Tag: germany
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History of National Socialist Germany during the Second World War. V.
The Soviet offensive toward Berlin was launched on 8 April at the Seelow Heights east of the city as a crucial final defensive line, where the German defenders of Army Group Vistula under General Gotthard Henrici were outnumbered ten to one, and then joining other powerful Soviet units that had started crossing the Oder and…
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History of National Socialist Germany during the Second World War. III.
While they were on the offensive in Russia, German armies also appeared successful during the summer of 1942 in northern Africa, where they had rescued the Italians after they experienced further setbacks in 1941, which provided an impetus for Hitler to reinforce the Afrika Korps with greater available resources in view of Rommel’s victories and…
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History of National Socialist Germany during the Second World War. II.
The fall of France and the Battle of Britain that was superseded by aerial bombing and the war at sea was followed by Hitler’s struggle against Britain concentrated on the Mediterranean. He hoped to drive Britain out of the area and at the same time protect his southern flank in anticipation of an attack on…
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History of National Socialist Germany: 1936-1939.
While it was apparent that the Stresa front was ineffective, Hitler took a risk on 7 March 1936 by advancing German troops into the Rhineland. This was a violation of the Treaty of Versailles that had designated this region as a demilitarized zone, as well as the freely negotiated Locarno Treaties. Hitler argued that this…
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History of National Socialist Germany: 1933-1936.
The Enabling Act led to the establishment of a dictatorship that eliminated institutions of the Weimar republic that would not serve any useful purpose in the National Socialist regime, while coordinating those that were indispensable for its functions. Centralisation of governmental authority was imposed on 31 March with the promulgation of a Provisional Law for…
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History of the End of the Weimar Republic: 1930-1933.
Faltering economic conditions gravely undermined political life, as the national parliament proved unable to deal with the worldwide financial crisis. The deadlock in the Reichstag over resolving the question of issuing unemployment insurance when the rising numbers of unemployed could no longer be supported according to the levels that were agreed in the 1927 Law…
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History of the Weimar Republic. II. 1924-1930.
Renewed hostility against the nascent Weimar Republic was further armed strife, and intensifying secret rearmament. The Commander-in-Chief of the Germany, Colonel-General Hans von Seeckt, restored a concealed form of general staff by preserving its operations staff that was repurposed as the “troop office.” He also maintained efforts to ascertain the munitions and equipment requirements for…
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History of Germany during the First World War. II.
Several peace initiatives were made, but all of them failed. Ludendorff’s attempts at negotiation failed while using language that would avoid any appearance of weakness. The German government tried to arrive at a separate peace with the Russians, but the chances were very limited, since the Central Powers could not promise the Russians nearly as…
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History of Germany during the First World War. I.
The German government and general staff precipitated a risk of escalation of the Austro-Serb crisis, and audaciously calculated on the possibility of launching what they considered would constitute a preventive strike against Russia and France, and thereby breaking the influence of the Entente. The German General Staff government planned to overcome the encirclement by the…
European History Study Guide 