History Nazi Party Flashcards

Hitler’s Early Life

• 20th April 1889, born in Austria, Branau

• at school, he was bossy, lazy, poor performer but had ability → wanted to lead everyone

• he had a poor relationship with his parents, his dad died 1903, and mum died at 47 (little control over his son)

• 1905 → left school, rejected from Vienna Academy of Fine Arts various times, moved to Vienna and lived @ homeless men shelter, destitute.

• 1913 → moved to Munich, capital of German state Bavaria

• though he was not a citizen, he was asked to join the German army → 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regimnent

Hitler the Soldier

• fought in army throughout the whole war (first battle = Ypres Flanders)

• Promoted to private first class dispatch runner → took orders from regimental HQ to frontline

• Iron Cross Second and First Class

• partially blinded in mustard gas attack October 1918

• Armistice → Germany had been betrayed

The German Worker’s Party

• Hitler returned to Munich, disillusioned by Germany’s surrender

  • made a political officer for the army

• Attended a meeting of small political group → GWP (founded 1919) by Anton Drexler in September 1919

• with 40 members, they discussed Bavaria breaking away from Germany → Hitler (nationalism) → opposed idea and made such an impact that he was asked to join the party

Hitler and the GWP

• Became member no. 555 → started at 500

• Hitler found a base from which he could establish and impose his ideas and became a dominant figure in party (in charge of publicity and propaganda)

• First speech in October 1919, later, >2000 people crammed into Hofbräuhaus → talked about humiliation of T.o.V, need for Germany to recover strength, attacked gov. and Jews.

• Feb 1920 → name changed to National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi)

• Developed its own symbols and emblems → swastika, newspaper → Völkischer Beobachter

The 25 points

• Feb 1920 → 25 point program
  1. unification of all Germans in Greater Germany

  2. Only a member of the race can be a citizen → No Jew can be a member of the nation.

• By 1923 → National Socialism emerged as political movement → Nazi party >70 000 (including 15000 members of SA)

• significant political force in Bavarian politics

The Stormtroopers (Sturmabteilung)/Brownshirts

• opposed republic and communism, Developed from groups of ex-soldiers u/e TOV(freikorps were attracted)

• Frequent Street Battles between SA and German Comm. Party’s Red Front Fighter’s eague

• German Day → October 1922 → 800 SA members marched through Coburg under Nazi banner and street battle

• 1923 → membership expanded → placed under command of Hermann Göring + Captain Ernst Röhm (former captain of army)

• became a potential threat to Hitler when he wanted to take power legally due to violent nature + bad rep.

Bavaria

• Bavarian soldiers (Reichswehr) demanded to take an oath of loyalty to Bavaria instead of Republic → after passive resistance

• ruled by PM Gustav von Kahr, Commander of Army, Gen. von Lussow and Bavarian Chief of Police, Hans von Seisser

• Kampfbund (fighting League) → organisation set up 1923 → represented right wing military groups

• Nazi movement part of Kampfbund → Hitler + Ludendorff

Munich Beer Hall Putsch

• Decision made to seize control of the gov. of Bavaria by force, hoping it would trigger nat. revolution

• 8 Nov. 1923 → heavily armed stormtroopers encircled Bürgerbraükeller → a beer hall where Kahr + other Bacarian leaders were attending a political meeting

• Hitler shot pistol and jumped onto stage to announce the new gov. set up.

• Kahr, Lossow, Seisser yielded to pressure and threats and reluctantly agreed

Munich Beer Hall Putsch - Failure

• Ludendorff hastily summoned from his home + Hitler left

  • Kahr denounced events + declared Nai and Kampfbund dissolved

• Hitler realised its failure → @Ludendorff’s suggestion → Kampfbind staged a march into centre of Munich, hoping act of defiance might win support

• Odeonsplatz → police → drew up across narrow street and fired → in one min, 16 Nazi SA and 4 police dead

After the Munich Putsch

• Hitler + 9 conspirators stood on trial for treason

• Hitler used trial as a forum to express his views (media presence)

• April 1924 → Hitler (nat. fig.) sentenced 5 years imprisonment, eligible for parole after 6 months

• Lenient treatment shows attitude of W.R judiciary that never supported WR → judges agreed + Hitler dominated proceedings

• Used his jail time to write Mein Kampf (reveals basis of nat. socialism)

• Rudolph Hess = secretary

Significance of the Munich Putsch

• Hitler learned power could not be achieved by force → 1933 → came to power legally as chancellor of Germany

• Hitler and Nazis gained publicity → became the obvious leader of the right wing opponents

• He could not hold power w/o army

Hitler’s World View

• 1924 philosophy = 1934 policy

• mostly taken from 19th and 20th century writers → Nietzsche, Hegel, Treitschke

• four fundamentals:

  • extreme nationalism

  • racism

  • anti-communism

  • a contempt for liberal democracy and the parliamentary system

Deeply felt Nationalism

• Hitler believed Germany had lost thier position of greatness, determined to restore this, national revival

• Hitler believed all german-speaking people of Europe were destined to unite and create a greater Reich, with racially pure Germanic people

• defined targets to concentrate their hatred and fear → politicians, Jews, communists

  • salvation and someone to blame

Racism

• prioritised protection and expansionism of German race

• Aryan race → earlier Indo-European race incl. Germans were master race (gerrenvolk)

• Untermenschen → lowest race (subhuman) → Jews, Slavonic races, black people

• ‘Civilisation was almost exclusively the product of the Aryan creative power.’

• Belief that civilisations decline and fall only when they fail to maintain race purity

• not only deal with inf. races, but intervene in the lives of ordinary people and control what they were allowed to do

  • Marriage → only between pure, healthy Germans. Stop unhealthy/weak from having kids

Anti-communism

• seen as an international movement seeking to spread inferiority worldwide

• Linked communist and Jews hate

• Many Jews in Russian Rev, and Karl Eisner and Rosa Luxembourg were Jewish

• saw communism as part of Jewish world conspiracy

Democracy and the state

• contempt for idea of parliamentary democracy and W.R

• no personal freedom/rights

• emphasis on the nation → individual found true fulfillment by submitting to the will of the nation

The Leadership Principle Führerprinzip

• will of leader who would interpret the needs of the people

• Mein Kampf → national revival → not been caused by military defeat but ‘inner rottenness, cowardice, lack of character.’

• Hitler believed they needed a strong leader who would emerge unchallenged by restraints of democracy + parliament and would lead nation to historic destiny

  • This concept → who ruled absolutely would be total focus of loyalty to nation and became idea of Führerprinzip

‘Socialism’ of National Socialism

• evident in 25 point program

  • nationalism of business, profit sharing, increased protection for the needy

• ‘left wing’ of nazi movement → industrialists found it difficult to accept

• Hitler put less emphasis on any aspect of Nazism that challenged capitalism → needed big business support

• profits increase 36% 1933-1939

• Hitler’s socialism meant all Germans regardless of class/income working together for national good

• Racially pure Germans → belonged to German volk → nazis preached concept of Volksgemeinschaft → People’s Community

Social Darwinism

• Hitler’s idea of struggle (S.D appeled to Hitler)

• Natural selection

• ‘struggle is the father of all things… He who wants to live must fight and who does not want to fight in this world where external struggle is law of life has no right to exist.’

Propaganda and Control

• Hitler had no faith in the intelligence of masses

• Effective propaganda required simple concepts constantly repeated (persistence)

• message must be delivered with conviction and vehemence, spoken word

The quest for living space

• the destiny of the Volk to create. a German Reich that would dominate Europe

• German people had to acquire territory

  • deliberate policy on Eastern European expansionism, ultimate aim destruction of Soviet Union

• vast heartland of Europe was to be Germany’s Lebensraum

  • masterrace would dominate, inferior race would become German slaves.

Hermann Göring (1893-1946)

• Wounded and involved in Munich Putsch

• When Nazis came to power → Göring held key positions

  • Commander in Chief of German Air Force (Luftwaffe) 1935-1945

  • Second only to Hitler in importance in Nazi Germany

• Developed Nazi policies to rob and murder Jews (Final Solution), plans for Germany to wage war

• Named Hitler’s successor

• Helped Germany take over Austria + Czech

• Pres. of Reichstag July 1932, Minister of the Interior for Prussia

Joseph Goebells (1897-1945)

• 1926 → Appointed by Hitler → Gauleiter for Berlin

• Put in charge of party’s propaganda section

  • became Minister of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment 1933-45

  • Directed book-burnings

  • Organised Kristallnacht 1938

• Chancellor of Germany for 1 day

• Murdered children, committed suicide

Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945)

• Part of Munich Beer Hall Putsch

• 1929 → Appointed leader of small SS → responisible for systematic extermination of Jews

• became one of the most powerful and feared figures

  • took control of Gestapo and SS

  • Chief of Germany Police, Minister of the Interior of the former German Reich

  • Principle architect of Holocaust

• 1945 → tried to renegotiate peace w/ Allies, dismissed from all positions

Reinhard Heydrich (1907-1942)

• Heinrich Himmler’s chief Lieutant in SS

• one of the most ruthless + intelligent Nazis

• Key role in organising Holocaust

• Chief of the Reich Main Security Office (RSHA)

  • oversaw Gestapo, SD and criminal police

• Acting Reich protector of Bohemia and Moravia

• Chaired Wannsee Conference (Jan 1942) → plans formalized for Final Solution

• “Butcher of Prague”

• Assassinated 1942 by Czech Resistance fighters, which led to Nazi reprisals

Albert Speer (1905-1981)

• Hitler’s architect and minister for armaments + war production

  • chief architect of the Third Reich → designed plans for Germania

• used forced labour to produce mass weapons

• Part of Hitler’s inner circle

• @ Nuremberg Trials → admitted moral responsibility for Nazi crimes, denied knowledge of Holocaust

  • imprisoned 20 years

• ENABLED Nazi crimes

Rudolph Hess (1894-1987)

• took part in Munich Putsch

• Joined Hitler in prison, helped w/ Mein Kampf

• 1933 → Appointed Deputy Fuhrer → 1941

• 1941 → flew to Britain claiming he was on a peace mission, got arrested and spent the rest of the war in jail

• 1946 → sentenced to live imprisonment

Ernst Röhm (1887-1934)

• major influence in bringing ex-Freikorps men into SA

• Jan 1931 → became Chief of Staff of SA

• 30 June 1934 → Röhm and SA became a potential threat and killed on "Night of Long Knives”

Martin Bormann (1900-1945)

• unpopular, but efficient administrator, rose in party structure

• When Hess flew to England, he became head of Party Chancellry and Hitler’s principal secretary

  • came to control Gauleiters and party op.

• controlled access to German leader and inf. direction of Nazi Party

  • e.g. treatment of the Jews

• Stayed w/ Hitler until he committed suicide

• Disappeared during fall of Berlin 1945, remains discovered 1972, tried and sentenced to death in absentia.

Schutzstaffel (SS)

• Elite Highly disciplined

• Initially Hitler’s bodyguard

• became one of most powerful and feared organisations in all of Nazi Germany

• led by Heinrich Himmler

• Recruits

  • had to prove none of their ancestors were Jewish

  • received military training

  • taught they were elite (all human kind)

The Gestapo

• official secret police, vital in Nazi repression, eliminating resistance

• Spies → spread fear

• mission → ‘to assure the effective battle against all endeavours directed at the existence and security of the state”

• Combatting crim. actions against state and Nazi Party

• answered to no judicial or legal oversight (no civilian repercussions)

• targeted political enemies, communists, Social Democrats, Liberals, others, not initially Jews

1928 Election

• Despite post Putsch efforts, Nazis only won 12 seats (out of 491)

• still operating on fringe of German politics

• Period of stability continued → Nazis probably would not have attained enough votes

Changes between 1928 - 1930

• July 1929 → Nazis made alliance with DNVP → leader of party made fortune during hyperinflation and controlled newspapers and news outlets in Germany

• The great depression

• Reichstag divided, gov fell, Hindenburg ruling almost exclusively by Article 48

The Great Depression

• American Banks recalled loans to Germany, economic ⬇

• collapse triggered u/e, social hardship, political instability, as gov. divided into how to approach this disaster

  • made people lose faith in WR and dem system (support for extremist parties ⬆)

  • Generation humiliated by Versailles and GD

Weimar Reaction to GD

• Weimar adopted deflationary policy → cutting welfare, increase taxes

• Economic situation strained coalition, became divided over relief payments and u/e

  • SPD → determined to ⬆taxes to maintain relief payments but other parties opposed this

• 27th Nov 1930 → Gov. fell

Fallen Government

Pres. Hindenburg now in a position where he needed to play an active role in decision making → not prepared for and turned to Chief of the Army: General Kurt von Schliecher (suggested he appoint Heinrich Brüning as new Chancellor)

• no one had majority in the Reichstag (Article 48)

• start of presidential rule

Chancellor Brüning

• wanted a policy of deflation: balance the budget by cutting expenditure and increasing taxes

• when Reichstag voted to reject his budget in July → Brüning has Pres. intervene and the budget is passed (Article 48)

Article 48

• intended to be used in time of emergency but caused emergency

• Reichstag responded → passing a vote of no confidence in Chancellor which criticised him (have to step down for using Article 48) → outvoted 256 to 193

• Brüning responded by asking President to dissolve Reichstag and call for new elections (get rid of people who voted him out)

Nazis in the 1930s elections

• relished opportunity for a new election → opportunity for more seats, rigorous, portrayed as party fo action

• they attacked

  • weaknesses of current parliamentary system

  • divided political parties

  • consequences of GD and inability of current gov. to deal with it

• tapped into mood of resentment and frustration → promise of new beginning

• Hitler did not say how, but projected determination + conviction to solve problems

Brüning surviving

• 1930 Reichstag election → SPD remained largest party (143 seats)

  • supported Brüning

• Nazis 107 seats

• Communists → 77 seats

• Chancellor Brüning relied on A. 48 to govern by decree

  • introduced unpopular tax ⬆ + welfare

  • Late 1932 → Hindenburg 7 year Pres. term ended, Brüning tried to extend term by 2 years

Nazis in the April 1932

• Hindenburg reluctantly ran for Pres. again → Hitler + communist guy also ran

• Nazis conducted their largest campaign yet (Dr. Goebells)

  • Hitler went to 30 different meetings/day across country over 3 weeks

  • 21 cities/week (6/day)

  • Mass rallies

• Hindenburg did not campaign → health and dignity

Results from 1932 April election

• Nazis achieved more votes than ever before, still not enough

• Hindenburg achieved 53% of vote and at 83, re-elected for Pres 7 year term.

The German Army

• never fully supported the Weimar Republic and acted independently

• By GD → many in military believed Germany needed strong, authoritarian gov.

• Gen. von Schliecher became key political figure by 1930 → advising Pres. Hindenburg + showing interest in Nazis rising popularity, right-wing stance, anti-communist position

Brüning Betrayed

• Gen. von Schliecher began moves to have Brüning removed as Chancellor (even though he proposed him in 1930)

  • he believed Germany needed a stronger gov. but Brüning failed to deliver + fix econ. problems

• SA and SS were banned

• Act of Betrayal → Hindenburg was convinced to ask Brüning for resig.

• Significant → represented another failure of democracy

  • power no longer resided in elected parliament but within elderly pres. and inner circle of friends and advisers.

Franz von Papen

• Brüning gone, inner circle set up the next gov. led by Papen

Conservative, wealthy, supported by very few except 10 man ‘Cabinet of Barons,’ right wing men of nobility selected by Schleicher.

• ‘Hat without a head,’ ‘taken seriously by neither friends nor enemies.’

Support of Papen’s government

• 10 man cabinet had little support in Reichstag, centre democratic parties were furious at the way Brüning (+ democracy) had been betrayed

• To support Papen, Schleicher secured understanding of cooperation from Hitler:

  • they would ‘cooperate’ with new gov. if ban on SA and SS was lifted and new elections were called

  • Papen agreed and ban was lifted + Reichstag dissolved, new elections set for July

Nazis in the July election

• most vigorous and violent

• street clashes between Nazi Stormtoppers and communists

  • 86 people killed in street fighting in July

  • 17th July → Nazis staged provocative mrch through the working class (communist area of Hamburg) 19 dead, 200 injured

• Hitler took to the air → flew between cities → addressed u/e (@5.4 million) and hardships

• They won 37.4% of vote → 13.4 million votes and went from 108-230 seats in Reichstag

• Communists - 89 seats

• Papen - 44 seats (out of 608) → rejection

Hitler is refused power

• As the largest political party, obtained legally → Hitler demanded Chancellorship, but Hindenburg refused

• 13 August → Hitler offered vice-chancellor and reminded of promise to ‘cooperate’ with gov. Hitler rejected.

More elections

Papen had no political support and vote of no confidence was made 512 to 42

it was dissolved again by pres. decree (A48) and new elections called for the 4th time in 8 months

November 1932 Elections

• Nazi funds exhausted, it was difficult to continue momentumcommitment

• Papen believed Nazis had reached peak and now ⬇

• Vote fell 37.4% to 32% (seats from 230 to 196)

• real issue → communists, who increased from 89 to 100 seats.

Hitler 2nd Chancellorship

• Papen still had no political support - relying on presidential decree (A48)

• Hitler asked again:

  • “A presidential cabinet led by you will inevitably develop into a party dictatorship with all the consequences of drastic intensification of the antagonism with the German nation.”

Schleicher moves again

• Schleicher decided Papen had failed just like Bruning

  • u/e reached 6 million

  • economy was failing

  • communists ⬆ in strength

  • Disliked Papen’s close friendship with the President

  • He was worried that if Papen dissolved the Reichstag one more time civil war would occur

• Used fear of civil war - persuaded Hindenburg, who asked Papen to hand in resignation

• In a last ditch effort to keep Hitler out of chancellorship, he appointed Schleicher

Schleicher fails

• There is little evidence that the industrialists/businesses supported the Nazi regime until 1932

  • some individuals made financial contributions to party

  • Businesses were attracted by the Nazi image of discipline and order, their opposition to communism, and promise to restore German honour, but remained suspicious of their radicalism

  • Therefore they backed Hindenburg and Papen in elections

• While Germany supported Papen, they had an intense distrust of Schleicher, lasted 2 months

Schleicher fails II

• Schleicher attempted to split the Nazis by offering another high profile Nazi (Gregor Strasser), Vice-Chancellor

• Hitler found out and responded with fury

• He ordered all Nazis to swear an oath to him personally and Strasser was accused of treason to the party and resigned

• Both Schleicher and Strasser paid for their lives 18 months later when they were shot by the SS

Papen losing his position

• Papen stayed in Berlin and set to work trying to get rid of Schleicher (revenge)

• 4th Jan 1933 - Papen and Hitler met in secret along with Hindenburg’s son + closest adviser

• Papen’s plan to form a coalition with the Nazis with his own supporters

• Industrialists/businesses supported this action and put pressure on Hindenburg to accept position

  • Hitler → Chancellor (30 Jan 1933), Papen → Vice-Chancellor

  • Papen was to be present whenever Hitler met with Hindenburg

  • Of the 11 cabinet posts, only 3 would be Nazis.

Hitler Becomes Chancellor

• Hindenburg was also privately assured that although Hitler was Chancellor, the real power would rest with Papen

• Hindenburg doubts his actions **quotes in book, Schleicher agrees

• General Ludendorff unhappy with Hindenburg

The weaknesses of Hitler’s opponents

• Conservative elites gave Nazi power Jan 1933: Junker landed aristocracy, army leadership, Key industrialists, conservative politicians (e.g. Papen and Schleicher) underestimated Hitler + movement

  • never supported concept of parliamentary democracy → sought to use strength and appeal of Hitler’s movement to entrench authority

  • took a gamble and lost → miscalculation + weakness contributed to Hitler’s success

• Nothing inevitable about rise - losing support 1932

Who voted for the Nazis?

• 1928 → 810 000 Germans

• 1932 July - 13.7 million votes

• Nazis strongest in Protestant northern + central Germany (+ small towns and villages)

• Nazi Party was able to get into Germany’s provincial cities and villages to capture support

• Believed Nazis did not really attract German working class support(supported SPD and KPD), but recently seen that drew wide support from wide range of groups

Volkspartai

• Nazi Germany’s first Volkspartai → broad based, cut across class/occupation/region

  • almost all Germans found something in the Nazi Party that appealed to them

The Middle Class and The Nazis

• Middle class = below aristocracy, above working class

• Growing hostility towards fear of influence of the working class and organised labour → class antagonism ⬇ by Depression

• suffered ⬇ income and ⬇status

  • 1913 → German teacher received 10x wage coal miner

  • 1920s → this was only double

• 1927 onwards: Nazis focused policies & propaganda to appeal to the interests of middle classes.

The Middle Class and The Nazis

• attracted to aggressive line Nazis took against left, particularly communists

• Many worried about social disorder + disintegration - attracted by Nazi promise of a return to order + traditional German values

• Approved of rejection of Weimar, nationalism, ❌TOV

• Nazism became authentic voice of the people who heard promise of Agrarian reform

Nazis and Young People

• majority of votes = white-collar middle class

• 1930 → 60% of Nazi deputies in Reichstag were under 40

  • Jan 1933 → 70%

• offered appeal for young - outlet for idealism and hope

• Volksgemeinschaft → appealed → idea Nazis stood above class interest + looked only to national good appealed to young

The Working Class

• Until 1927 → Nazis concentrated efforts on winning support from ind. working class → produced few results → W.C loyalty with SPD and KPD

• G.D → many WC moved support → SPD to Nazi

• Made little headway in the Ruhr and Rhineland where trade unions were stronger

• Vulnerable to Nazi propaganda → promised ‘right to work,’ and hammered @ failure of other parties

Nazi Voters Statistics

• 1932 → 1 in 4 German workers voted Nazi

• 1933 → 1 in 3

  • support came at expense of SPD (1928 → 29.8%, 1933 → 18.3%)

Rural Germany

• Nazis only political party to offer hope to long suffering farmers

• ⬇ in world commodity prices = German agriculture suffering since 1920s

• Nazis attacked high interest rates, promised to subsidise farming

• preached importance of farming community

• Hitler believed they were racially the most pure → away from corrupting influence of the city

• implemented policies existence of farming communities and bond (Blut und Boden)

The importance of region and religion

• won strongest support in Protestant North + central regions of Germany + in conservative states

  • Schleswig Holstein, Pomerania, Hannover, East Prussia

• Northern and central regions of Germans traditionally backed middle class parties - German Dem. Party, German People’s Party

  • most of Nazi gains @ expense of these parties (virt. disappeared)

The importance of relgion and religion II

• strengths of Nazis → ability to penetrate Germany’s provincial cities and villages to capture support

• Nazi support low in industrial regions in the West, marginally better in big cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt

• Religion → 1933: 66% Protestant, 33% Catholic

• Catholic voters in Southern States resisted → sup. Catholic Centre Party, Bavarian People’s Party

Lack of a democratic tradition

• Germany never experienced a true liberal democratic revolution

  • e.g. in America, France → revolution defined new meaning of concepts of liberty, equality, individual rights

• Germany had a tradition of strong rules, dominant military and a powerful conservative gov. elite

  • German liberalism overshadowed by force of German nationalism and the need for Germany unity

Germany 1871 - 1918

• Germany became united nation in 1871 as an expression of German power, not as a result for ind. freedom

• 1918 - nation’s collapsed - democracy imposed on a country with little experience of dem. process

Flaws in the Constitution

• 1919 → basic rights of the German people but weaknesses undermined functioning of the democracy

  • e.g. proportional representation encouraged political instability + frequent election sans majority

• Every one of 21 gov. was a coalition

• 1919-1923 - Pres. Ebert resorted to A48 on 135 occasions

Powerful opponents

• Post 1918 → Weimar gov. made little attempt to deal with powerful elements within country that were openly opposed to republic

• No. of key agenices of the state, i.e. civil service, judiciary, education system remained in hands of those loyal to old Germany

  • remained hostile to republic + democracy, Weimar gov. failed to bring these bases of power under control

• priveliged elites preserved status + power, worked against dem. survival

The Failure of The Party System

• only 2 parties of W.R supported it → SPD and Centre Party

• Communists + Nazis never accepted parliamentary democracy, sought to destroy it

• Feature of a functioning democracy = opposition that supports the system

Weakness in the Weimar Republic

• role of priveliged groups, e.g. indust, army, maintained influence in republic

• authoritarian tradition in German history

• lack of a long-established democratic tradition

• weaknesses in const. party system

• republic faced political, economic, int. issues, ⬇confidence + acceptance

  • failed not because of enemies, no friends

  • SPD failed to deal with elements from pre-war Germany