Social Studies Name: Directions: Complete the following questions using the link listed below. Questions 1-8: http://www.biography.com/people/adolf-hitler-9340144 (Pages 1-2) Questions 9-17: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/adolf-hitler Questions 1. When and where was Hitler born? 2. Briefly explain Hitler s youth and life with his parents. 1 Copyright Brodie Millar 2014. (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/brodie-millar)
3. According to Hitler, at what point in his life did his anti-semitism (prejudice towards Jewish people) begin? 4. How did Hitler view the outcome of WWI for Germany? 5. The Treaty of Versailles was the trey imposed upon Germany by the Allies following WWI. How did Hitler feel about it? 6. After WWI, explain Hitler s role in Germany politics. 7. What was the Beer Hall Putsch? What did it cause? 2 Copyright Brodie Millar 2014. (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/brodie-millar)
8. What is Mein Kampf? Explain. Use http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/adolf-hitler for the remaining questions. 9. Why did Hitler wanted to capture vast areas of land for Germany? How did he plan to achieve this? 10. Explain what happened to Poland in 1939. 11. After his invasion of Poland, what countries did Hitler turn his forces against next? 3 Copyright Brodie Millar 2014. (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/brodie-millar)
12. Explain how the quick victory over France impacted Hitler s authority within Germany. 13. According to the website, which countries did Hitler start planning for after the defeat of France? 14. How did Hitler plan to knock Britain out of the war? 15. When did Hitler begin the German invasion of the Soviet Union? 16. Explain how the German invasion of the Soviet Union impacted the overall outcome of World War Two. 17. As the Allies began closing in on Germany near the end of WWII, what happened to Hitler? 4 Copyright Brodie Millar 2014. (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/brodie-millar)
Teachers Key Name: Directions: Complete the following questions using the link listed below. Questions 1-8: http://www.biography.com/people/adolf-hitler-9340144 (Pages 1-2) Questions 9-17: http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/adolf-hitler Questions 1. When and where was Hitler born? Adolf Hitler was born in Branau am Inn, Austria, on April 20, 1889. 2. Briefly explain Hitler s youth and life with his parents. Hitler was the fourth of six children born to Alois Hitler and Klara Polzl. When Hitler was 3 years old, the family moved from Austria to Germany. As a child, Hitler clashed frequently with his father. Following the death of his younger brother, Edmund, in 1900, he became detached and introverted. His father did not approve of his interest in fine art rather than business. 5 Copyright Brodie Millar 2014. (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/brodie-millar)
3. According to Hitler, at what point in his life did his anti-semitism (prejudice towards Jewish people) begin? His father died suddenly in 1903. Two years later, Adolf's mother allowed her son to drop out of school. He moved to Vienna and worked as a casual laborer and a watercolor painter. Hitler applied to the Academy of Fine Arts twice, and was rejected both times. Out of money, he moved into a homeless shelter, where he remained for several years. Hitler later pointed to these years as the time when he first cultivated his anti-semitism. 4. How did Hitler view the outcome of WWI for Germany? Hitler became embittered over the collapse of the war effort. The experience reinforced his passionate German patriotism, and he was shocked by Germany's surrender in 1918. Like other German nationalists, he believed that the German army had been betrayed by civilian leaders and Marxists. 5. The Treaty of Versailles was the trey imposed upon Germany by the Allies following WWI. How did Hitler feel about it? He found the Treaty of Versailles degrading, particularly the demilitarization of the Rhineland and the stipulation that Germany accept responsibility for starting the war. 6. After WWI, explain Hitler s role in Germany politics. Hitler returned to Munich and adopted the policies and joined the German Workers Party (DAP), To increase its appeal, the DAP changed its name to the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP). Hitler soon gained notoriety for his vitriolic speeches against the Treaty of Versailles, rival politicians, Marxists and Jews. 7. What was the Beer Hall Putsch? What did it cause? On November 8, 1923, Hitler and the SA stormed a public meeting of 3,000 people at a large beer hall in Munich. Hitler announced that the national revolution had begun and declared the formation of a new government. After a short struggle including 20 deaths, the coup, known as the "Beer Hall Putsch," failed. Hitler was arrested three days later and tried for high treason. He served a year in prison. 6 Copyright Brodie Millar 2014. (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/brodie-millar)
8. What is Mein Kampf? Explain. He served a year in prison, during which time he dictated most of the first volume of Mein Kampf ("My Struggle") to his deputy, Rudolf Hess. The book laid out Hitler's plans for transforming German society into one based on race. Use http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/adolf-hitler for the remaining questions. 9. Why did Hitler wanted to capture vast areas of land for Germany? How did he plan to achieve this? He believed that Germany should fight wars for vast tracts of land to enable its people to settle on them, raising large families that would replace casualties and provide soldiers for the next war of expansion. The first would be a small and easy war against Czechoslovakia, to be followed by the really difficult one against France and Britain. A third war would follow against the Soviet Union, which he assumed would be simple and quick and would provide raw materials, especially oil, for the fourth war against the United States. That war would be simple once Germany had the long-range planes and superbattleships to fight a power thought inherently weak but far distant and possessing a large navy. 10. Explain what happened to Poland in 1939. When he turned to the war against France and Britain, he could not persuade Poland to subordinate itself to Germany to ensure a quiet situation in the east; hence, he decided to destroy that country before heading west. He was determined to have war and initiated it on September 1, 1939. To facilitate the quick conquest of Poland and break any blockade, he aligned Germany with the Soviet Union, assuming that concessions made to that country would be easily reclaimed when Germany turned east. 11. After his invasion of Poland, what countries did Hitler turn his forces against next? Norway, France and Britain. 7 Copyright Brodie Millar 2014. (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/brodie-millar)
12. Explain how the quick victory over France impacted Hitler s authority within Germany. The victory in France gave Hitler an aura of triumph, which assured him the enthusiastic support of almost all of Germany s military leaders, especially as he systematically tied them to himself by generous promotions and a system of mass bribery. 13. According to the website, which countries did Hitler start planning for after the defeat of France? Soviet Union and the USA 14. How did Hitler plan to knock Britain out of the war? Hitler planned to combine three measures to knock it out of the war: the German air force would destroy the country s capacity to defend itself; there would be an invasion if Britain did not surrender; and the expected quick defeat of the Soviet Union would remove that country as a possible source of aid for Britain and, by ending any danger to Japan s rear, encourage that power to move in the Pacific and tie up the United States. 15. When did Hitler begin the German invasion of the Soviet Union? The German invasion of the Soviet Union began on June 22, 1941. 16. Explain how the German invasion of the Soviet Union impacted the overall outcome of World War Two. The German attack quickly ran into trouble. The initial blows, which were supposed to bring the Soviet Union crashing down in a few weeks, did not have that effect. Thereafter, the question always was which sector to attack and whether to retreat. 17. As the Allies began closing in on Germany near the end of WWII, what happened to Hitler? As the Allies closed in on Germany, Hitler increasingly hoped for a split in the alliance he had forged against himself. He believed Germany had lost World War I because of the collapse of the home front and therefore assumed that establishment of a dictatorship and the systematic killing of all Jews would guarantee victory this time. When the end was near, he married his mistress and then committed suicide with her. 8 Copyright Brodie Millar 2014. (http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/store/brodie-millar)