History Exam Year 11 Semester 2 (Part 1)

Nazi Germany - the rise of the Nazi Party 1918-1933

Stalemate:

a deadlock in fighting; neither side making progress

• 1914-1917 trench warfare along the Western Front meant neither Germany nor the Allies could break through

• 1917-18 → WW1 entered final year → trenches stretched 700km over Switzerland to North Sea

• In last year of war, mass armies remained in the same regions of Belgium and Northern France where the fighting had begun in 1914

US Entry

American joins war April 1917, bringing fresh troops and industrial strength to the allies, entry was a turning point against Germany

Russian Exit

Russia signed a ceasefire with Central Powers on 5th December 1917

• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk → formal withdrawal from WW1 → March 3rd 1918

• allowed Germany to move troops from the Eastern to the Western front

Hindenburg

Paul von Hindenburg

• Military leader who ran Germany’s war strategy in the final years

• Recalled from retirement at the outbreak of the First World War and became Commander-in-Chief in the east

  Won battle of Tannenberg over Russia in 1914, establishing his reputation

  Promoted to field marshal

  Put in overall command of German forces in 1916

  Helped restore morale, but unable to break trench system in the west despite ordering massive assaults In August 1918 he realised the war was about to be lost, and advised an armistice

  Retired again from the army after the war

  Elected President in 1925

Ludendorff

Erich Ludendorff

• Hindenburg’s subordinate commander @battle of Tannenberg

• Military leader who ran Germany’s war strategy in the final years

• pushed for risky final offensives and resisted peace until it was too late

• In 1916 promoted to Quartermaster

  General and in control of Germany's war policy

  Virtual military dictator; hostile to the Reichstag

  Firm supporter of unrestricted submarine warfare

  Victorious in Russia and dictated the terms of the Treaty of Brest-

  Litovsk

  In charge of 1918 spring offensive

  Dismissed on 26 October 1918 by the new civilian government

  • Involved in Kapp Putsch (see pages
    42=0）

  • Involved in Hitler's Munich Putsch

  • (see pages 53-4)

  • From 1924 to 1928 sat as a Nazi
    Reichstag deputy

  • In 1925 he was the Nazi candidate for presidency; he won 1 per cent of the vote

1918 Spring Offensive

• Germany’s last big attack began in March 1918 but failed

• Although it pushed back Allied lines, German troops were exhausted and could not sustain the gains

• by August, Allies counterattacked successfully, aided by fresh American troops.

Collapse and Defeat

• German morale and resources were collapsing by late 1918

• Ludendorff and Hindenburg told the Kaiser in late September that Germany must seek peace

• Civilian leaders were blamed for negotiating surrender, creating the idea they had betrayed the army

Why Germany lost the war

• failure of the spring offensives

• allied blockade causing shortages

• entry of the USA

• Decline in morale and internal unrest

• Superior Allied resources and coordination

Political change in Germany

October 1918 → Germany tried to introduce democratic reforms to win better peace terms

Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated on 9 November 1918

A new government called the Weimar Republic declared

Dolschtosslegende: The “stab in the back” myth

• a false idea that the Germany army did not lose the war on the battlefield but was betrayed by politicians, communists and Jews at home

• promoted by right-wing groups and used later by the Nazis

• Ludendorff and Hindenburg supported this idea to protect the army’s reputation

• ‘November criminals’ → scapegoats → signed T.o.V, they wanted the Kaiser back because they associated his rule with economic prosperity

End of the War

28th July 1914 to 11 November 1918 → Germany signed the Armistice, ending WW1

Germany was in a fragile state: politically unstable, militarily defeated, economically ruined.

Imperialism

to expand national influence, through diplomacy or military force

• the state practise for extending power and influence, generally through gaining control of other countries (political, economic, cultural climate).

Militarism

a country should use military force to aggressively defend or promote national interests

Totalitarianism

power is held by one single party, that rules absolute authority

Authoritarianism

favouring or enforcing strict obedience to authority, especially that of the government, at the expense of personal freedom

Fascism

an authoritarian and right wing political system of gov.

Nationalism

a loyalty and devotion to one’s own land, focusing on the promotion of its cultural interests and self-gov. of its own land

Dictator

a ruler with complete control over a country, typically gaining this control force

Demagogue

a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational judgement.

Key Features of fascism

• Distaste for democracy → preferring the ruling through one, sole dictator

• Glorification of war and violence as a means for achieving their goals

• Support for imperialism, through a belief that some nations had the right to rule over others

• A key focus on the interests of the state, rather than having individual needs and opinions → equality was not important

• violent opposition to the ideas of socialism and communism (which acted in direct contradiction to the interest and ideals of fascism)

• Focused on nationalism, often in combination with the desire for expansionism (through aggressive military tactics)

Anschluss

a political or economic union of Germany and Austria → forbidden of Treaty of Versailles → Hitler later carried it out in 1938

Diktat

means “dictated” or “imposed”

Used in context that the T.o.V was dictated to, or forced upon Germany

Freikorps

The Free Corps. Military units formed in 1918 and made up of ex-soldiers. Used in confrontation involving the extremist left and the Spartacists in 1919.

Weimar Republic

Name given tot the Germany democracy 1918-1933 → Named after the town of Weimar where the first parliament of the New German state met in 1919.

Proportional Representation – coalitions required

(60 000 votes per seat)

End of WW1 statistics

The Big Three: Britain: David Lloyd George, France: Georges Clemenceau, America: Woodrow Wilson

Allies:

• Britain - 750k, 1.5 mil. wounded

• France - 1.4 mil died, 2.5 mil wounded

• America 116k died

Central Powers

• Germany - 2 mil. died

• Austria Hungary - 1.2 mil. died

• Turkey - 325 k died.

End of WW1 for Germany

• Farm production: 50% of milk, 60% of butter and meat had been stopped by British naval blockades, winter 1916 supply of potatoes ran out, ¾ million people died from hunger and disease

• Reichstag was weak, lower classes had no voice, no opposition to Kaiser, opposition leaders imprisoned

• Once proud and ambitious, Germanys were now bitter and angry, hopes ruined, looked for someone to blame

• demolished soldiers were returning to home and joined in violent demonstrations against the war and the Kaiser

Germany and End of WW1 - politics

• Prior to 1919 Germany was virtually dictatorship Kaiser → Reichstag could not make laws and did not appoint the gov.

• navy mutinied, food riots.

• Kaiser fled to Holland

• members of Reichstag set up new government in Feb 1919 (Weimar Republic),

• Bill of Rights to protect freedoms of people, gave vote to everyone +21

• proportional representation → elected MPs exactly in line with wishes of people → people elected Reichstag

• Republic has President Frederich Ebert → elected by National Assembly rather than by direct popular vote.

Rise of extremist ideas

• period following WW1 witnessed surge in extremist ideologies across Europe fuelled by economic hardship, political instability and lingering war effects.

• rise of both right wing fascism + left wing communism movement

• Factors such as: Great Depression, perceived failure of Weimar Republic, WW1, general sense of alienation

Rise of fascism in Italy

• post ww1 experienced intense internal conflict - rising inflation, increase u/e, upset from not gaining more from T.o.V.

• wanted strong national unity and leadership.

• 1919 fascism increase popularity

• Mussolini PM Italy 1922-43

• Fasci of Revolutionary Action (First meeting 24 Jan 1915)

• Italy’s king saw Mussolini as an ally against communism and socialism, invited him to be PM. He suspended other political parties (dictator)

• fascists controlled mass media and allowed them to indoctrinate next gen.

The Appeal of Fascism

Rejected ideas of socialism, capitalism, Democracy
Fascist states -> single party dictatorships characterised by terrorism and police surveillance
Focuses on ethnicity and "our" race being better than "your race"
-> categories censorship and oppression
Humiliation imposed by WW1 victors, and G.D created bitterness and anger
Anger expressed through an ideology that claimed otherwise just that nation was important, but MOST important and had a special destined role in history.

Fascism + Nazism

Much like Italy, Germany was looking for HOPE in G.D

Struggle Search for stability in an unstable time

NSDAP -> National Security Germany Workers Party (Nazi Party) created 1919

Party's intense nationalism, mass appeal and dictatorial rule were key similarities w fascism

Emperor Taisho

1912-1926 Emperor
During heightening prioritisation of imperialism expansionism
His ideas were carried out by his son Emperor Hirohito would expand upon moving into period of WW2 - e.g. pushing China for economic and political concessions

Japan cont.

Began making democratic reforms, strong economy post war, social changes
Hit hard 1929 GD
Japan relied on foreign trade

Ultra nationalism mirrored a lot of ideals of European fascists
Emperor was divine and god like, similar to worshipping singular leader
Japanese military assassinated political opponents for silence, and by 1937 school children were being indoctrinated by fascist values and took part in military school
Resigned from League of Nations when it interfered with invasions

The Failure of the L.o.N

1931 → Japanese troops invaded Manchuria (Northeast China), aligning with quest to expand empire

China appealed to the L.o.N for support, who produced a year long inquiry concluding Japan should leave

Japan did not accept proposals made by L.o.N, instead of leaving Manchuria, resigned from League in 1933. 

League did not have an obligation to remain in the organisation if a nation did not agree with the Court of International Justice.

League did not have armed force, relying on other countries, who were not interested in another war. 

The Treaty of Versailles

• Did not provide German copy of the Treaty (French and English)

• - Georges Clemenceau - "You have asked or peace. We are disposed to give it to you."

  • - Wanted to weaken Germans to prevent attack, revenge

• Germans expected Treaty to be based on President Wilson's 14 Points (i.e. more moderate peace from the democracies

• Diktat ⇒ imposed peace by the victors, shaped in large measure by French determination to ensure Germany would never threaten France, Germany had been allowed to say no

• Germany arrived prepared to negotiate ⇒ list of concession they were prepared to make,

• Germany had 15 days to sign the Treaty

The terms of the treaty - Military

• Military provisions

  • German army 100 000 men

  • forbidden to produce heavy guns, poisonus gases, tanks

  • Compulsory military service banned, German General staff abolished, military academies closed, Germany forbidden to develop air force

  • Navy reduced to coastal patrol

The terms of the treaty - Territorial

• German coal-producing area of Saar Basin placed under int. control for 15 years, coal res. went to France

• region of Posen given to new nation - Poland ⇒ access to sea ⇒ part of west prussia also inc. into state, cutting East Prussia off from the rest of Germany 'Polish Corridor,' Germans who found themselves living in Poland

• To protect France from future aggression, Rhineland (between Rhine River and French Border_ was to be permanently demilitarised. Remained in Germany but Germany was forbidden to have military

• Austria became a separate country, any future union between G and A (Anschluss) strictly forbidden

The terms of the treaty - Colonial provisions

Germany deemed 'colonially unworthy,' and lost all of its colonies, to be administered as mandate territories by L.o.N

The terms of the treaty - Reparations

Germany was to repay war cost - 132 billion gold marks decided in 1921

The terms of the Treaty - War Guilt

• Germany was to accept responsibility for war

• Clause 231 of T.o.V ⇒ 'war guilt clause'

• accept 'all the losses which Allies and Associated Powers have suffered as a consequence of war forced upon them by attack of Germany and Allies

Germany's reaction the the T.o.V

• shock, anger

• Chancellor Scheidemann ⇒ gov. would not accept it

  • We must hold together, we must stick together. We are one flesh and one blood,' ' What hand would not wither that binds itself and us to these fetters (chains),' told Reichstag May 1919

• Allied powers prepared to resume war, and maintained blockade after armistice was signed ⇒ lifted June 1919 ⇒ food shortages and death

• Chancellor Scheidemann and Field Marshal von Hindenburg urged outright rejection of Treaty

  • Hindenburg knew consequences, but his whole life + purpose was army, determined to maintain honour and reputation of army

• Ludendorff's successor General Groener took a more realistic view + urged gov. to accept treaty ⇒ 'result would be downfall of Germany, Allies would show themselves pitiless.'

Germany signs the Treaty

• 22nd June - Chancellor Scheidemann resigned rather than sign Treaty, new Gov of SPD and Centre Party formed under Gustav Bauer

• 24th June - Reichstag voted reluctantly to accept treaty

• 28th June - 1919 - in Hall of Mirrors, 2 German delegates ⇒ Dr Muller and Dr Bell signed Treaty in same room Bismarck declared Germany Empire in 1871, forced to accept defeat

A harsh peace

• belief Treaty weakened German democracy + contributed to hardships + Nazis to cause WW2 (direct consequences)

• T.o.V caused Germany to lose:

  • 13% territory

  • 12%population

  • 48% Iron ore

  • 16% coal resources

  • Germany stayed intact

• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk from Germany to Russia 1918:

  • 25% territory

  • 40% population

  • 70% industrial capacity

• by 1924, German economy was in recovery and expanding

The effects of the Treaty

• created bitterness of humiliation - betrayal and unfair treatment - someone needed to take responsibility

• treaty used as propaganda to attack republic and democracy ⇒ e.g. opportunist politician, Hitler

• Germany population struggled to summon emotional loyalty to a political system that 'failed them' ⇒ psychological disillusionment took hold and affected classes

• Treaty did not damage economic/military recovery, but damaged democracy by weakening faith

• failed to solve problem of Germany ⇒ allies could have cultivated Germany as a partner by giving little cause for resentment or eliminate Germany's capacity to reassert itself as a future rival

  • failed and instead imposed a settlement that Germans would seek to overturn and did little to diminish capacity to do so by force

• ToV includes no provisions for economic rehab of Europe

• Weimar Republic weakened ⇒ associated with T.o.V

• Germans not allowed to participate in peace conference

Treaty Clause 232

• 'make compensation for all damage done to teh civilian population by Allied and Associated Powers.'

• initial economic and political instability

• restored with 1924 Dawes Plan. ⇒ marked start of an era of economic stability, albeit based on unsteady foundation of large-scale foreign loans

Treaty of Versailles - negotiations

• began 18th Jan 1919 Paris Peace Conference (day before first elections of new Germany republic)

  • France ⇒ Georges Clemenceau

  • Britain ⇒ David Lloyd George

    • believed Germany should pay reparations but did not want to crush them ⇒ so they could establish itself economically + recommence trade, British people wanted Germans to suffer + pay for war

America Woodrow Wilson

• establish lasting peace and rebuild European economy

• opposed harsh treatment of Germany

• wanted abolition of secret treaties and alliances that helped to cause 'domino effect' WW1

• League of Nations + 14 Points

• most of his ideas dismissed

The Weimar Republic

• set up 1919

• Second Reich has elected parliament, Reichstag did not control gov. it did not have a parliamentary government

• Prince Max of Basen becomes Chancellor with support of Reichstag 3 October 1918

• 9 Nov 1918 Socialist Friedrich Ebert becomes chancellor, Germany Republic proclaimed and Kaiser abdicates and flees to Holland

• 1918 ⇒ Ludendorff persuaded Kaiser to transform Second Reich into a virtual parliamentary democracy by handing over power to a civilian gov that had support of Reichstag

Effects of WW1 on Germany

• Effects of WW1 on Germany

  • 1913-1918 ⇒ mark lost 75% of value

  • Industry made vast profits, resented by German citizens

  • decline in agricultural production

  • December 1916 ⇒ Auxiliary Labour Law

  • Inflation ⇒ war finance by printing $ and borrowing

  • 2 million killed

  • 6.3 million wounded

  • earnings fell 20-30%

  • meat consumption fell to 12% of pre-war level

  • 1917 - "turnip welfare"

  • Disease, famine, ⇒ 121 000 deaths in 1916 of starvation and hypothermia

Article 48

• Weimar Constitution

• Allowed the President of Germany the ability to make emergency decision e.g. ruling w/o degree (w/o passing legislation) and bypass the Reichstag (German govt.)

• Purpose =make emergency decisions faster/quicker/easier

• Problem→power could be easily abused

• used 136 times by Ebert

General overview of Reichstag system

• Reichstag elected by system of proportional representation, makes laws

• Article 48 undermines Reichstag

• Proportional representation system and President's emergency powers under Article 48 to create problems for survival of democracy

• Key Social, administrative and judicial structures unchanged

  • military unchanged and hostile

  • power of landed elites

  • Bureaucracy unchanged and hostile

  • Judiciary unchanged

  • professors hostile

Before the Weimar Republic

• Until 1918, Germany has been a semi-absolutist state dominated by Prussian Agrarian elite

• 1918 ⇒ Germany came close to military success in WW! but forced to seek peace to avoid military disaster

• Parliamentary gov. created October 1918 "revolution from above" advocated by Generals as a device to blame others for military defeat

• Late October ⇒ revolution from below unrest spread from sailors in Kiel, Germany

• November 9th ⇒ socialist led republic declared in Berlin

• 'German Revolution' was limited ⇒ Ebert's gov. made a deal with army and gained co-operation of old elites ⇒ harmful for future development of full democracy

Threats to the Weimar Republic 1919-1923

• threatened by left-wing Communists inspired Sparacist rising Jan-March 1919

• August 1919 (before const. fully adopted) Republic struck when peace terms in ToV laid full blame for war on Germany and exacted crushing financial compensation

• 1920 - 2nd attempt - right-wing Kapp Putsch attempts to overthrow W.R

• 1923 - Hyperinflation threatened economic chaos and undermined gov. reputation

• 1923 - Munich Putsch led by Hitler challenges Weimar Regime

• Wave of assassinations, separatism

• French and Belgian invasion Jan 1923, occupy Ruhr ⇒ 60 000 troops

• Communist Rising, Hamburg October 1923 and Ruhr, March 1920

• Central Germany communist rising March 1921

• Extremists gain in elections, reparations

• army + judges were right wing

Left Wing Revolutionaries

• Workers Councils seized power across Germany/Communists took power in Bavaria

• Red Army rebelled in Ruhr 1920

• led by Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht

• Distrusted Friedrich Ebert + social Democrats to look after interests of working people

• Spartacists disagreed among themselves about how to achieve the next stage of revolution

  • Rosa believed they would need to wait until workers in Germany were disillusioned with

  • Ebert's government ⇒ but many of the League wanted to try to seize power from the Social Democrats straight away while Berlin was still in turmoil

Rosa Luxembourg

• Polish born revolutionary, moved to Germany 1898

• 'Red Rosa'

• Imprisoned during WW1 during anti-war propaganda

• Believed workers needed to rise up against the Social Democrats

• 1918 ⇒ "The Revolution will be great and strong as long as the Social Democrats don't smash it up."

Social Democrats - SPD

• Led by Friedrich Ebert

• wanted stability, wanted to avoid communist style revolution

• feared losing support of industrialists and army

• relied on Freikorps (right-wing ex-soldiers) to suppress revolts

• 1919 ⇒ Ebert becomes first President of Weimar Republic

The Spartacist Uprising - January 1919

• 5 Jan 1919 ⇒ Spartacists seized government newspaper and telegraph bureau in Berlin, poorly planned, little support from other left-wing groups

• 10 Jan ⇒ Freikorps crushed uprising

• 15 Jan ⇒ Rosa Luxembourg, Karl Liebknecht captured and murdered

• Aftermath ⇒ 100 Spartacists killed, movement loses momentum

• SPD seen as betraying left-wing revolutionaries - many left over his connections w/ Freikorps

The murder of Rosa

• Arrested with Liebknecht and taken to Hotel Eden by freikorps

• Luxembourg was beaten and shot, with her body later dumped in a canal

• no serious investigation by Ebert's government

• seen by many as state-sanctioned violence to protect Republic

Who was to blame?

• Freikorps carried out the murder

• Ebert's government allowed the Friekorps to operate unchecked

• Debates continue over whether Ebert gave direct orders or simply looked away

• Socialists lost trust in SPD - led to division on left

Was it a real revolution?

• SPD chose stability over radical change

• Left Wing Uprisings failed, Weimar Republic established but weak and dependent on right wing support.

• communists, wanted Germany to be run by working classes ⇒ equal wealth distribution

• wanted to replicate Russian revolution by overthrowing central government, establishing soviets (workers and soldiers councils) in place of central gov. in towns and cities using violent methods

The revolt

• Jan 1919 ⇒ 100 000 workers went on strike and demonstrated in centre of Berlin, demonstration taken over by Spartacist leadership, newspaper and telephone buildings seized

• many protestors went home, frustrated at lack of planning by Spartacists

• Gov. turned to Freikorps (ex-army, hated communists) - over 100 killed, even those who surrendered 'Bloody Week'

• Spartacist Revolt had serious repercussion for Weimar Gov.

• When power was threatened by Nazi Party ⇒ Communist and Social Democrat parties could not set aside differences.

Did Weimar democracy face a serious challenge from the Left?

• Spring 1919 ⇒ industrial areas of Germany wrecked by radical unrest

  • wave of strikes occurred in Ruhr mines, Central Germany, Berlin, demanding shorter hours, socialisation of industry and gov. based on coucnils

  • uncoordinated protests ⇒ KPD had neither strong leadership nor organisation, lacked support in numbers and depth of commitment

  • next 3 years, unrest continued but never seriously threatened gov. coltro

    • KPD's approach failed to exploit post Kapp military

    • 1921 rushed into poorly support rising

    • 1923 reacted to being over cautious

• Bavaria and revolts failed

• numerous Volkisch groups that has roots in pre war period, activities weakened new parliamentary democracy.

Bavaria - temporary control

• after overthrow of Bavarian monarchy + creation of a republic on 7 Nov. 1918 ⇒ political confusion

• March 1919 ⇒ soviety republic proclaimed ⇒ created Red Guards and workers councils

• May 1919 ⇒ bloodily supressed by Freikorps - >700 killed, right wing gov. established

Coup d’état

• Putsch

• "blow" ⇒ used to refer to a secretly plotted and sudden attempt to overthrow a government, usually by force

• does not need mass support to succeed

• normally political right

Kapp Putsch

• March 1920

• Wolfgang Kapp (leader of Fatherland Party) planned to overthrow the gov.

• Contacted other generals ⇒ Seeckt and Ludendorff planned to overthrow the gov.

• Contacted other generals ⇒ Seeckt and Ludendorff ⇒ non-commital

• 12 March 1920 ⇒ 12 000 Freikorps marched 12 miles to Berlin ⇒ army refused to support the government.

Aftermath of Kapp Putsch

• gov. had no option but to flee, Freikorps entered Berlin ⇒ new gov. headed by Kapp was proclaimed, but failed to fain widespread support

• Left organised a general strike in Berlin, and elsewhere in protest at the putsch and even civil servants and bankers refused to recognise Kapp's gov. occupying gov. unable to govern

• After 4 days Kapp gov. fled and Ebert's gov returned to Berlin

• Several clashes between workers and army e.g. in Ruhr, Halle, Dresden, as some workers tried to extend successful strike to impose more radical changes on restored gov.

• Kapp died before he could be prosecuted but those actually involved were treated leniently.

Wolfgang Kapp 1868-1922

• Wolfgang Kapp 1868-1922

  • right wing journalist + civil servant Kapp helped found right-wing Fatherland Party during WW1.

  • 1919 ⇒ elected to Reichstag as a monarchist

  • became chancellor of new gov. briefly est. by Kapp Putsch, though Freikorps leader Captain Hermann Ehrhardt and General Lüttwitz had been main rganisers

  • Fled to Sweden + died 1922

Assassinations

• 1919-1923 Weimar politicians lived in fear of assassinations ⇒ over 370

• brutalising effect of war, revolutionary origins of republic, political struggles of period + challenge to traditional values encouraged some right wing Germans to resort to murder to weaken democratic regime

• lenient attitude to such actions of conservative judges reinforced trend

• Republic lost hundreds of devoted servants through assassinations

Walter Rathenau

• strong monarchist, armistice arranging and ToV, Jewish background made him target for nationalist extremists.

• assasinated June 1922 by right wing terror group - Organisation Consul.

• death seen as a major blow to stability of Weimar Republic against assassination and O.C forced to disbadn

• After 1923, political assasinations declined

• all revolts and assassinations served to foster disillusionment with new regime

• policy of fulfillment

Hyperinflation - key facts

• as German gov printed more money, less worth of east $

  • therefore price of goods had to increase

• 1919 ⇒ 2/3 % inflation

• 1923 ⇒ 900% / month ⇒ hyperinflation

• 1913 pair of shoes, 12 marks

• 1923 ⇒ 23 billion marks for shoes

• ⬆ 41% each day

• despite being millionaires, people struggled to buy food

• 1923 ⇒ mark ceased to exist, new currency adapted ⇒ Rentenmark, limited to 3200 million rentmark.

Hyperinflation 1921-1923

1922 ⇒ November, Germany began to default on the delivery of coal as part of the reparation payment to France

1923 ⇒ 22 July exchange rate 1 USD = 350 000 marks

• 8 August ⇒ Gustav Stresemann became chancellor + ended policy of passive resistance

• 3rd October ⇒ Reichstag passed on Enabling Act, giving Stresemann gov. power to deal w/ hyperinflation

• 1st November, ⇒ Stresemann gov. fell

The problem of hyperinflation

After WW1 ⇒ Germany had little capacity for economic recovery

• incentive to raise taxes but resisted by industrialists who benefitted from inflation, fear of u/e

• no trade = international isolation

• Ruhr 1923 ⇒ passive resistance shutdown of area ⇒ gov. pledged to support and pay wages of Germans resisting in Ruhr, while forced to spend scarce foreign reserves of currency to import coal to supply other German industries that had relied on Ruhr coal.

Summer 1923 ⇒ 700% government vosts

Reichsbank and other ⇒ 2000 printing presses

• August ⇒ 44 trillion marks in circulation, 46 billion marks/day, 1 USD = 10 million marks

• Banks charged 35% interest/day on loans

The fall of the government → August 1923

• June 1923 ⇒ Gov had lost control of economy

• Strikes + protests ⇒ rising u/e and failure of wages keeping up with cost of living

• Pres. Ebert called on leader of German People's Party to form new gov

  • Stresemann able to form "The Great Coalition" ⇒ Socialists, Centre Party The German Democratic Party (DDP), German People's Party (DVP)

  • Political opponents ⇒ German Communist Party, German National People's Party (DNVP)

Gustav Stresemann

• 1917 ⇒ elected leader of National Liberal Party

• Deeply felt nationalism, supported war effort + policies of Ludendorff

  • e.g. unrestricted submarine warfare, Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

• 1919 ⇒ Nat. Labour Party split from PDP and DNVP, formed his own conservative political party DVP.

• Nationalist + democrat, distrusted rad left and right

• 13 Aug to 23 Nov. 1923, chancellor of coalition gov.

  • addressed hyperinflation

  • foreign minister 1923-1929

  • called off passive resistance in Ruhr

Life for citizens

• pensions ⇒ now worthless

• Workers ⇒ some extent protected ⇒ paid higher wages, u/e benefit increased weekly

• Those with loans⇒ payed back at fraction of cost

• rich ⇒ $, land, foreign currency, possessions, protected

• businessmen ⇒ took advantage ⇒ took over smaller bankrupt currencies

  • inflation was so rapid normal businessmen and trade = impossible

• poor ⇒ had little to lose anyway

• middle class ⇒ savings + business destroyed.

Hitler’s Early Life

• 20th April 1889, born in Austria, Branau

• at school, he was bossy, lazy, poor performer but had ability → wanted to lead everyone

• he had a poor relationship with his parents, his dad died 1903, and mum died at 47 (little control over his son)

• 1905 → left school, rejected from Vienna Academy of Fine Arts various times, moved to Vienna and lived @ homeless men shelter, destitute.

• 1913 → moved to Munich, capital of German state Bavaria

• though he was not a citizen, he was asked to join the German army → 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regimnent

Hitler the Soldier

• fought in army throughout the whole war (first battle = Ypres Flanders)

• Promoted to private first class dispatch runner → took orders from regimental HQ to frontline

• Iron Cross Second and First Class

• partially blinded in mustard gas attack October 1918

• Armistice → Germany had been betrayed

The German Worker’s Party

• Hitler returned to Munich, disillusioned by Germany’s surrender

  • made a political officer for the army

• Attended a meeting of small political group → GWP (founded 1919) by Anton Drexler in September 1919

• with 40 members, they discussed Bavaria breaking away from Germany → Hitler (nationalism) → opposed idea and made such an impact that he was asked to join the party

Hitler and the GWP

• Became member no. 555 → started at 500

• Hitler found a base from which he could establish and impose his ideas and became a dominant figure in party (in charge of publicity and propaganda)

• First speech in October 1919, later, >2000 people crammed into Hofbräuhaus → talked about humiliation of T.o.V, need for Germany to recover strength, attacked gov. and Jews.

• Feb 1920 → name changed to National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi)

• Developed its own symbols and emblems → swastika, newspaper → Völkischer Beobachter

The 25 points

• Feb 1920 → 25 point program
  1. unification of all Germans in Greater Germany

  2. Only a member of the race can be a citizen → No Jew can be a member of the nation.

• By 1923 → National Socialism emerged as political movement → Nazi party >70 000 (including 15000 members of SA)

• significant political force in Bavarian politics

The Stormtroopers (Sturmabteilung)/Brownshirts

• opposed republic and communism, Developed from groups of ex-soldiers u/e TOV(freikorps were attracted)

• Frequent Street Battles between SA and German Comm. Party’s Red Front Fighter’s eague

• German Day → October 1922 → 800 SA members marched through Coburg under Nazi banner and street battle

• 1923 → membership expanded → placed under command of Hermann Göring + Captain Ernst Röhm (former captain of army)

• became a potential threat to Hitler when he wanted to take power legally due to violent nature + bad rep.

• By 1933 - 500 000 members, over ½ coming from u/e working class

• 100 killed in 1932 street violence

Bavaria

• Bavarian soldiers (Reichswehr) demanded to take an oath of loyalty to Bavaria instead of Republic → after passive resistance

• ruled by PM Gustav von Kahr, Commander of Army, Gen. von Lussow and Bavarian Chief of Police, Hans von Seisser

• Kampfbund (fighting League) → organisation set up 1923 → represented right wing military groups

• Nazi movement part of Kampfbund → Hitler + Ludendorff

Munich Beer Hall Putsch

• Decision made to seize control of the gov. of Bavaria by force, hoping it would trigger nat. revolution

• 8 Nov. 1923 → heavily armed stormtroopers encircled Bürgerbraükeller → a beer hall where Kahr + other Bacarian leaders were attending a political meeting

• Hitler shot pistol and jumped onto stage to announce the new gov. set up.

• Kahr, Lossow, Seisser yielded to pressure and threats and reluctantly agreed

Munich Beer Hall Putsch - Failure

• Ludendorff hastily summoned from his home + Hitler left

  • Kahr denounced events + declared Nai and Kampfbund dissolved

• Hitler realised its failure → @Ludendorff’s suggestion → Kampfbind staged a march into centre of Munich, hoping act of defiance might win support

• Odeonsplatz → police → drew up across narrow street and fired → in one min, 16 Nazi SA and 4 police dead

After the Munich Putsch

• Hitler + 9 conspirators stood on trial for treason

• Hitler used trial as a forum to express his views (media presence)

• April 1924 → Hitler (nat. fig.) sentenced 5 years imprisonment, eligible for parole after 6 months

• Lenient treatment shows attitude of W.R judiciary that never supported WR → judges agreed + Hitler dominated proceedings

• Used his jail time to write Mein Kampf (reveals basis of nat. socialism)

• Rudolph Hess = secretary

Significance of the Munich Putsch

• Hitler learned power could not be achieved by force → 1933 → came to power legally as chancellor of Germany

• Hitler and Nazis gained publicity → became the obvious leader of the right wing opponents

• He could not hold power w/o army

Hitler’s World View

• 1924 philosophy = 1934 policy

• mostly taken from 19th and 20th century writers → Nietzsche, Hegel, Treitschke

• four fundamentals:

  • extreme nationalism

  • racism

  • anti-communism

  • a contempt for liberal democracy and the parliamentary system

Deeply felt Nationalism

• Hitler believed Germany had lost thier position of greatness, determined to restore this, national revival

• Hitler believed all german-speaking people of Europe were destined to unite and create a greater Reich, with racially pure Germanic people

• defined targets to concentrate their hatred and fear → politicians, Jews, communists

  • salvation and someone to blame

Racism

• prioritised protection and expansionism of German race

• Aryan race → earlier Indo-European race incl. Germans were master race (gerrenvolk)

• Untermenschen → lowest race (subhuman) → Jews, Slavonic races, black people

• ‘Civilisation was almost exclusively the product of the Aryan creative power.’

• Belief that civilisations decline and fall only when they fail to maintain race purity

• not only deal with inf. races, but intervene in the lives of ordinary people and control what they were allowed to do

  • Marriage → only between pure, healthy Germans. Stop unhealthy/weak from having kids

Anti-communism

• seen as an international movement seeking to spread inferiority worldwide

• Linked communist and Jews hate

• Many Jews in Russian Rev, and Karl Eisner and Rosa Luxembourg were Jewish

• saw communism as part of Jewish world conspiracy

Democracy and the state

• contempt for idea of parliamentary democracy and W.R

• no personal freedom/rights

• emphasis on the nation → individual found true fulfillment by submitting to the will of the nation

The Leadership Principle Führerprinzip

• will of leader who would interpret the needs of the people

• Mein Kampf → national revival → not been caused by military defeat but ‘inner rottenness, cowardice, lack of character.’

• Hitler believed they needed a strong leader who would emerge unchallenged by restraints of democracy + parliament and would lead nation to historic destiny

  • This concept → who ruled absolutely would be total focus of loyalty to nation and became idea of Führerprinzip

‘Socialism’ of National Socialism

• evident in 25 point program

  • nationalism of business, profit sharing, increased protection for the needy

• ‘left wing’ of nazi movement → industrialists found it difficult to accept

• Hitler put less emphasis on any aspect of Nazism that challenged capitalism → needed big business support

• profits increase 36% 1933-1939

• Hitler’s socialism meant all Germans regardless of class/income working together for national good

• Racially pure Germans → belonged to German volk → nazis preached concept of Volksgemeinschaft → People’s Community

Social Darwinism

• Hitler’s idea of struggle (S.D appeled to Hitler)

• Natural selection

• ‘struggle is the father of all things… He who wants to live must fight and who does not want to fight in this world where external struggle is law of life has no right to exist.’

Propaganda and Control

• Hitler had no faith in the intelligence of masses

• Effective propaganda required simple concepts constantly repeated (persistence)

• message must be delivered with conviction and vehemence, spoken word

The quest for living space

• the destiny of the Volk to create. a German Reich that would dominate Europe

• German people had to acquire territory

  • deliberate policy on Eastern European expansionism, ultimate aim destruction of Soviet Union

• vast heartland of Europe was to be Germany’s Lebensraum

  • masterrace would dominate, inferior race would become German slaves.

Hermann Göring (1893-1946)

• Wounded and involved in Munich Putsch

• When Nazis came to power → Göring held key positions

  • Commander in Chief of German Air Force (Luftwaffe) 1935-1945

  • Second only to Hitler in importance in Nazi Germany

• Developed Nazi policies to rob and murder Jews (Final Solution), plans for Germany to wage war

• Named Hitler’s successor

• Helped Germany take over Austria + Czech

• Pres. of Reichstag July 1932, Minister of the Interior for Prussia

Joseph Goebells (1897-1945)

• 1926 → Appointed by Hitler → Gauleiter for Berlin

• Put in charge of party’s propaganda section

  • became Minister of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment 1933-45

  • Directed book-burnings

  • Organised Kristallnacht 1938

• Chancellor of Germany for 1 day

• Murdered children, committed suicide

Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945)

• Part of Munich Beer Hall Putsch

• 1929 → Appointed leader of small SS → responisible for systematic extermination of Jews

• became one of the most powerful and feared figures

  • took control of Gestapo and SS

  • Chief of Germany Police, Minister of the Interior of the former German Reich

  • Principle architect of Holocaust

  • answered only to Hitler

• 1945 → tried to renegotiate peace w/ Allies, dismissed from all positions

Reinhard Heydrich (1907-1942)

• Heinrich Himmler’s chief Lieutant in SS

• one of the most ruthless + intelligent Nazis

• Key role in organising Holocaust

• Chief of the Reich Main Security Office (RSHA)

  • oversaw Gestapo, SD and criminal police

• Acting Reich protector of Bohemia and Moravia

• Chaired Wannsee Conference (Jan 1942) → plans formalized for Final Solution

• “Butcher of Prague”

• Assassinated 1942 by Czech Resistance fighters, which led to Nazi reprisals