, which was both a labour camp and extermination camp in one. About 1,300,000 people died at Auschwitz, with about 1 million of them dieing in the gas chambers. In Auschwitz and Madjenek when you arrived a doctor would be standing there and by just looking at you he would decide weather you lived or died. The ones who lived were to be worked to death. About 75 percent of people went straight to the gas ovens who included the elderly, children, the sick and people who were unable to work. In many of the camps the treatment was so harsh that thousands had died within months of arrival from hunger, disease, random killings beatings, and lack of nutrition. Finally in 1944, the allies stormed the concentration camps around Germany and Poland and rescued as many people as they can. What they saw there was to be reported as the worst thing these people had seen in their lives. The Nazi party was kicked out of office and defeated, many of the Nazi fanatics were put on trial and many had escaped. Hitler had committed suicide as with some of his other colleges.