HSC Core Study: Power and Authority in the Modern World

3.1 The Rise of the Nazi Party and Hitler

Early Problems for the Wiemar Republic

The Weimar Republic is the unofficial name given to the German Government in the period between the rule of the Kaiser and the Dictatorship of Hitler and his Nazi State. This was a democratic government imposed by the Allies after WW1 and the abdication of the Kaiser. It lasted from 1919 until 1933 when Hitler became Chancellor, then Dictator. The German State after the Weimar Republic, during the Nazi period, was known as the Third Reich.

The newly democratic Weimar Republic faced a number of economic, social, and problems from the beginning.

Because the Kaiser had fled Germany before the Treaty of Versailles was signed, the democratic politicians in Germany signed it. As the treaty was especially harsh, the ordinary German people, German military, and German Elites looked for a scapegoat (someone to blame for all their problems) and the democratic politicians were blamed. These politicians became known as the November Criminals after the November armistice of 1918. The terms of the treaty can be seen in the Survey pages 6-9. This led to a hatred of, or at least a lack of faith in, democratic politicians and any problems that arose were exacerbated (made worse) by this lack of trust. Ultimately, this will allow for the rise of Nazism and the collapse of the Republic.

Activity

Using the information above AND referring to Source 7 Outline the early problems faced by the Weimar Republic.

The 'Stab in the Back' Myth

yt5s.io-Educational Film_ The Weimar Republic – Stab-in-the-Back Legend.mp4

The Shock defeat of WWI was so great for ordinary Germans when it cam that many could simply not accept it. The German people had been told for years that victory was coming. There were no allied troops on German soil; indeed on 11 November 1918 the German army still occupied sizeable parts of Belgium and France. Only a few months earlier, German troops were almost on the point of taking Paris. But now defeat! How? Why? Who was to blame?

The belief spread that the German army had not been defeated in the field but had been 'stabbed in the back' at home.
- The Germans called this notion 'dochstosslegende'

Who did the stabbing? Socialists, pacifists, Jews, democratic politicians
- The belief served the German Army command very well
It was they who had explained the need for an armistice but since Ludendorff's surrender of power in September 1918, it was the civilian politicians, mostly socialists, who would now be burdened with the blame for surrender, defeat, armistice and a peace treaty
Scapegoats had been found who had stabbed the German army in the back, known from now on as the 'November Criminals'
This was fertile propaganda for anti-democratic right wing political parties

The Rise of Hitler

Home Reading- A Brief Biography

Adolf Hitler- Brief Biography

Born in Braunua, Austria on April 20th, 1889.
Left Austria and made his way to Munich in 1913.
Volunteered for the German Army and reached the rank of corporal in the First World War.
He fought in the Battle of the Somme, First Battle of Ypres, Battle of Arras and Battle of Passchendaele. He was rewarded with the Iron Cross First Class for courage.
In October 1918 he was temporarily blinded by mustard gas and was in hospital when he received news that the war had ended

Source 1

Early Years of the Nazi Party

Nazi Timeline

Nazi Path To Power

Overview of Nazi's Rise

During World War One Hitler was a Corporal who was injured in a gas attack and was awarded the Iron Cross for bravery among several other awards. Following the German Surrender, the end of the war, and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, he was as bitter about the new Weimar Republic as his peers were.

Remaining in the army despite its forced reduction in numbers, his role after the war was to spy on meetings of political groups. One group he observed was the German Worker’s Party (DAP) under the leadership of Anton Drexler in June 1919. This small party had appeal for Hitler who had become politicised after he learned the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Rather than merely reporting on the group, in 1919, Hitler joined, and soon discovered a talent for public speaking. He shortly became the most active speaker for the group, inflaming audiences with simple messages of nationalism, anti-communism, anti-semitism, and professing a belief in the “stab in the back” myth. In February 1920 the group changed their name to the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP), abbreviated as the Nazi Party.

Because of the early problems faced by the Weimar Government, and because of Hitler’s fiery oratory (speeches), the party under Hitler grew to 30,000 members by 1923. Hitler personally designed the party’s swastika flag.

The demands of the party were simple populist slogans, part of a 25 point program:

The union of Germans to form a greater Germany (Grossdeutchland)
The abolition of the Peace Treaties of Versailles
Land and territory for the German people to grow (Lebensraum or living space)
Only those of German blood may be a member of the German nation. Specifically, no Jews can be German.

Further reading : The complete 25 point plan

https://alphahistory.com/nazigermany/nazi-party-25-points-1920/

The Nazis held public meetings in beer halls and rallies throughout Germany to build support. These meetings were often violent with anti-Nazi protesters trying to interrupt or shut them down. To control the meetings the Nazis set up a paramilitary force (a private army) filled with unemployed thugs called the Sturmabteilung (Storm Troopers) , the SA, or simply the brownshirts. Led by German military officer Ernst Rohm they terrorised any opposition through violence and were a visible sign of the Nazis’ growing power.

In November 1923, with the crisis of the Ruhr and hyperinflation affecting Germany, Hitler planned a coup (forced takeover of government). With the support of WW1 war hero General Ludendorff the Nazis march on a Beer Hall in Munich. Hitler expected the police and army to support him against the weak Weimar Republic leaders but instead the authorities opened fire killing 16 Nazis and arresting the leaders of what was to become known as the Munich Beer Hall Putsch.

At his trial for treason, Hitler became a well-publicised figure as he used the opportunity to repeat his anti-Weimar, pro-nationalist, right wing messages over the 24 day trial. He often made the front pages of German newspapers and for a brief time he was even internationally known. Despite being involved in attempted coup where police had been killed and a bank robbed, Hitler found a sympathetic judge and was given only a 5 year sentence of which he served only 9 months.

During his time in prison, he wrote his manifesto outlining his vision for Germany, “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle). This writing displayed his intense anti-Semitism, his desire for a greater Germany, and the need to overturn the treaty of Versailles. Upon his release from prison in February 1925 Hitler regained the leadership of the party and began to turn the Nazis into a more legitimate seeming political party. Although the SA were still violent thugs, and the party still based its views on intense anti- Semitism they were seen as a genuine, if small, part of the democracy. In February 1925, after being released from prison, Hitler summoned his followers in the Nazi Party to a meeting in the backroom of a restaurant in Munich. At this meeting, he reorganised the Nazi Party and informed supporters how he intended to take the party to power and outlined his change of political tactics.

Activity

Using Source 1 and the other information above make a list of key events in the Nazi Party History from 1919 to 1925.

(To be done for homework if not completed)

The Munich (Beer Hall) Putsch: November 1923

A putsch is a violent attempt to overthrow a government; a coup
Bavaria was under the effective control of three men: State Commissioner von Kahr, Army Commander von Lossow and Police Chief von Seisser, who had considered taking advantage of Stresemann's difficulties in Berlin and seizing power.
On November 8, Hitler burst into Munich Burgerbraukeller where von Kahr was speaking. Von Kahr agreed, however, once he was freed he ordered the arrest of the rebels.
On November 9, Hitler led 2000 supporters in a march to Munich's centre, where they were met by police and shooting, resulting in 16 Nazis and 4 police being killed. Hitler escaped, however, he and nine others were put on trial for treason. Hitler was sentenced to five years imprisonment and fined about 200 gold marks as a result.
Although the Munich Putsch was a laughable failure, it provided to be of enormous significance for Hitler and his movement in several ways:

It convinced Hitler that the only way he could gain power was legally through the ballot box
Hitler realised that in order to hold on to power in the future, he would need support of the army
His trial brought Hitler to national prominence. Before this event, he was a minor right-wing politician in southern Germany and now he was a national figure where his ideas and speeches in the courtroom had been read all across Germany.

Beer Hall Putsch From November 8 to November 9, 1923, Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) and his followers staged the Beer Hall Putsch in Munich, a failed takeover of the government in

HSC Practice Question

Using Sources 1 and 2 and your own knowledge, explain the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany. (approx. 300 words) - 6 Marks

In your response, you need to:

Demonstrate an accurate understanding of the rise of Hitler and Nazi Party in Germany as provided by the sources
Communicate coherently using appropriate terms and concepts

Complete Flipped Lesson

Hitler Mastering the Pose

From Prisoner to Chancellor

1923

November 8-9: The Beer Hall Putsch - Hitler and the Nazi Party attempt to overthrow the Weimar government in Munich but fail. Hitler is arrested and subsequently put on trial.

1924

February 26: Adolf Hitler is put on trial for his involvement in the Beer Hall Putsch. He is found guilty of treason and sentenced to prison.

April 1: Hitler begins serving his prison sentence at Landsberg Prison. During his imprisonment, he writes his book "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle), outlining his political ideology and vision for Germany.

December 20: Hitler is released from prison after serving only nine months of his five-year sentence due to political pressure and leniency from authorities.

1925

February 27: The NSDAP had moved away from Hitler's influence during his absence; now free, he reasserts control, determined to pursue a notionally legal course to power.

April 5: Prussian, aristocratic, right-leaning war leader Paul von Hindenburg is elected president of Germany..

November 9: Hitler forms a personal bodyguard unit separate from the SA, known as the SS.

1928

May 20: Elections to the Reichstag yield just 2.6 percent of the vote to the NSDAP.

1929

October 4: The New York Stock Market begins to crash, causing a great economic depression in America and around the world. The US starts asking for German loans to be repaid

1930

March 30: Heinrich Brüning takes charge of Germany as Chancellor via a right-leaning coalition.

July 16: Facing defeat over his budget, Brüning invokes Article 48 of the constitution, which allows the government to pass laws without Reichstag consent. It is the start of a slippery slope for failing German democracy, and the start of a period of rule by Article 48 decrees.

September 14: Boosted by the rising unemployment rate, the decline of center parties, and a turn to both left and right extremists, the NSDAP wins 18.3 percent of the vote and becomes the second-largest party in the Reichstag.

1932

March 13: Hitler comes a strong second in the presidential elections; Hindenburg just misses out on the election on the first ballot.

April 10: Hindenburg defeats Hitler at the second attempt to become president.

April 13: Brüning’s government bans the SA and other groups from marching.

May 30: Brüning is forced to resign; Hindenburg is talked into making Franz von Papen chancellor (a conservative politician whose policies appear to be outdated)

June 16: The SA ban is revoked.

July 31: The NSDAP polls 37.4 percent and becomes the largest party in the Reichstag.

August 13: Papen offers Hitler the post of vice-chancellor, but Hitler refuses, accepting nothing less than being chancellor.

August 31: Hermann Göring, long a leading Nazi and a link between Hitler and the aristocracy, becomes president of the Reichstag and uses his new power to manipulate events.

November 6: In another election, the Nazi vote shrinks slightly.

November 21: Hitler turns down more government offers, wanting nothing less than to be chancellor.

December 2: Papen is forced out, and Hindenburg is influenced into appointing the general, and prime right-wing manipulator, Kurt von Schleicher, chancellor.

1933

January 30: Schleicher is outmaneuvered by Papen, who persuades Hindenburg than Hitler can be controlled; the latter is made chancellor, with Papen vice-chancellor.

Hitler becomes Chancellor

Due to the success of the July 1932 election Hitler demanded the Chancellorship from President Hindenburg but was refused despite the Nazis being the largest Party. Hindenburg didn’t trust him, and the incumbent Chancellor Franz Von Papen remained. Von Papen called for another election in November 1932 and the Nazis remained the largest Party. Again, Hitler was refused the Chancellorship, but Von Papen became increasingly unpopular due to his use of Article 48. He was replaced by defence minister Kurt Von Schleicher, who also proved ineffectual. Partly because Von Papen was jealous of Schleicher, he suggested to Hindenburg that Hitler could be made Chancellor and that he could be controlled. On January 30, 1933, Hindenburg summoned Hitler and gave him the Chancellorship with Von Papen as Vice Chancellorship. Democracy would soon disappear from Germany.

How to Revise for this Area

The rise of the Nazi party and Hitler in Germany and the collapse of the Weimar Republic

This dot point is deceptively broad in the level of content it could include, essentially you should focus on:

Reasons for the collapse of the Weimar:
- Long and short term factors categorised into economic e.g. Great Depression, social (e.g. lack of faith), political (incl Hindenburg and the conservative elites, constitutional factors etc)
Reasons for the rise of the Nazis:
- Nazi campaign efforts/appeal of the party and it’s policies
- The role of Hitler
- The role of contextual factors such as the GD, weaknesses of the Weimar, Hindenburg
- Make sure you can clearly articulate the connections between failures of the Weimar and how Hitler and the Nazis could exploit these weakness. E.g. How did Hitler take advantage of the political instability caused by Article 22?
Your summary here will need to be more substantial than for the overview dot points, still limit yourself to a page if possible. Do include relevant historian views.

What sort of questions should you prepare for?
- This section could easily be asked as an extended response question (10-15 marks) asking you to account for the collapse of the Weimar, or the explain the rise of the Nazis.
- Or you could get a lower order directive question like – Outline the reasons for the collapse of the Weimar Republic – 4 marks (HSC Sample paper 2018)
- For 15 marks consider this: Using these sources, discuss the view that Hitler was key to the rise to power of the Nazis (HSC Sample paper 2018) – Note that this doesn’t have a time frame on it so you could finish your response with Chancellor in 1933 or decide that Nazi rise to power finishes with Fuhrer in 1934.

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