Hitlers rise to power

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Hitlers rise to power growth of Nazism,
1929-1939
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In 1929 the golden age of the Weimar Republic
came to an end. This was caused by an economic
crisis that created political problems. These
problems in turn led to the total collapse of
democracy in Germany.Modern World History,
p.152
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Lesson overview
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Economic causes

• Wall Street Crash (October 1929)
• American banks demanded repayment of loans
• German businesses slumped or went bankrupt
• Statistics 1.8 million unemployed (1928)
• 6 million (1932)

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Economic causes

• People could not afford rents or mortgages
• Shantytowns
• Begging on streets
• People lost faith in Weimar Republic
• Growth of political extremists

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Political causes

• Streseman died, October 1929
• Disagreement among coalition parties (Centre
  Party SPD)
• 3 alternatives print more money
• cut unemployment
• raise taxes

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What were the problems with all these
alternatives?
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Political causes

• Hermann Muller (leader of SPD) refused to cut
  benefits to save money and resigned
• Heinrich Bruning (leader of Centre Party) lacked
  support in Reichstag and used Article 48 to pass
  legislation

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In effect, Weimar democracy came to an end in
1930.Modern World History, p.153
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Hitlers tactics

• Support for Nazis grew rapidly, 1929-32
• Hitler toured air by plane
• Speeches
• Modern technology, microphones radio

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Hitlers tactics

• Joseph Goebbels responsible for propaganda
• Nazis owned 8 newspapers

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Hitlers tactics

• Wealthy supporters, e.g. Alfred Hugenberg (leader
  of German National Party, DNVP newspaper
  owner) Thyseen (steel manufacturer)
• Promises to reduce powers of trade unions

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Hitlers tactics

• SA
• Numbers increased from to 400,000 by 1932
• Street battles, bullying tactics

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Who did Hitler the Nazis appeal to?

• Modern World History, p.154-55

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Lesson overview
Negatives
Positives
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General appeal

• Stabbed in the back theory of the Treaty of
  Versailles
• Failures of Weimar Republic,
• Exploited suffering caused by Great Depression
• Anti-semitism

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Elite

• Feared communist uprising
• Supported Nazis (e.g. paid for Nazi electoral
  campaigns)
• Lost confidence in Weimar Republic
• Suspicious of Hitlers background hoped to
  control him within government (using Hindenburg
  von Papen)
• Traditionally supported Nationalist Party

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Workers Peasants

• Farmers
• Badly affected by Depression and slump in food
  prices
• Naiz promised financial support incentives for
  farming communities
• Naturally supported socialist communists

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Workers Peasants

• Germany suffering from economic depression
• 6 million unemployed (1933)
• Nazis promised to end unemployment financial
  hardship
• Traditionally supported socialists communists

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Racial minorities

• No discrimination under Weimar governments
• Hitler made Jews scapegoats for Treaty of
  Versailles
• Anti-Semitism in Nazi Party (e.g. Mein Kampf)

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The young

• Disappointed with Weimar Government
• Attracted by career opportunities within Nazi
  Party
• Impressed by activities of Hitler Youth Movement
• Joined Hitler Youth to rebel against family
  constraints

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Women

• Greater emphasis on role of women as mothers
  housewives
• Improved womens rights under Weimar Republic
• Nazi opposed to female careerism

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Women - ? Your task

• How useful is Hitlers speech in understanding
  the views attitudes of Nazis towards women?
• How far do the sources agree with each other?
  (i.e. have similar views on the role of women)
• How reliable is Utta Rudigers account of
  Hitlers speech in Dusseldorf in 1932

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Women

• Disliked move away from traditional family values
  in Weimar Constitution
• Liked Nazi appeal to family emphasis on role of
  women as mothers housewives

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Women

• The so-called granting of equal rights to women,
  which Marxism demands, in reality does not grant
  equal rights but constitutes a deprivation of
  rights, since it draws the woman into an area in
  which she will necessarily be inferior. The woman
  has her own battlefield. With every child that
  she brings into the world, she fights her battle
  for the nation.
• Adolf Hitler, speech (September, 1935)

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Women

• We were told from a very early age to prepare
  for motherhood, as the mother in the eyes of our
  beloved leader and the National Socialist
  Government was the most important person in the
  nation. We were Germany's hope in the future, and
  it was our duty to breed and rear the new
  generation of sons and daughter. These lessons
  soon bore fruit in the shape of quite a few
  illegitimate small sons and daughters for the
  Reich, brought forth by teenage members of the
  League of German Maidens. The girls felt they had
  done their duty and seemed remarkably unconcerned
  about the scandal.
• Isle McKee was a member of the German Girls'
  League, later recalled her experiences in her
  autobiography.

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Women

• Women have the task of being beautiful and
  bringing children into the world, and this is by
  no means as coarse and old-fashioned as one might
  think. The female bird preens herself for her
  mate and hatches her eggs for him. In exchange,
  the mate takes care of gathering the food and
  stands guard and wards off the enemy.
• Joseph Goebbels, speech in Munich (1939)

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Women

• It was a huge hall and everyone was waiting for
  Hitler to arrive... I must say it was an
  electrifying atmosphere. Even before 1933
  everybody was waiting for him as if he was a
  saviour. Then he went to the podium. I remember
  it all went quiet, and he started to speak in his
  serious voice. Calm, slow, and then he got more
  and more enthusiastic. I must admit, I can't
  remember exactly what he actually said. But my
  impression afterwards was this is a man who does
  not want anything for himself, but only thinks
  about how he can help the German people.
• Utta Rudiger, heard Adolf Hitler speak in
  Dusseldorf in 1932.

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Women - ? Your task

• How useful is Hitlers speech in understanding
  the views attitudes of Nazis towards women?
• How far do the sources agree with each other?
  (i.e. have similar views on the role of women)
• How reliable is Utta Rudigers account of
  Hitlers speech in Dusseldorf in 1932

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How did Hitler become Chancellor in 1933?

• Ferriby, p.155-6

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Political developments

• March 1932 Hitler challenged Hindenburg for the
  presidency
• He lost by 19.4 million votes to 13.4 million

Hindenburg the winner!
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Political developments

• May 1932, Chancellor Bruning resigns due to
  rising unemployment

Chancellor Bruning not a happy man!
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Political developments

• May 1932 Von Papen becomes Chancellor

Von Papen aristocratic respected
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Political developments

• July 1932 Von Papen calls a general election to
  win more seats for Centre Party
• Nazis win 230 seats

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Poltical developments

• November 1932, Von Papen holds new elections but
  fails again to win more seats for Centre Party
• Hindenburg replaces von Papen with General Kurt
  von Schleicher
• Nazis win 196 seats

Schleicher the military man!
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Political developments

• Von Schleicher resigns when Hindenburg refuses to
  continue to govern using Article 48

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Poltical developments

• January 1933, Hindenburg appoints Hitler as
  Chancellor
• Von Papen is appointed Vice Chancellor

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? Your task

• Read Ferriby, p.155-6 construct a timeline
  showing Hitlers rise to power
• Why do you think Hindenburg appointed Hitler as
  Chancellor, especially as the Nazis were becoming
  less popular?

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How did the Nazis consolidate power, 1933-4?
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Lesson overview
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Reichstag fire

• 27 February 1933, Reichstag building burns down
• Marinus van der Lubbe, communist, arrested
  admits guilt
• Communist plot feared leaders imprisoned
• Article 48, state of emergency imposed

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Elections

• March 1933 election to Reichstag
• Hermann Göring, Minister of the Interior, ordered
  police to leave SA alone
• Opponents, e.g. SDP KPD forbidden from
  campaigning under terns of state of emergency

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Elections
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Elections

• Hitler needed 2/3 majority
• Won support of Nationalists Centre Party
  (promising to defend RC Church)
• Banned Communist Party

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Enabling Act

• March 1933, Enabling Act
• SA SS present during vote
• 444 members for v. 94 against

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Political parties

• Law against the Formation of Parties
• KPD SPD leaders arrested imprisoned in
  concentration camps
• Germany a one party state

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Trade Unions

• TUs powerful during Weimar Republic
• Depression weakened political influence
  membership
• 2 May 1933, TU offices occupied by Nazis
  leaders arrested imprisoned
• Labour Front (DAF)

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Night of Long Knives

• 30 June 1 July 1934 leaders of SA arrested
  shot
• Ernst Röhm (leader of SA)
• George Strasser (founder of DAP)
• Schleicher (former Chancellor)
• 200 deaths

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Why did Hitler purge the SA?

• Rohm others feared as revolutionaries
• Growth in membership to 2 million by 1934
• Removal of potential opponents
• Pressure from within SS (e.g. Himmler)
• Concession to conservative elite
• Concession to army (Reichswehr) August 1934
  swear oath of personal loyalty