Nazism and the Rise of Hitler

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. What was genocidal war?
Ans. It was a war started by Germany during the Second World War, which resulted in the mass murder of
selected groups of innocent civilians of Europe.
Q2. What was the impact of the First World War on the political system of Germany?
Ans. The abdication of the emperor gave an opportunity to parliamentary parties to recast German polity.
A democratic constitution was established with a federal structure.
Q3. Name the members of the Axis powers.
Ans. Germany, Italy and Japan.
Q4. Name the members of the Allies.
Ans. England, France and Russia.
Q5. What refers to the Secret State Police of Germany?
Ans. Gestapo.
Q6. What is hyperinflation? Mention the factor responsible for this.
Ans. It is a situation when there is very high price rise. It occurred in Germany after the First World War
due to too much printing of currency.
Q7. What was the Enabling Act which was passed by Hitler after he took control over Germany?
Ans. The Enabling Act was passed in 1933. It gave Hitler all powers to sideline the Parliament and the rule
by decree. All political parties and trade unions were banned except the Nazi Party.
Q8. Name the Treaty which was signed by the Allies with Germany after the First World War.
Ans. The Treaty of Versailles.
Q9. When was the Tripartite Pact signed? What was its importance?
Ans. It was signed in 1940 between Germany, Italy and Japan. It strengthened Hitler’s claim to
international power.
Q10. “The new republic established in Germany after the First World War was not received well by its
own people”. Give reason. HOTS
Ans. Because the new republic signed the Treaty of Versailles accepting all the demands of the Allies.
Q11. Who supported the Weimar Republic?
Ans. Socialists, Communists and Democrats.
Q12. Why was the new Weimar Constitution introduced in August 1919 weak?
Ans. Due to availability of much political party, frequent changes of government and difficulty to establish
stability, Weimar constitution introduced in August 1919 became weak.
Q13. What is the term used for the German Parliament?
Ans. Eichstag.
Q14. Why was the Treaty of Versailles hated by Germany?
Ans. Because Germany lost 75% of its iron and was demilitarized.
Q15. In Weimar Republic, which right was not given to the president according to the Article 48?
Ans. Install Communism.
Q16. Among whom Tripartite Pact which strengthened Hitler’s claim to international power was signed?
Ans. Germany, Italy and Japan.
Q17. When did Hitler become the Chancellor of Germany?
Ans. 1933.
Q18. What was Free Corps?
Ans. It was a war veterans organisation which helped the Weimar Republic to crush the uprising of the
workers or socialists.
Q19. Which year is known for the beginning of the Great Depression?
Ans. 1929.
Q20. Mention two provisions of Article 48 with reference to Germany.
Ans. It was the President to impose emergency.
It provided powers to President to suspend Civil Rights.
Q21. Who was assigned the responsibility of economic recovery by Hitler?
Ans. Hjalmar Schacht.
Q22. When did Germany withdraw herself from the ‘League of Nations’?
Ans. 1933.
Q23. Who was the Propaganda Minister of Hitler?
Ans. Goebbels.
Q24. Hitler integrated which two nations under the slogan, ‘One people, One Empire and One Vote’?
Ans. Austria and Germany.
Q25. “The Weimar constitution had some inherent defects, which made it unstable and vulnerable to
dictatorship.” Explain.
Ans. The system of proportional representation made achieving a majority by any one party a near
impossible task, leading to the rule by coalitions.
Article 48 gave the President the power to impose emergency. So this article was being misused by the
ruler.
Q26. Where was Hitler born?
Ans. Austria.
Q27. Why was the famous Enabling Act passed?
Ans. To establish dictatorship in Germany.
Q28. Name any four races or people who were considered undesirable or Inferior in Germany.
Ans. Jews, Blacks, Gypsies and Russians.
Q29. Who were known as November criminals?
Ans. The group of people, who mainly supported the Weimar Republic of Germany were known as
November criminals. Most of them were Socialists, Catholics and Democrats.
Q30. What was Dawes Plan?
Ans. It was a Plan introduced by America to bail Germany out of the financial crisis which it suffered after
the First World War.
Q31. Name any four countries which were occupied or attacked by Germany between 1936 to 1945.
Ans. Rhineland, Austria, Sudetenland and Poland.
Q32. Why were the Jews classified as ‘undesirable’ by the Nazis?
Ans. The Jews were classified as ‘undesirable’ by the Nazis because they had been stereotyped as the
killers of Christ and usurers.
Q33. Which science was introduced to justify Nazi ideas of race?
Ans. Racial Science.
Q34. To whom did Mahatma Gandhi had written a letter for International peace?
Ans. Hitler.
Q35. “Nazism became a mass movement during the Great Depression period’’. Give reason for the same.
HOTS
Ans. It was during the Great Depression that Nazism became a mass movement. The depression had a
severe impact on the economy of Germany, many banks collapsed and businesses shut down, workers
lost their jobs and the middle classes were threatened with destitution. In such a situation Nazi
propaganda stirred hopes of a better future.
Q36. Who was the founder of Nazi Party?
Ans. Hitler.
Q37. Define Holocaust.
Ans. These were Nazi killing operations which were carried out to kill the Jews.
Q38. When did Japan attack Pearl Harbor?
Ans. 9 December, 1941.
Q39. What was the reason for the entry of US in Second World War?
Ans. Japan bombed Pearl Harbour.
Q40. Which incident marked the end of the Second World War?
Ans. The war ended in May 1945 with Hitler’s defeat and the US dropping of the atom bomb on Hiroshima
in Japan.
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Mention four major terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
OR
‘The Treaty of Versailles was harsh and humiliating’. Justify by giving four terms of the treaty.
Ans. 1. Germany lost its overseas colonies, a tenth of its population, 13 per cent of its territories, 75 per
cent of its iron and 26 per cent of its coal to France, Poland, Denmark and Lithuania.
2. The Allied Powers demilitarised Germany to weaken its power.
3. The War Guilt Clause held Germany responsible for the war and damages the Allied countries suffered.
Germany was forced to pay compensation amounting to around £ 6 billion.
4. The Allied armies also occupied the resource-rich Rhineland for much of the 1920s. Many Germans held
the new Weimar Republic responsible for not only the defeat in the war, but the disgrace at Versailles.
Q2. State three features of political radicalism in Germany.
Ans. Features of political radicalism in Germany are :
1. The political situation that came into view after the rise of Weimar Republic is termed as political
radicalism.
2. The demand and the uprising for Soviet style governance were suppressed by the Weimar republic and
this enraged them to form the communist party.
3. Both communists and socialists wanted political radicalism against Hitler’s Rule.
4. This situation aggravated with economic crisis in 1923. Germany paid war repartation in Gold and so the
Gold Reserves of Germany became scarce.
5. Due to this, Germany refused to pay the war repartation. As a result, French occupied Ruhr, which was
the leading industrial area of Germany.
6. Germany printed paper currency in excess which further led to worsening of the situation and hyper
inflation, (any three)
Q3. Examine two inherent defects in Weimar Constitution.
Ans. 1. The system of proportional representation made achieving a majority by any one party a near
impossible task, leading to the rule by coalitions.
2. Article 48, which gave the President the powers to impose emergency, suspend civil rights and rule by
decree.
3. Within its short life, the Weimar Republic saw twenty different cabinets lasting on an average 239 days,
and a liberal use of Article 48. Yet the crisis could not be managed. People lost confidence in the
democratic parliamentary system, which seemed to offer no solutions, (any two)
Q4. Explain any three components of the ideology of Hitler.
Ans. 1. According to Nazi theory, there was no equality between people, but only a racial hierarchy. In this
view, blond, blue eyed Nordic German Aryans were at the top while the Jews were at the bottom.
2. Hitler borrowed his ideas from the theory of Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer. Both these scientists
explained the concept of evolution and natural selection. They gave the concept of ‘survival of the
fittest.’ This idea was used by the Nazis to justify their imperial rule and war.
3. Hitler also used the idea of Lebensraum or living space. He believed that new territories had to be
acquired for settlement.
Q5. State any three major effects of the First World War in Germany.
Ans. Three major effects of the First World War in Germany are :
1. World War I, ended with the Allies defeating Germany and the Central Powers in November 1918. The
Peace Treaty at Versailles with the Allies was a harsh and humiliating Treaty. Germany lost its overseas
colonies, a tenth of its population. 13 percent of its territories, 75 per cent of its iron and 26 per cent of
its coal to France, Poland, Denmark and Lithuania.
2. The Allied Powers demilitarized Germany to weaken its power Germany was forced to pay
compensation amounting to £ 6 billion.
3. The Allied armies also occupied the resource-rich Rhineland for much of the 1920s.
Q6. What were the promises made hy Hitler to people of Germany?
Ans. 1. He promised to build a strong nation, undo the injustice of the Versailles Treaty and restore the
dignity of the German people.
2. He promised employment for those looking for work, and a secure future for the youth.
3. He promised to weed out all foreign influences and resist all foreign ‘conspiracies’ against Germany.
Q7. Explain the impact on Germany of her refusal to pay war of compensation in 1923.
Ans. The French occupied Ruhr, the leading industrial and mineral dominating area.
Germany retaliated with passive resistance and printed paper currency recklessly. With too much printed
money in circulation, the value of the German Mark fell drastically.
Due to the fall in the value of Mark prices of goods soared and Germany fell into hyperinflation situation.
Q8. Explain the three fold plan of Hitler to consolidate the Nazi Power, after becoming the Chancellor of
Germany.
Ans. 1. Suspension of Rights: The Fire Decree of 28th February, 1933 indefinitely suspended civic rights like
freedom of speech, press and assembly that had been guaranteed by the Weimar constitution.
2. End of Communism: Hitler was totally against communism. So he ordered his officials to put all the
communists and their supports in the newly established concentration camps. The repression of the
communists was severe. They were, however, only one among the 52 types of victims persecuted by the
Nazis across the country.
3. Enabling Act: On 3rd March 1933, the famous Enabling Act was passed. This Act established dictatorship
in Germany. It gave Hitler all powers to sideline Parliament and rule by decree. All political parties and
 trade unions were banned except for the Nazi Party and its affiliates. The state established complete
control over the economy, media, army and judiciary.
Q9. What steps were taken by Hitler to reconstruct Germany?
Ans. 1. Hitler assigned the responsibility of economic recovery to the economist, Hjalmar Schacht, who
aimed at full production and full employment through a state-funded work-creation programme. This
project produced the famous German superhighways, and the people’s car, the Volkswagen.
2. In foreign policy also, Hitler, acquired quick successes. He pulled Germany out of the League of Nations
in 1933, reoccupied the Rhineland in 1936, and integrated Austria and Germany in 1938. .
3. He was of the opinion that resources are to be accumulated through the expansion of territory.
Q10. Explain Hitler’s ideology related to the geo-political concept of Lebensraum.
Ans. Hitler’s Geo-political Concept of Lebensraum :
1. Hitler’s ideology was related to the geo-political concept of Lebensraum or living space. He believed new
territories had to be acquired for settlement.
2. This would enhance the area of the mother country, while enabling the settles on new lands to retain an
intimate link with the place of their origin.
3. It would also enhance the material resources and power of the German nation.
Q11. How was the Nazi Party formed?
Ans. Nazi Party formed by :
1. Disintegration of Weimar Republic led to the formation of Nazi Party after the First World War.
2. Hitler enrolled for the army when the First World War broke out. He also earned medals for bravery.
3. The German defeat horrified him and Versailles Treaty made him furious. Later, he joined a small group
called the German Workers party.
4. Subsequently, he took over the organization and renamed in National Socialist German Workers Party.
This party came to be known as Nazi Party.
Q12. Explain the racial policy of Hitler or the Nazis.
Ans. 1. The Nazis wanted to establish an exclusive racial community of pure Germans by eliminating all
other races.
2. They wanted only a society of ‘Pure and healthy Nordic Aryans’.
3. Under his racial policy, Hitler even ordered to eliminate unhealthy or abnormal Aryans.
4. Many ‘inferior’ races like Gypsies, the Blacks and Jewish were killed and deported.
Q13. Who wrote the book ‘Third Reich of Dreams’? What did the author describe in this book? HOTS
Ans. Charlotte Beradt wrote the book ‘Third Reich of Dreams’. She describes how Jews themselves began
believing in the Nazi stereotypes about them. They dreamt of their hooked noses, black hair and eyes,
Jewish looks and body movements. The stereotypical images published in the Nazi press haunted the
 Jews. They throubled them even in their dreams. Jews died many deaths even before they reached the
gas chamber.
Q14. Explain the following terms :
(i) Holo-caust,
(ii) Concentration Camp,
(iii) Wall Street Exchange.
Ans. (i) Holocaust: It refers to the Nazi killing operations. Undesirable people were taken to concentration
camp, Gestapo, gas chambers etc., and were subjected to death.
While the Germans were pre-occupied with their own plight as a defeated nation emerging out of the
rubble, the Jews wanted the world to remember the atrocities and sufferings they had endured during
the Nazi killing operations.
(ii) Concentration Camp: It was a camp where people were isolated and detained without due process of
law. Typically, it was surrounded by electrified barbed wire fences.
When Hitler became the Chancellor on 30th January 1933, he hurriedly packed off his arch-enemies,
the communists to the newly established concentration camp.
(iii) Wall Street Exchange: It is the world’s biggest stock exchange located in the USA.
In 1929, when the Wall Street Exchange crashed, Germans were very much affected because they were
totally dependent on short-term loans, largely from the USA.
Q15. “Nazism reflects ugly face of humanity,” State three arguments in support of the statement. VBQ
Ans. 1. Cleaning and Purification of Schools : All schools were cleansed and purified. This meant that
teachers who were Jews or seen as politically unreliable were dismissed. Children were first
segregated. Germans and Jews could not sit together or play together. Subsequently, undesirable
children-Jews, the physically handicapped. Gypsies were thrown out of schools. And finally in the
1940s, they were taken to the gas chambers. Good German children were subjected to a process of
Nazi schooling, a prolonged period of ideological training.
2. Racial Science : School textbooks were rewritten. Racial science was introduced to justify Nazi ideas of
race. Stereotypes about Jews were popularised even through maths classes.
3. Spirit of Loyalty and Aggression : Children were taught to be loyal and submissive, hate Jews, and
worship Hitler. Even the function of sports was to nurture a spirit of violence and aggression among
children. Hitler believed that boxing could make children iron hearted, strong and masculine.
Q16. Why USA resisted its involvement in the Second World War? Which incident marked its entry into
the war?
Ans. The USA had resisted involvement in the Second World War. It was unwilling to once again face all the
economic problems that the First World War had caused. But it could not stay out of the war for long.
Japan was expanding its power in the east. It had occupied French Indo-China and was planning attacks
on US naval bases in the Pacific. When Japan extended its support to Hitler and bombed the US base at
Pearl Harbor, the US entered the Second World War.
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