2. Why was Hitler able to dominate Germany by 1934?

When did Hitler join the DAP?

September 1919

How did Hitler replace Drexler as the leader of the Nazis?

• July 1921

• Changed the party’s policies to the 25 Point Programme

• Developing the party’s organisational structure

• Forcing a change of leadership and choosing members for key positions

• Creating the NSDAP’s private army, the SA (Sturmabteilung)

Nazi Party Organisation

• Delievered both Nationalist and Socialist ideologies to increase support

• Völkischer Beobachter- newspaper which spread the influence

What was the 25 point programme?

The Nazi’s manifesto announced in February 1920, containing policies which were Nationalist, Racist, Socialist and Anti-democratic

When was the Munich Putsch?

November 1923

What was the objective of the Munich Putsch?

• The violent overthrow of the Weimar government to replace it with the Nazi government

• During hyperinflation crisis

Why did Hitler think the Munich Putsch would be successful?

• The Weimar government was unpopular in late autumn 1923

• Hitler thought it was time to strike and that his collaborator, General Ludendorff would use his influence to persuade the army to support

Why was the Weimar government unpopular in 1923 autumn?

• Stresemann ended the policy of passive resistance in the Ruhr angering many right wing supporters

• Looked like they were giving into the French

• Hyperinflation was at it’s height

• Germany resumed reparations payments

• Looked as if the government was tolerating left-wing state governments in Saxony and Thuringia

Events of the Munich Putsch

• 8th Nov- Hitler and 600 SA forced their way into a meeting between the Bavarian Prime Minister, Gustav Kahr and local businessmen

• At gunpoint, Kahr was forced to announce he supported the revolution

• Kahr went back on his promise the next day

• Hitler staged a march through streets of Munich to gain public support

• Armed police brought march to an end, 16 Nazis killed and Hitler dislocated his shoulder

• Hitler and Ludendorff were arrested

• Nazi restructured and switch to democratic methods rather than violence- kept its main 25 point programme principles

Reasons for failure of the Munich Putsch

• Before the putsch, the government took decisive action to depose left-wing state governments in Saxony and Thuringia

• Less support for uprising- no one to support the armed coup

• Helped determine loyalty of leading Bavarian politicians

• Ludendorff unable to use influence- army remained loyal to Weimar government

• Nazi party was small- only 3,000 members

How did Hitler benefit from the Munich Putsch in 1923?

• Mein Kampf

• 9 months in prison gave Hitler an opportunity to dictate Mein Kampf- bestselling account of his life and explanation of his political views

• Emphasises superiority of Aryan or German race and dangers of communism

• Provided him with income (much-needed)

• Publicity

• Hitler spread his political views by speaking at his trial.

• His opinions were reported internationally in newspaper coverage

• The trial gave Hitler a national reputation as a passionate and persuasive political leader

• Persuading the judges

• Hitler’s address in court swayed the judges, who gave him and his supporters lenient sentences- only served 5 years

what were the main Nazi policies in the 1920s?

• F – Führer

• Debate and democratic processes were weak

• Strength lay in total loyalty to the leader (Fuhrer)

• L – Lebensraum

• The Nazis wanted to expand Germany’s borders, particularly into Eastern Europe, to accommodate a growing population

• A – Anti-Semitism

• Hitler had an irrational hatred of Jews and thought that only racially pure Aryans should be German citizens

• V – Volksgemeinschaft (union of all German-speaking people)

• Many German speaking people lived in countries surrounding Germany- e.g. Poland

• Hitler wanted to create a Greater Germany containing all German speakers

• O – Overturn the Treaty of Versailles

• Unfair and humiliating

• Took land, made Germany pay reparations and forbade Anschluss- (uniting of Germany and Austria into a Greater Germany.)

• R – Replace the Weimar Republic

• Nazis wanted to end democracy and the Weimar Republic- blamed for instability economically and politically

What business supported the Nazi party?

• IG Farben- Chemical business

• Supported them because of their fear of Communist threat

what was the role of Goebbels?

• Head of Nazi propaganda and masterminded Nazi election campaigns in 1930s- controlled cinema, art & culture, and radio

• During elections, organised Hitler’s speaking tours, radio broadcasting, Nazi party parades

what was the role of Goering?

• Led the SA in the 1920s

• 1936, he became head of the Four Year Plan to prepare the German economy for war

• Head of the Luftwaffe (Air forces part of rearmament programme) in the Second World War

what was the role of Himmler?

• Head of the SS

• He led the Gestapo secret police and managed the concentration camps

who was Ernst Röhm ?

• Röhm became leader of the SA in 1930.

• SA intimidated voters, attacked Jews and opposition politicians

• Murdered in the ‘Night of the Long Knives’, 1934

why were the Nazis unsuccessful from 1924-1929?

• Hitler was in prison and the Nazi Party was banned until 1925

• Economic recovery under Weimar reduced support for extremist parties

• Germany’s foreign relations improved after the Locarno Treaties (1925) were signed, joined LON (1926)

• In the 1928 election, the Nazis won only 12 seats- they had limited influence in the Reichstag

• Moderate parties such as the SPD. Catholic Centre Party (Z) and German Peoples Party (DDP) formed more stable coalition governments​- less people willing to vote for extremist parties after recovery

what were the Nazi election results in 1920s?

• MAY 1924- 32 Reichstag seats

• DECEMBER 1924- 14 Reichstag seats

• MAY 1928- 12 Reichstag seats

what were the Nazi election results in 1930s?

• SEPTEMBER 1930- 107 Reichstag seats

• JULY 1932- 230 Reichstag seats

• NOVEMBER 1932- 196 Reichstag seats

how did the Nazis change their tactics in 1924-1929?

• Local party organisations established across Germany

• Hitler Youth + BDM to attract young members

• Increased their membership from 3,000 to 100,000

• Prepared to revise policies to achieve maximum popularity- except 2 keystone (Nationalism and Anti-Semitism)

• Party activists were trained in public speaking- propaganda

• Munich Putsch failure persuaded Hitler that the best way to gain power= increasing the election success