IB History SL: Authoritarian States: Hitler's emergence to power

This is for IBDP History Sl students

What were the economic factors that played a significant role in Hitler’s rise to power?

• Withdrawal of US loans due to crash of Wall street which led to extreme unemployment rates in Germany

• The Treaty of Versailles = War reparations

• Lost territory = loss of industry

• Hyperinflation (helped by the Dawes Plan)

What were the political conditions that played a significant role in Hitler’s rise to power?

• Weak democracy = instability

• Treaty of Versailles

• The constitution → Article 48

What were the main ideas of the Nazi ideology?

• Aryanism

• Antisemitism

• Lebensraum = (living space → led to invasion of Poland)

• Propaganda and indoctrination

• Racial laws and discrimination

What persuasion and coercion methods did the Nazi party use?

• Empty promises = Promises of a stronger Germany

• Propaganda → speeches/posters/videos

What were the Nazi parties uses of force?

• Concentration camps

• military violence

• SA (para-military branch of Nazi Party) and SS (“political soldiers”)

How did the Nazis take advantage of the situation in Germany?

• Promised to keep out communism

• uphold law and order

• Return to traditional middle-class values

Who was Brüning, and what role did he play in Hitler’s rise to power?

• Relied on president’s emergency decree (article 48)

• Unable to control street violence

• Banned SA

• Lack of agrarian reforms angered landowners

Who was Von Papen, and what role did he play in Hitler’s rise to power?

• Tried to gain Nazi support by lifting ban on SA

• Relied on presidential decrees and ended democratic government in Prussia

Who was Von Shcleicher, and what role did he play in Hitler’s rise to power?

• Persuaded Hindenburg to dismiss Von Papen

• Reluctant to become chanceller

• Tried to ally with Strasser (socialist)

What role did Hindenburg play in Hitler’s rise to power?

• Appointed Hitler chancellor

• Reichstag fire → Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to use article 48

• The Enabling Act: Basically end the Weimar Republic and allows Hitler to make any law for four years without approval of Reichstag

What was article 48?

Gave German president power to declare a state of emergency and rule by decree and enabled Hitler to seize power after the Reichstag fire