Edexcel GCSE History - 2. Hitler's Rise To Power (1919-1933)

Origins of the Nazi Party

• Started as DAP (Deutsche ArbeiterPartei)

• Hitler joined and within two years turned it into NSDAP after beatng Anton Drexler in a leadership contest

Hitlers Alterations to the DAP

• Hitler appointed a friend from the army to be an administrator

• Hitler suggested the DAP be renamed the NSDAP

• Soon after the name change the party adopted the swastika

• in december 1920 the party newspaper was launched

Changes in NSDAP leadership

Hitler called for a leadership election in july 1921 and won

He was supported by: Rudolf Hess, Herman Goering,Ernst Rohm and Julius streicher

He named himself the Fuhrer and answered to nobody

Formation/Role of SA

• Paramilitary force formed by hitler in august 1921

• often ex soliders or students

• 800 in 1922 and dressed in brownshirts

• Overseen by Ernst Rohm

causes of munich Putsch

LT: Dolchstoss theory that govt betrayed army by surrendering

MT: Hitler and NSDAP heavily influenced by Mussolini’s Blackshirts in Italy

ST: Tension from hyperinflation and french incursion into Ruhr

Events of munich putsch
(8th November)

• November 8th 1923

• Hitler enters a beer hall and demands Von Kahr,Von Lossow and Von seisser join his side and then forces them to stay in the hall

• Rohm uses the SA to take over the local police and army headquarters

• However the main army barracks remained loyal to the government

Events of munich putsch
(9th November)

• Ludendorff allows the bavarian ministers to leave the beer hall and go home

• the three ministers report hitler to government

• most of the townspeople remain loyal to the government

• Hitler and supporters marched into town square and met army

• 18 killed in clash between hitler and army

Consequences of munich putsch

• Ludendorf Rohm and Streicher arrested at the scene

• Goering fled abroad

• Hitler captured after 2 days

Mein Kampf

Hitler believed

• The german race was destined to rule the world

• there was a jewish conspiracy to undermine germany through interracial marriage and taking over german industry

• The German people needed Lebensraum (living space)

  • he openly spoke of invading russia

• the wealth of industry should be used to benefit the working class

• Germany needed totalitatianism

• traditional german values should be restored

NSDAP Reorganisation

• NSDAP relaunched in febuary 1925 after being previously banned

• Party secretary and treasurer appointed

• Central hub based in Munich

• Part structured like a mini state with departments and leaders for regions (35 Gaus and Gauleiters)

  • strasser became a powerful Gauleiter in the north of germany

Paramilitary reoganisation

• SA had become loyal to rohm while hitler was in prison so he replaced rohm as leader of the SA

• SS (schutzstaffel) formed in 1925 to act as Hitler’s bodygoard and because hitler didnt fully trust rohm and the SA

Bamberg Conference

• Northern Gauleiters keen to emphasis socialist elements of 25pp

• Southern Gauleiters keen to emphasise nationalist and racist policies

• Hitler insists policies which could be painted as communist would not be pursued

• Hitler’s control over the party was secured

Wall Street Crash

• Share value on NYSE falls

• Peoples investments fall in value

• Rush to sell shares drops value even lower

Banking crisis

• Banks lost money when NYSE dropped

• People lost savings as a result

• Banks had to recall loans sent to foreign countries

German economic collapse

German banks had to recall money they loaned out to pay back American banks which led to companies laying off workers and increasing unemployment

Unemployment

• unemployment increased from 1 million to 6 million from 1929 to 1933

• because of the banking crisis people lost all their savings and had nothing to fall back on

• taxes went up but wages went down

Growing support for KPD

in the election of 1932 the KPD gained 5% more of the Reichstag. this is because many people saw the communists as the only party who would defend their jobs

Growth in support of NSDAP

• Many Germans were fed up of Weimar and Hitler promised to restore order and to scrap the treaty of Versailles

• The uniformed SA made the NSDAP look organised and reliable

Why did People Support the NSDAP

• Big business - Fear of KPD

• Farmers - Fear of KPD taking land

• Working Class - the Nazis promised ‘work and bread’

• Middle Class - fear of KPD + idea of moral decline in weimar

• Women - traditional Views

Political Developments in early 1932

• April

  Hindenburg 50% in presidential election Hitler 13% (second place)

• May

  • Bruning resigns

  • Von Papen replaces him but isnt supported

Political Developments in late 1932 and eary 1933

• July

  • Nazis gain majority in reichstag and demand VP be sacked

• November

  • VP loses another election and is sacked

• December

  • H makes Von Schleicher chancellor

• January

  • H makes Hitler chancellor and VP Vice chancellor