Assessment week research

For our assessment week research we have been given some questions we need to research and answer for the beginning of our new assignment.

1. When was it written? Arturo Ui was written in 1941 by Brecht and was first performed in 1958.
2. What was happening around this time? Around the time the play was written, Adolf Hitler was coming into power, and the story of Arturo Ui represents Hilter's rise, Hilter died in 1945, so this was written towards the end of Hilter's reign in power. World war 2 began in 1939, so this play is heavily influenced by the war and Hitler's rise.
3. Who was in power? Hilter was in power from 1933, which was when he became Chancellor, and all his power follows from this.
1. What do we know about the ruler? Adolf Hitler was born in  Austria in 1889. Hitler had a hard childhood and was neglected by his father. He wanted to pursue a career in Art, as he was a talented artist and painted watercolours to earn money. His father did not approve of his interest in art. Hitler also showed an interest in German nationalism, and rejected Austria's authority. When Hilter's father died in 1903, his mother let him drop out of school and move to Vienna, where he worked as a casual labourer and a watercolour painter. Hitler expressed a strong interest in Art and applied to the Academy of Fine Arts twice, and was rejected both times. He moved into a homeless shelter where he lived for several years, struggling to get by and continuing to sell his art work. Hitler applied to work in World War 1 serving for Germany and was accepted in 1914, even though he was Austrian. When the war ended in 1918, Hitler was distressed that Germany gave up so quickly, and I believe this is what led Hitler to strive to make a change and become Germany's dictator. After the war Hitler returned to Munich and worked as a German intelligence officer. Hitler regularly gave "Beer hall speeches" about how he wanted to change the German society and how he was against Jews, Marxists and Homosexuals.He gained many followers from this and in 1923 he announced to 3,000 people at a beer hall that the national revolution had begun. the "Beer Hall Putsch" riot included 20 deaths and was not successful. Putsch means a VIOLENT attempt to overthrow a government. This resulted in Hitler being arrested three days later and was sent to prison for a year, while he was in prison he began writing a book "Mein Kampf" (My struggle) in which he dictated all his ideas to become the German dictator and change German society into one race. In 1932, Hilter was out of prison and the German depression gave him a Political opportunity to come into power. In 1933 after success in Elections and gaining more power and followers, the Nazi party was confirmed the ONLY legal party in Germany. The Holocaust began in 1933, and from 1939 until 1945, Hitler believed interracial relationships made the poor hygiene increase, and he banned marriage between jewish germans and non jewish germans. Between 1939-45 Hitler and the Nazi party killed up to 14 million people, including 6 million jews, in concentration camps. He also sent 100,000 gay men to concentration camps as he was very anti gay, and he was also abstinent from meat, cigarettes and alcohol. After years of war, murders and policitial struggle, Hitler realised in 1945 that Germany would lose the war, just before he died Hitler married his long term girlfriend Eva Braun, in his small bunker and they both killed themselves the next day. His body was burned in a garden behind the Reich Chancellery and shortly after his death Germany surrendered to the Allies. Hitler left behind no children, and there has been speculation about his sexuality, as he was so against gays, and was never married nor had any children.  He only married his girlfriend as he knew he was going to kill himself as Germany were doomed in the war. He was very passionate about Germany and could not live to see them fall as a nation.
2. What was happening in Chicago in the 1920-30's? " THE CORRUPT CITY" 
   

Chicago was seen as the perfect city for the development of criminal activity, it became a lawless and corrupt city and originated lots of well known gangsters. Chicago underwent a revolution, this was due to a few reasons, mainly because of the environment and setting of the City. The population of the City weakened the Government as it was constantly increasing, and new people were coming into the City, influencing others and forming gangs.Chicago attracted lots of immigrants and other people from different regions of the USA, as it was very commercialized and they had hopes of attaining jobs and to begin a better life in the laid back and vibrant City.

The crime rate was so high and the population was high, the police could not enforce the law in effective ways, and as the population grew, houses were being built in the suburbs and outskirts, which caused the crime rate to increase again. Children growing up in Chicago were often exposed to crime from a very young age, which caused the crime rate to keep increasing, as children were involved in crime and it was seen as a way of life for them. The working class were the main class in Chicago at this time, due to the nature of the work that was available in Chicago, and the increase of workers did not match the increase of police officers, so the law was seen as "totally inadequate"

Criminal activity was seen as a way of life and an easy way to make money, it was seen as a career to be a "hustler" For working class people who found it hard to earn money, criminal activity was an easy occupation to pay the bills and to live comfortably, for those who were doctors, lawyers and business men, money was not a problem as their jobs paid very well and kept them out of trouble.

"The problem of crime is the problem of youth. Every criminal career has its beginning" Source of research