Edexcel GCSE History Weimar and Nazi Germany - Hitler's rise to power

Who was the first leader of the Nazi Party (DAP) in 1919?

Drexler

When did Hitler join the DAP?

September 1919

When did Hitler take over from Drexler as the leader of the DAP?

July 1921

What was Hitler’s early political career like?

• Joined DAP in 1919

• DAP sets up permanent headquarters in Munich, Hitler becomes second in command

• Hitler suggested a new name: NSDAP (national socialist german workers party)

• In 1921, Hitler becomes leader

What did Hitler often talk about in meetings in the early DAP?

• the Dolchtoss

• his disgust at ToV

• His hatred of Weimar and November Criminals

• What he saw as the communist-Jewish conspiracy

When was the 25 point programme written?

1920

What was the main points of the 25 point programme?

• Union of Germans to form a Greater Germany

• Scrapping of ToV

• Citizenship granted only for German blood (no jews)

• All non-germans who entered after 1914 to leave

• Government to nationalise all businesses that had been formed into corporations

• Creation of strong central government for the Reich to put new government into effect

What was the S.A. and what was their role?

• A paramilitary force mostly made up of unemployed soldiers

• Formed in 1921 and led by Ernst Rohm

• Became private army of Nazi Party and were used to: disrupt opposition meetings and control crowds

• Membership increased from 1,100 in June 1920 to 55,000 in November 1923

What were the medium-long term reasons for the Munich Putsch?

• ‘Stab in the back’

• Reparations from TofV

• Loss of Germany’s colonies

• Resentment of Weimar government particularly by Bavarian government

• Hitler was influenced by Mussolini when he marched on Rome in 1922 with the army’s support

What were the short term reasons/causes for the Munich Putsch?

• Hyperinflation

• French troops entered Ruhr in 1923 and took over German businesses

• Hitler thought that he had support

• Hitler had won support of General Ludendorff, former army Commader-in-chief, who was very popular

When was the Munich Putsch?

November 1923

What were the events of the Munich Putsch?

• On the 8th November, Hitler and 600 S.A. members seized a huge beer hall in Munich as a political meeting was happening

• He held Kahr (head of bavarian government), Seisser (police chief) and Lossow (army chief) at gunpoint and forced them to promise to support him

• The following day, Seisser and Lossow were set free and changed their minds - preparing an army

• Hitler with 1000 members of S.A. marched on Munich town centre but were soon dealt with by state police

What were the short-term consequences of the Munich Putsch?

• Hitler arrested on 11th November

• NSDAP banned

• Putsch failed miserably because of the lack of support

What were the long term consequences of the Munich Putsch?

• Hitler used his trial to publicize his views since he was able to go on long speeches - made himself known nationwide

• Hitler realized that he needed to have complete control over the party

• Hitler realized he would need to achieve power by legal means - winning elections

• He wrote Mein Kampf in prison and was only served 9 months out of the supposed 5 years

What were the key ideas of Mein Kampf?

• Abolition of ToV

• Gain Lebensraum (living space) to create a Greater Germany with all German speakers

• All ills in Germany were caused by jews

• Volksgemeinschaft (people’s community) - strongest races would dominate weakest

When was the Bamberg Conference and what was its purpose?

• 1926

• Continued to strengthen Hitler’s position as leader

• Rivals such as Goebbels and Strasser were won over

• Forced Rohm to resign since he was worried about S.A.

Why was the Wall Street Crash a problem for Germany?

US stopped lending money to Germany and demanded loans to be repaid

What was the impact of the Wall Street Crash on German businesses?

• Had to repay loans

• Received no more investment from the US

• Had to pay increased taxes to government

What was the impact of the Wall Street Crash on the German government?

• Couldn’t borrow money from US

• Refused to print more money

• Increased taxes

• Made cuts in unemployment benefit

• Government workers had wages cut and some lost their jobs

What was the impact of the Wall Street Crash on German people?

• Businesses reduced staff or closed

• Millions of workers and farm labourers lost their jobs

• Young people badly affected by job losses

• With no work and benefits slashed, families suffered poverty

How did Hitler appeal to German people?

• Strong and charismatic leader and public speaker

• Image appeared on most publicity material

• Travelled around the country giving speeches and talking on the radio

• Party adopted modern technology e.g. aeroplanes

• Intimidation tactics of S.A.

How did the Great Depression benefit Hitler?

Economic problems caused unemployment which caused public dissatisfaction of Weimar Government which in turn increased membership of NSDAP

What were the propaganda techniques Hitler used to persuade certain people?

• Business people - told them he could solve economic crisis

• Working class people - he could give them food and work

• Middle-class people - he could protect them from communists and return Germany to traditional values

• Rural communities - he could protect them from communists who may seize their land

• Young people - told them to join him providing them with something exciting to do

• Women - told them that the Nazis were the best party to save their families

When was the Wall Street Crash (M+Y)?

October 1929

Who was the Weimar President in the early 1930s?

Paul von Hindenburg

Who was the chancellor between 1930-1932 and what was he like?

Heinrich Bruning - He made unpopular decisions while trying to solve the economic crisis e.g. reducing unemployment benefits by 60% and reducing pay of civil servants by 23% by end of 1931

Betwen 1928-32 what month and year had the highest unemployment and with how much?

Jan 1932 - 6042 unemployed people

What was the impact of the unemployment on the Weimar Government?

• Bruning reduced government spending causing him to be nickname ‘hunger chancellor’

• German banks collapsed in 1931 causing hope of recovery to fall even further

• Bruning resigned in May 1932

What was the German Communist Party?

• Left wing party with Ernst Thalmann as leader since 1923

• Same policy as Hitler - contest elections not immediate revolution

• During Weimar it was largest communist party in Europe

• Had relatively decent success in elections

What was the role of Josef Goebbels in growth in support for Nazis?

• Became head of propaganda in 1929

• Understood how to use mass media and manipulate large audiences

• Ensured Nazi message was simple and regularly appeared

• By early 1930s, Nazis owned 120 daily or weekly newspapers

• Made sure Nazi message was heard everywhere especially on the radio

How many seats did the Nazis get in May 1928 compared to September 1930?

May 1928 - 12
September 1930 - 107

How did the Nazis use the Jews as scapegoats?

Hitler claimed that they:

• were involved with communism and evils of capitalism

• had helped to cause unemployment

• had conspired in Germany’s defeat in WW1

• Had been involved in Bolshevik Revolution

• Were preparing to cause a revolution in Germany

What happened during the presidential election of 1932?

• In the run up to the election Hitler used aeroplanes to speak at as many as 5 cities on the same day

• Goebbels ensured message was being spread

• Message was proclaimed in films, radio and even records

• Hindenburg failed in the first round to get 50% of the votes but did on the second time

• It was still a success for Hitler as he got quite a lot of votes

How did financial support help the Nazis?

• One example of how funds were crucial was when 600,000 copies of the Nazi economic programme were produced and distributed

• Nazis received funds from leading industrialists such as Thyssen and Krupp

• This was because these industrialists were terrified of communist threat and growth of trade union power

What was the importance of the S.A. between 1931-32?

• It provided protection of NSDAP but also disrupted opposition’s meetings

• Hitler reappointed Rohm as leader in January 1931 and within a year members had rose from 100000 to 170000

• Countless fights between S.A. and communist militia

How did Hitler help increase support for Nazis?

• His speeches always attracted a lot of people

• He helped draw up the 25 point programme

• He knew he had to able to offer all groups in Germany something

• He was very charismatic

• He created a philosophy which all could understand

What were the main political developments in 1932?

• General election was called in July 1932

• Bruning had little support in Reichstag and relied on Hindenburg and Article 48

• By May 1932, he had lost support from Hindenburg

• There was lots of violence in run up to election - 100 died

• Nazis won the vote but Von Papen refused to relinquish his position

• He thought that the nazis would lose momentum

Who was Von Schleicher?

• Fought in WW1 as a general

• Became chancellor in December 1932

• Was kicked from his post in January 1933

How many votes did the SPD, NSDAP and KPD get in July 1932?

SPD - 133
NSDAP - 230
KPD - 89

How many votes did the SPD, NSDAP and KPD get in November 1932?

SPD - 121
NSDAP - 196
KPD - 100

How did Hitler first get into power?

• Von Papen persuaded Hindenburg to allow Hitler to be chancellor in January 1933

• He claimed that he would keep an eye on Hitler as his vice chancellor and would control him

• Hitler had achieved his goal of coming into power by legal means

When did Hitler get into power?

January 1933

Who was the vice chancellor to Hitler who had previously been chancellor?

Von Papen