16_1 Hitler's rise

Page 1: Hitler’s Rise to Power

Key Points

  • Hitler served in World War I and joined the German Workers’ Party in 1919, which later became the Nazi Party.

  • After a failed coup in 1923, the Nazis gained support during the Great Depression.

  • Hitler was appointed German Chancellor in January 1933.

Page 2: Hitler Up to 1914

Early Life and Aspirations

  • Birth and Early Ambitions

    • Born in Braunau, Austria, in 1889, aspired to be an artist.

    • Unsuccessful in gaining admission to Art College in Vienna.

  • Struggles in Vienna

    • Lived in a homeless shelter and made a living by painting portraits.

  • Move to Munich

    • Relocated to Munich in 1913, enlisted in the G erman army when WWI started.

World War One Experiences

  • Combat Injuries and Recognition

    • Wounded twice; awarded several medals.

    • Temporarily blinded by mustard gas in October 1918; became aware of Germany's surrender.

  • Sense of Betrayal

    • Hitler felt betrayed by the government for the defeat in WWI, blamed the Jewish population for the loss, claiming a ‘stab in the back.’

Page 4: The Beginnings of the Nazi Party

Post-war Political Involvement

  • Role in the German Workers’ Party

    • Sent to Munich to spy on the German Workers’ Party; later joined in September 1919.

  • Party Development

    • Led by Anton Drexler; party renamed the National Socialist German Workers Party in 1920 (Nazi Party).

Core Beliefs
By 1921, Hitler had taken over the leadership of the party. They had a 25-point programme, containing ideas including:

  • Destroying the Treaty of Versailles.

  • Preventing Jewish people from being German citizens.

  • Introducing new laws on immigration

Page 5: The Munich Putsch

Context and Events

  • Cause: In 1923, Hitler sought to overthrow the government due to Germany's post-WWI struggles.

  • Beer Hall Incident (8 Nov): Hitler stormed a Munich beer hall where Bavarian leader Gustav Kahr was meeting, gaining support from General Ludendorff.

  • Uprising and Arrest (9-11 Nov): Hitler marched through Munich but was arrested after the police were tipped off.

  • Prison and Mein Kampf: Sentenced to 5 years, Hitler was released after 9 months and wrote Mein Kampf, detailing his antisemitic and Aryan superiority beliefs.

Page 6: Changing Fortunes of the Nazi Party

Electoral Trends

Page 7/ 8: Hitler Becomes Chancellor

  • Post-Prison Struggles:

    • unsuccessful in elections

    • their ideas were not appealing

  • Great Depression (1929): The economic crash gave Hitler an opportunity, with 6 million unemployed in Germany.

    • Blame on:

      → Jewish people (less than 1% of the population) T

      → The Treaty of Versailles for the crisis.

  • Nazi Propaganda: The Nazis used propaganda to promise solutions to Germany’s problems, gaining support and winning seats in the Reichstag.

  • Hitler’s Campaign: Hitler traveled across Germany, using speeches to connect with people and show he understood their struggles.

  • SA (Brownshirts): The SA, with 2 million members by 1933 helped:

    • intimidate opponents

    • disrupt meetings

    • promote Nazi policies (especially targeting Communists)

  • Appointment as Chancellor: By summer 1932, the Nazis were the most popular party. President Paul von Hindenburg, believing Hitler could be controlled, appointed him Chancellor on 30 January 1933.

(Page 9: Propaganda Posters)

Analysis of Propaganda

SOURCE 2: A propaganda poster showing Hitler with von Hindenburg. Caption reads the “The Marshal and the Corporal. Fight with us for freedom and Equal Rights.

SOURCE 3: A propaganda poster. Caption reads “Our last hope: Hitler”

Page 10: The Reichstag Fire

  • Context: After becoming Chancellor, Hitler aimed to secure absolute power and pass laws without needing approval from the Reichstag, with President Hindenburg still above him.

  • The Fire (27 February 1933):

    • A fire broke out in the Reichstag building just before another election.

    • A Dutch communist, Marinus van der Lubbe, was found inside and confessed to starting the fire.

  • Debate over Responsibility: Historians disagree on whether the fire was a Nazi plot to justify cracking down on Communists and Jews. → Some argue van der Lubbe, who had mental health issues, could not have acted alone.

  • Posthumous Pardon: In 1998, van der Lubbe was posthumously pardoned by a German court.

Page 12: Chancellor to Dictator

  • Reichstag Elections (5 March 1933): The Nazis didn’t win a majority, limiting Hitler’s power.

  • Enabling Act (23 March 1933): Hitler passed the Enabling Act, allowing him to make laws without Reichstag approval by intimidating opposition, securing a two-thirds majority.

  • Hindenburg’s Death (August 1934): After President Hindenburg died, Hitler merged the roles of Chancellor and President, declaring himself Führer and completing his rise to dictatorship.