Notes For All Chapters History Class 9 CBSE
Chapter 3: Nazism and the Rise of Hitler
1. Introduction
- In 1945, Germany was defeated in World War II.
- Hitler and his followers committed suicide fearing punishment.
- The world came to know about the horrors of Nazi crimes — mass killings of Jews, Gypsies, Poles, and others.
- Around 6 million Jews were killed — this is known as the Holocaust.
- To punish the criminals, an International Military Tribunal was held at Nuremberg.
- The world condemned these Crimes Against Humanity.
2. Birth of the Weimar Republic
- Germany was a strong empire before World War I (1914–1918).
- It fought along with Austria against the Allied Powers (England, France, Russia).
- Germany lost the war in 1918 and the emperor abdicated.
- A new democratic government was formed at Weimar — called the Weimar Republic.
2.1 The Treaty of Versailles (1919)
. Germany was blamed for the war.
. The treaty forced Germany to:
- Lose 13% territory and all colonies.
- Pay £6 billion as war compensation.
- Give up 75% of iron and 26% of coal to other nations.
- Accept the War Guilt Clause.
- Allow Allied occupation in the Rhineland.
. Germans felt humiliated and blamed the new republic for this disgrace.
2.2 Effects of World War I
- Europe became poor and full of debt.
- The Weimar Republic had to pay war debts and was financially weak.
- Supporters of democracy were called “November Criminals.”
- People started admiring aggressive dictatorships more than democracy.
2.3 Political Radicalism and Economic Crisis (1923)
. After the war, Germany faced political revolts.
. Spartacist League inspired by Russia’s Bolsheviks tried to start a communist revolution.
. It failed, and the Weimar Republic crushed it with help of the Free Corps.
. Hyperinflation (1923):
- Germany printed too much money.
- Value of the mark collapsed.
- Prices rose extremely — people carried cartloads of notes to buy bread.
- The Dawes Plan by the USA helped recover temporarily.
2.4 The Great Depression (1929–1932)
. The Wall Street Crash in the USA led to global depression.
. German economy was worst hit:
- Production fell to 40% of 1929 levels.
- 6 million unemployed.
- Farmers and small businessmen were ruined.
- Middle-class savings were lost.
. People lost faith in democracy.
. Article 48 allowed the President to rule by decree — paving way for dictatorship.
3. Hitler’s Rise to Power
. Adolf Hitler, born in 1889 in Austria, fought in WWI and got medals for bravery.
. He joined the German Workers’ Party in 1919, later renamed the Nazi Party.
. During the Great Depression, Nazi propaganda promised:
- Jobs and stability,
- National pride,
- End of Versailles humiliation.
. In 1932, the Nazi Party became the largest party in the Reichstag.
3.1 The Destruction of Democracy
In 1933, Hitler became Chancellor of Germany.
After the Reichstag fire, Hitler used emergency powers to:
- Suspend civil rights,
- Ban all other parties,
- Establish a dictatorship through the Enabling Act (1933).
. Gestapo, SS, SA were used to control society with fear and violence.
. Germany became a police state.
3.2 Reconstruction
- Hitler’s economic advisor Hjalmar Schacht started public works like highways and the Volkswagen car.
- Hitler left the League of Nations, reoccupied the Rhineland, and joined Austria and Germany (Anschluss).
- He later invaded Poland (1939) — starting World War II.
4. Nazi Ideology and the Racial State
. Nazis believed in racial hierarchy:
- Aryans (blond, blue-eyed Germans) were superior.
- Jews, Gypsies, Poles, and Blacks were inferior.
. Hitler’s two main ideas:
- Racial purity — eliminate ‘undesirables’.
- Lebensraum (living space) — expand German territory eastward.
4.1 The Racial Policy and Holocaust
. Euthanasia Programme: Killed disabled and mentally ill Germans.
. Jews faced systematic persecution:
- Nuremberg Laws (1935): took away citizenship, banned marriage with Germans.
- Ghettoisation: Jews forced into walled areas with poor living conditions.
- Final Solution (from 1941): mass killings in gas chambers at Auschwitz, Treblinka, etc.
5. Youth in Nazi Germany
. Education was controlled by Nazis:
- Jewish and disabled children expelled.
- Textbooks rewritten to promote racial science.
- Children taught to hate Jews and worship Hitler.
. Boys joined Hitler Youth, girls prepared to be mothers of Aryan children.
. Nazi ideology aimed to control every stage of life — from childhood to adulthood.
6. Women in Nazi Germany
- Women were told that their main duty was to be mothers.
- They were encouraged to have many Aryan children.
- Awards like Honour Crosses were given for 4, 6, or 8 children.
- Women marrying Jews or foreigners were punished and shamed.
7. The Art of Propaganda
- Nazis used media cleverly — films, posters, radio, newspapers.
- Jews were shown as greedy, evil, and foreign enemies.
- Hitler was presented as a saviour and hero.
- Propaganda created blind loyalty and fear among Germans.
8. Ordinary People and Crimes Against Humanity
- Some Germans supported Nazism thinking it would improve life.
- Many were silent or afraid to oppose.
- Few resisted and were punished or killed.
- The Holocaust showed how propaganda and fear can destroy humanity.
- After the war, survivors kept records to ensure the world never forgets.
9. Mahatma Gandhi’s Letters to Hitler
- Gandhi wrote to Hitler in 1939 and 1940, urging him to stop the war.
- He appealed for non-violence and said no one could be proud of cruel acts.
Important Dates
Year Event
1914 First World War begins
1919 Treaty of Versailles signed
1933 Hitler becomes Chancellor
1939 Germany invades Poland; WWII begins
1941 Mass murder of Jews starts
1945 Allied victory; Hitler’s death
🖕🏻🤢🤮