IB HL History Paper 2: Authoritarian States Hitler’s Germany – Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key people, parties, institutions, crises, and treaties related to Hitler’s Germany.

Adolf Hitler

Leader of the NSDAP; Chancellor (Jan 1933) and Führer (Aug 1934); central figure in the Nazi dictatorship. Why it matters: Personifies the authoritarian transformation and decision-making style you’ll evaluate.

Paul von Hindenburg

WWI field marshal and Weimar President who used emergency decrees and appointed chancellors; authority through Article 48. Why it matters: His use of Article 48 and “presidential cabinets” opened the constitutional pathway to authoritarianism.

Gustav Stresemann

Chancellor/Foreign Minister who stabilized Germany (1934–29) with the Dawes Plan and diplomacy (Locarno, League of Nations formation).Why it matters: Shows how relative stability (1924–29) temporarily limited extremism.

Heinrich Brüning

Chancellor (1930–32) known as the 'Hunger Chancellor'; governed by decree and pursued deflationary policy.Why it matters: Illustrates how crisis governance and austerity deepened support for extremism.

Franz von Papen

Conservative Chancellor (1932) who facilitated Hitler’s appointment, believing he could control him. Why it matters: Elite collaboration paved the way for Nazi power.

Kurt von Schleicher

Last pre-Hitler Chancellor (late 1932–Jan 1933); cabinet infighting and elite maneuvering weakened Weimar democracy. Why it matters: Cabinet infighting and elite maneuvering fractured Weimar democracy.

Friedrich Ebert

First President of the Weimar Republic; SPD leader who crushed the Spartacist uprising (1919). Why it matters: Early left-wing splits weakened democracy’s defenders.

Ernst Röhm

Head of the SA; purged in June 1934 as part of consolidating power and subordinating rivals. Why it matters: Highlights consolidation of power and the subordination of rival forces within the regime.

Heinrich Himmler

Head of the SS; instrumental in building a police state through coercive institutions. Why it matters: Shows the role of coercive institutions in building a police state.

Alfred Hugenberg

DNVP leader and media magnate who allied with the Nazis to boost propaganda and legitimacy. Why it matters: Conservative-nationalist support amplified Nazi propaganda and legitimacy.

NSDAP (Nazi Party)

Ultra-nationalist, anti-democratic party aiming for a single-party state. Why it matters: Central case study of authoritarian emergence.

SPD (Social Democrats)

Pro-Weimar party; rival of the KPD on the Left; its weakness undermined democracy. Why it matters: Left disunity undermined democratic resilience.

KPD (Communists)

Revolutionary party hostile to the SPD; contributed to polarization and street conflict. hy it matters: Polarization and street conflict destabilized politics.

DNVP

Right-wing nationalists tied to big business and landowners; cooperated with Nazis. Why it matters: Their cooperation with Nazis helped normalize authoritarian solutions.

Centre/Zentrum & BVP

Catholic parties that moved from coalition partners to pragmatic collaborators with extremists. Why it matters: Coalition politics and later accommodation to authoritarianism.

SA (Sturmabteilung)

Nazi paramilitary used for intimidation and protection; early coercive force. Why it matters: Instrument of coercion and mobilization before/after 1933.

SS (Schutzstaffel)

Elite organization under Himmler; key instrument of repression and internal power. Why it matters: Key to repression and internal consolidation.

Reichsbanner

Pro-democracy paramilitary linked to the SPD; reflected politicization of defense forces.Why it matters: Reflects politicization and militarization of Weimar society.

Stahlhelm

Veterans’ paramilitary aligned with the nationalist right; provided street presence.Why it matters: Gave conservatives street presence against republicans and leftists.

Weimar Constitution

Progressive democratic framework; vulnerable to emergency powers exploited to erode democracy. Why it matters: Its emergency powers were exploited to erode democracy.

Article 48

Provisions allowing the President to rule by emergency decree; legal pathway to authoritarianism. Why it matters: Legal route to authoritarianism (“rule by decree”).

Reichstag

Parliament whose authority waned after 1930, signaling democratic decline.Why it matters: Declining parliamentary power marked the collapse of accountable government.

Presidential Cabinets

Chancellors governing via presidential authority (1930–33); concentrated executive power. Why it matters: Concentrated power in executive hands and elites around Hindenburg.

Führerprinzip

Leadership principle granting absolute authority to the leader and hierarchical decision-making. Why it matters: Explains hierarchical decision-making and cult of leadership.

Gauleiter

Regional Nazi party leaders who reported directly to Hitler; integrated party and state control. Why it matters: Shows how the party paralleled and penetrated the state.

Volksgemeinschaft

'People’s community' defined by blood, not class; used to mobilize broad support. Why it matters: Framed propaganda and social policy to mobilize broad support.

Vernunftrepublikaner

’Republicans of necessity’; insiders viewed Weimar democracy as expedient but fragile. “Republicans of necessity,” not conviction. Why it matters: Reveals shallow roots of Weimar democracy.

Spartacist Uprising (Jan 1919)

Communist revolt suppressed by the SPD government; deep left-right divisions. Why it matters: Entrenched Left divisions; early reliance on force.

Ruhr Occupation & Hyperinflation (1923)

French/Belgian occupation and currency collapse; radicalized politics and distrust in Weimar. Why it matters: Shattered faith in Weimar; radicalized politics.

Beer Hall/Munich Putsch (Nov 1923)

Failed Nazi coup; Hitler’s trial raised profile and contributed to Mein Kampf. Why it matters: Led Nazis to pursue a “legal” path to power.

Dawes Plan & Golden Era (1924–29)

US-backed stabilization, currency reform, and diplomacy; temporary relative stability. Why it matters: Demonstrates that extremism receded when stability returned.

Wall Street Crash & Great Depression (1929)

Finance collapse leading to mass unemployment; undermined parliamentary solutions. Why it matters: Triggered surge to extremes; delegitimized parliamentary solutions.

Rule by Decree (from Mar 1930)

Hindenburg’s emergency decrees replacing accountable government; normalizing authoritarian rule. Why it matters: Normalized executive authoritarianism.

Harzburg Meeting/Front (Oct 1931)

Right-wing coalition of Nazis, industry, and conservative elites boosting Nazi credibility. Why it matters: Showed elite cooperation boosting Nazi credibility.

Hitler Appointed Chancellor (30 Jan 1933)

Papen and Hindenburg believed Hitler could be controlled; constitutional transfer enabled dismantling democracy. Why it matters: Marks the constitutional transfer that enabled dismantling democracy.

Führer State (Aug 1934)

Hitler combined the offices of Chancellor and President into a single leader state. Why it matters: Formalizes the authoritarian one‑man state.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

War guilt, reparations, and territorial losses; fed nationalist resentment exploited by Nazis. Why it matters: Fed nationalist resentment leveraged by Nazis.

Dawes Plan (1924)

Rescheduled reparations; US loans; stabilized currency and economy. Why it matters: Context for the “Golden Era” and later vulnerability to US shocks.

Young Plan (1929)

Further eased reparations; criticized by nationalists as weakness. Why it matters: Used by Right to depict Weimar as weak.

Locarno Pact (1925)

Germany accepted western borders and renounced force; Britain/Italy guarantors. Why it matters: Improved Germany’s status; part of Stresemann’s diplomacy.

League of Nations (1926)

Germany admitted as Council member; signaled reintegration into international system. Why it matters: Signaled reintegration into the international system.

Kellogg–Briand Pact (1928)

States renounced war; part of diplomatic rehabilitation under Stresemann.Why it matters: Strengthened Germany’s diplomatic rehabilitation under Stresemann.