Nazi Germany

including Hitler's rise to power during the Weimar Republic

Hitler joined the German Workers’ Party (DAP) in Munich

1919

The German Workers’ Party (DAP) renamed itself the Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP)

1920

Hitler succeeded Anton Drexler as leader of the Nazi Party

1921

Hitler established the ‘Gymnastics and Sport Division’ to deal with hecklers at party meetings, eventually became the Sturmabteiling (SA)

1921

Munich Beer Hall Putsch → Hitler was arrested and sentenced to 5 years but only served 9 months

8 November 1923

Ebert declared a state of emergency due to the treason in Munich

9 November 1923

Communists won 54 seats in the Reichstag, the Nazis won 12, the SDP won 153

1928

Stresseman died leaving Germany without a strong leader

1929

Germany’s unemployment was over 3 million

By 1930

Hindenburg appointed Bruning from the Centre Party as Chancellor → became known as "Hunger Chancellor” due to his deflationary policies → more extreme voting, 107 seats for the Nazis

1930

Hindenburg replaced Bruning with Franc von Papen → “Baron’s Cabinet” due to the proportion of aristocrats → turn to the KDP

1932

The Nazi Party won 230 seats in the Reichstag after employing propaganda methods

July 1932

Popularity of the Nazis declined as they received 196 seats in the Reichstag, von Schleicher was briefly Chancellor

November 1932

The SA ruled the streets with violence and intimidation during the elections → 99 people died

1932

Hindenburg refused to make Hitler Chancellor, kept von Papen → Hindenburg planned to use Article 48 to pass von Papen’s decisions into law

July 1932

Newly elected Reichstag met → 513 voted no confidence in von Papen

12 September 1932

Hitler sworn in as Chancellor, Hindenburg insisted that there would only be 3 Nazis in cabinet and Hitler would be accompanied by von Papen

30 January 1933

Reichstag fire shortly before planned elections → Hitler got Hindenburg to sign the emergency Law for the Protection of People and the State, SA arrested 4000 Communists

27 February 1933

Nazis won 288 seats → formed a coalition with the DNVP, guaranteed the Centre Party that he would protect the Catholic Church → achieved the 2/3 majority he required

5 March 1933

Enabling Act passed, opposed by only 94 members

24 March 1933

The Law for the Re-establishment of the Civil Service removed Jews and opposition from all civil service jobs

7 April 1933

Workers granted a May Day holiday, trade unions then banned

1 and 2 May 1933

Law passed against the formation of new political parties → one party state

14 July 1933

Night of the Long Knives → SS attacked the SA, up to 400 including Ernst Rohm were executed

29 June 1934

Hindenburg died, Hitler assumed the new role of Fuhrer → Gleichschaltung implemented

10 August 1934

Nazi Party membership was over 5 million, there were about 500,000 party officials

By 1939

No longer state governments, had been replaced by Gaue with leaders (Gauleiter) answerable to Hitler

By 1934

SS formed as Hitler’s bodyguards

1925

Main aim of the SS was to eliminate opposition within Germany

From 1934

There were 45,000 Gestapo officers

By 1945

SA Commander-in-chief General von Fritsch forced to resign, replaced by those who wouldn’t challenge Hitler

1937

First concentration camps built in disused factories and warehouses

1933

Edelweiss Pirates were a youth gang that rejected Nazi ways

Late 1930s

Failed ‘July Plot’ to bomb Hitler by the Kreisau Circle

July 1944

Ministry of People’s Enlightenment and Propaganda established, led by Dr Joseph Goebbels

1933

Olympic Games in Berlin were used as a propaganda opportunity

1936

Hitler appointed Hjalmar Schacht as economics minister → he promoted trade and sought to establish an ‘Organization of industry’ but never became a Nazi member

1934

Herrmann Goering replaced Schacht as economics minister → produced the Four Year Plan to achieve autarky

1936

Albert Speer appointed as Minister of Armaments and War Production → armament production doubled

1942

A quarter of Germany’s 40 million strong workforce was composed of foreigners deported to Germany

By 1944

Economic recovery was evident after the Wall Street Crash

From 1932

Law to Reduce Unemployment passed, was effective

1933

Schacht introduced the ‘New Plan’ which created employment through public works → men aged 18-25 had to join the National Labour Service for 6 months

1934

All men aged 18-25 had to do 2 years of military service → reduction in unemployment

From 1935

Money spent on the military rose from 10 billion RM to 17 billion RM

1937 to 1938

Herman Goering became Commissioner of Raw Materials → Germany began manufacturing synthetic rubber and oil

April 1936

Trade unions were abolished and replaced German Labour Front (DAP)

1933

DAF peaked at 20 million members

1930s

180,000 workers had been on a sponsored cruise; 10 million workers had enjoyed a state financed holiday

By 1938

Law for the Ordering of National Labour passed → factory inspections, improvement of working conditions

1934

Agriculture prices dropped

1929 to 1933

The Reich Food Estate took over the planning and organisation of agriculture

1933

Battle for Production launched to increase the production of grain

1934 to 1935

Frauenfront established by Robert Ley → all 230 women’s organisations in Germany were made to expel Jews and join the front

10 May 1933

Law for the Encouragement of Marriage → promoted through ‘Kinder, Küche, Kirche’

June 1933

Nearly all 19,000 women in the civil service lost their jobs; 15% of woman teachers lost their jobs

1933

Women could not be judges or do jury duty

From 1936

Decline in female employment from 37% to 31%

From 1933 to 1937

Law for Reduction of Unemployment → monetary rewards for having children included low interest loans of up to 1000 RM

1933

Divorce rate increased

1933 to 1939

Germany reached full employment

By 1938

The number of working women rose to 14.6 million

By 1938

Unmarried women were made to serve a ‘duty year’ of work due to the shortage of workers

1938

‘Mother’s Cross’ award introduced

May 1939

Youth were conscripted into youth organisations → Deutsches Jungvolk, Hitler Jugend, Jungmabelbund, Bund Deutscher Madel

From 1939

Bund Deutscher Madel had membership of over 2 million

By 1936

Hitler Judged had 6 million members

By 1936

97% of teachers were Nazi party members

By 1937

Hitler spoke of ‘stamping out Christianity’

1933

‘Positive Christianity’ became the state religion

1934

Only 5% of the population was registered as ‘Positive Christianity’ members

By 1939

Concordat signed with the Pope → Catholic Church had religious freedom if it didn’t interfere with politics

1933

Hitler appointed Ludwig Muller as National Bishop to all Protestant Churches, made one German Christian Church

1933

Beggars and the homeless were registered and issued with permits, made to work in exchange for accomodation

From September 1933

Beggars and the homeless were detained in Buchenwald; about 10,000 were imprisoned

By 1938

Himmler claimed homosexuality undermined Germany’s growth to become a world power

1937

Gestapo had identified 100,000 homosexuals as ‘criminals’; 25,000 were convicted

By 1939

5,000 to 15,000 homosexuals imprisoned

During the war

Jehovah’s Witnesses were banned

1933

Amount of Sinti and Roma in Germany decreased from 30,000 to 5,000

From 1933 to 1945

Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring → used to justify compulsory sterilisation

1933

The State carried out up to 350,000 sterilisations

1934 to 1935

72,000 deaths occurred before the T-4 program was halted due to protests by the public and church

1939 to 1941

Jews banned from jobs in the civil service

7 April 1933

Nazis called for a boycott of Jewish businesses

From 1 April 1933

Jews banned from journalism

October 1933

Nuremburg Laws → Jews deprived of citizenship and were disenfranchised

1935

Kristallnacht: Goebbels ordered attacks on Jewish homes, shops and synagogues → 100 Jews murdered, 20,000 sent to concentration camps

9 November 1938

Hitler declared to the Reichstag that any future war would lead to ‘the destruction of the Jewish race in Europe’

30 January 1939

‘final solution’ put in place

January 1942