Click2Flicks - VICTORY IN EUROPE - Chapter 4

<body link="0000ff" alink="ff0000" vlink="000000" bgcolor=000033> <table width="100%" bgcolor=000033> <tr> <td align=center valign=top> <table width=90% bgcolor=ffffff> <tr> <td align=center valign=top> <tr> <td> <div align=center><p><b><font face="arial, helvetica" size=5 color=000000><b>VICTORY IN EUROPE</p> <p><font size="4">CHAPTER 4 - HITLER GETS KNOWN</b></font></p> </div>  <center> <table width="90%"> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> <div align="justify"> <p><font face="arial, helvetica" color="000000" size="3">After World War I, Germans suffered from the harsh terms of the <a target="_blank" href="http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/text/versaillestreaty/vercontents.html"><b>Versailles Treaty</a></b>. With the country’s economy in shambles, "<a target="_blank" href="http://www.flholocaustmuseum.org/history_wing/thirdreich/seedsofbitterness.cfm"><b>seeds of bitterness</a></b>" had been sown. It seemed impossible, even for government officials in Berlin, to reverse the downward slide.</P> <P>During the 1928 national elections, a developing political party headed by <a target="_blank" href="images/hitler_photo_from_1925.mein.kampf.jpg"><b>Adolf Hitler</b> </a> - called the National Socialist German Workers’ Party - promised change but made a poor showing. Garnering a very small percent of the vote, no one really knew <a target="_blank" href="http://www.flholocaustmuseum.org/history_wing/thirdreich/nazi_leaders.cfm"><b>its leaders</b></a> or what they stood for.</P> <p>At the time, the world had <a target="_blank" href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,743572,00.html"><b>never heard of</b></a> Hitler. (Scroll down 60% in this April 18, 1932 article.) He and his party - referred to, by some observers, as the "Joke Party" - had a major job to do. They had to widely acquaint German voters with this relatively <a target="_blank" href="images/obscure_man_.gif"><b>obscure man</b></a> (the picture depicts him as a WWI soldier) from <a target="_blank" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Au-map.png"><b>Linz</b></a>.</p> <P>In the days before television, political candidates relied on posters, among other things, to "get known." Hitler, and his colleagues, became masters of mass communication. Let’s take a look at some of the posters which the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/"><b>Nazi party created</b></a>  to "spread the word" about Hitler (whom the government had banned from speaking in most public places during 1927).</P><ul> <li><font face="Times New Roman">1927 - <a target="_blank" href="images/who_hitler_poster.1927_who.is.hitler.jpg"><b>Who is Adolf Hitler?</b></a> <b><i>The man from the people, for the people! The German front soldier who risked his life in 48 battles for Germany! . . . Why is Hitler not allowed to speak? Because he is ruthless in uncovering the rulers of the German economy, the international bank Jews and their lackeys. . .Working Germans! Demand the lifting of the illegal ban on his speaking!</i></b></font></li><br><br> <li>1928 - Although most Nazi party activities were banned in Berlin, during 1928, posters (<a target="_blank" href="images/this_one_poster_probably.1928_banned.not.dead.jpg"><b>like this one</b></a>) could speak for the party’s leaders. Its English translation is: <i><b><font face="Times New Roman">Despite the ban, not dead. The German who loves freedom belongs in the National Socialist S.A.</i></b></font></li><br><br> <li>1928 - An <a target="_blank" href="images/election_poster_1928_nazi.election.poster.jpg"><b>election poster</b></a> makes it sound like Hitler will reverse the humiliating effects of WWI: <i><b><font face="Times New Roman">Two million dead! Did they die in vain? Never! Front soldiers! Adolf Hitler shows you the way! [Vote for] List 10.</i></b></font></li><br><br> <li>1930 - Poster for the Reichstag (parliament) election: <a target="_blank" href="images/people_rise_people.rise_sept.1930_election.jpg"><b>The people rise!</b></a> <i><b><font face="Times New Roman">They vote List 9!</i></b></font></li><br><br> <li>1930 - A <a target="_blank" href="images/graphic_poster_1930_reichstag.election_vote.list.9.jpg"><b>graphic poster</b></a>, with a Nazi sword passing through a Star of David, makes clear the party’s intentions regarding Jews. <i><b><font face="Times New Roman">List 9: National-Socialist-German-Workers-Party.</i></b></font></li><br><br> <li>1932 - <a target="_blank" href="images/multitudes_people_1932.election_our.last.hope.hitler.jpg"><b>Multitudes of people</b></a> are saying: <i><b><font face="Times New Roman">Our last hope: Hitler.</i></b></font></li><br><br> <li>1932 - For the November Reichstag election, the party created an <a target="_blank" href="images/effective_poster_nov.1932.election_work.and.bread.jpg"><b>effective poster</b></a>. In English, it says: <i><b><font face="Times New Roman">Work and Bread Through List 1</i></b> [the Nazi candidates].</font></li></ul> <p align="justify"><font face="arial,helvetica">Hitler’s party received 2.6% of the national parliamentary vote in 1928. They increased their standing to 18.3% in 1930. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,743385,00.html?iid=chix-sphere"><b>By 1932</b></a>, when Germany’s president - Paul von Hindenburg - was 84 years old, Hitler and his party captured <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fcit.usf.edu/HOLOCAUST/timeline/nazirise.htm"><b>37% of the vote</a></b>. Nazi strategy, and Hitler’s fiery orations, were <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/hitler_01.shtml"><b>working</a></b>.</p> <p>In January of <a target="_blank" href="images/january_1933_hitler_in.1933.jpg"><b>1933</a></b>, von Hindenburg legally named <a target="_blank" href="http://www.pbs.org/auschwitz/learning/timeline/"><b>Hitler chancellor</b></a>. Worried about what this new leader might do in Europe, thousands of people in America <a target="_blank" href="http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/qt/n/1930s/1933hitler.html"><b>protested</a></b> Hitler’s elevation. (The link takes you to a newsreel.)</p> <p>There was, however, no turning back.</p> </div> <p align="center"><font size="2"><a href="victory_europe_ch3.htm">GO TO LAST CHAPTER</a>   <a href="victory_europe_ch1.htm">BACK TO FIRST CHAPTER</a>   <a href="victory_europe_ch5.htm">GO TO NEXT CHAPTER</a></p><br> </td> </tr> </table>  </td>  <td align="center" valign="top"> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.awesomestories.com/includes/ad_format.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td>  </tr> </table>  </td> </tr> </table> </body>