Rise of Hitler 1930-1939

Section 3: The Rise of Hitler, Anti-Semitism, and Nazism in Germany, 1930-1939

After world war I the Germans felt shocked, they did not expect to lose and as a result, it was easy for the democratic Weimar Republic to take hold of the Germans. Hitler was part of the hundreds and thousands of Germans who felt disturbed by the defeat. He joined the German Workers Party and became a dominant figure in the movement, furthermore, he found out he had a talent for speaking. The movement later became known as the Nazi Party. He realized it was not the fault of the former soldiers of Germany that they lost, but rather the revolutionary forces which undercut the war effort. He especially blamed the Jews which in this case were the scapegoats. Hitler chose to seize power at the peak of inflation in November of 1923, this was a strategic move as Weimar had become chaotic. He staged a coup and received a prison sentence, however in prison he had many admirers, this is also the place where he wrote “Mein Kampf”. After his prison sentence, he started to build up the Nazi party, and in 1932 they were up to 37%. His main priorities became clear, namely making more space for Germans and removing the Jewish Race.

Anti Semitism is historically hostility or discrimination toward a race or religion. In the first century, Jews were segregated due to their religion. Pagans saw the Jew's refusal to worship their gods as a sign of disloyalty. Later came the rivalry between Jews and Christians, and this became the starting point for the hate against Jews as they received the name of “killers of the Son of God”. Christianity was intent on replacing Jews by making its message universal. The Jews' reputation continued through the centuries and the division became great. In the medieval ages in Europe Jews were denied certain rights, and anti-Jewish oppression started. The knights of the first crusade started the first wave of anti-Semitic violence in France. As the Middle Ages commenced Jews became learned in the trade which made others envious of their skill, this only increased prejudice. As the Middle Ages ended it brought little change in the treatment Jews faced. They remained subject to massacres and segregation. Although the Jews received better treatment with the French Revolution anti-Semitism did not end. With nationalism, anti-Semitism took on a new meaning, as it was not so much the religion that people now opposed but rather the race of Jews. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, there was a decline in anti-Semitic tension, except in Russia. With the end of World War One anti-Semitism increased and it remained so through the Second World War, especially in Germany and other Axis powers.

Hitler not only targeted Jews, but also Gypsies, the handicapped, homosexuals, Jehovah's witnesses, black peoples, communists, social democrats, and others who opposed Hitler's ideology. The Nazis saw only one way to rid the world of the sub-human race namely to kill all of them. They perceived them not only as a subhuman race but also as dangerous people who would destroy the greater race. The novelty though in this situation was that the anti-Semitism stretched throughout the social classes as this idea not only appealed to the rich but also the middle class. Teaching anti-Semitism was now perceived as a standard in German schools and elaborated in so-called scientific journals which served the purpose of international propaganda.

The first concentration camps served the purpose of holding captive the political prisoners of the Nazis, namely the socialists and communists. Hotels, castles, and airfields served as the first concentration camps as they were places where the SS could easily detain people. However, by 1934 the Mai ship camp system shut down, and more permanent camps were set in order by the SS. With more people arriving at the camps the treatment became harsher and victims were concentrated. One of the first camps was Dachau. On arrival of the prisoners it was made clear they would be subjected to brutal treatment.

Kristallnacht is not as many believe only in Berlin but in all cities and even towns across Germany. This night put Jews in the face of terror, as their shops, and businesses were broken into on November 9-10th of 1938. The Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps. This was a true event and the treatment toward Jews, which by no means had been friendly, was nonetheless non-violent. This night was a turning point as the Nazis displayed open hostility and aggressiveness toward the Jews. After this night the conditions for Jews in Germany grew worse and Hitler implemented his “final solution”.

To make room for the superior German race Hitler needed more room for his people and implemented “lebensraum” which means living space. The Germans need more space and especially to colonize more land. To achieve this Hitler set out on a task to re-conquer the previously annexed Sudetenland. This leads to the invasion of Poland.

The blitzkrieg was the Germans' most effective strategy, and this margin of victory astonished the allied forces. Many historians agree that the Second World War started with the invasion planned on September 1st of 1939. Germany invaded Poland to increase lebensraum and to reconquer their previously lost territory. To capture Poland Hitler used the blitzkrieg strategy which allowed Germans to gain control of Poland and establish new concentration camps. This strategy translates to lightning war and indeed it was such, in 35 days Germany invaded Poland with their superior army.

Hitler through his mysterious fortune during the First World War where he survived over and over through his fellow soldiers died, in turn, turned out to express many ideas the German public approved of. Even if Hitler’s popularity exceeded the realms of the normal chancellor it was the regulation and freedom allowed by the Weimar constitution which ensured his inevitable rise to power. The constitution gave a surprising amount of freedom to the president which allowed Hitler to rise to power. Furthermore, due to political weakness and Hitler’s ability to overthrow his political opponents with ease, he insured himself control of Germany. Another factor was his nature for appealing to the public, his German superiority appealed to many and he received much support in return. In many people's opinion, Hitlers' rise to power would not have been inevitable. The Germans long history of anti-Semitism and their nationalism proved to be great factors in Hitlers' rise to power, were it not for his cunning someone else would have surely taken his spot to ensure the rise of the German race and the continuing anti-Semitism. Through the possible tightening of the constitution the crisis might have been delayed, but only by years, and even then it would have been inevitable. This also has to do with the overall economic crisis happening throughout the world. The Russians recovering from their revolution, and other countries suffering from the depression and the First World War and the economic hardships this brought along paid little attention to what might happen in Germany, as consumed as they were with their problems and hoping that what happened in Russia would not happen to them as well. Overall the anti-Semitism is what brought the Germans together as a race, and the “final solution” which Hitler posed had many supporters through all social classes. Anti Semitism has deep roots in European history and if Hitler could have posed a “problem” that would bring the nation together it would be this. The hatred of Jews had long since been established, and Hitler blamed the Jews for the outcome of the first world war. The final solution was to destroy all Jews by sending them to the concentration camps to keep the purity of the Germans and preserve the Aryan race. Hitler blamed the Jews for everything that was wrong with the world, attempting to decline Jewish influence. Hitler's ideology was that the Jews wanted world dominance and they would use all means possible to them to achieve this, including capitalism. As such Hitler used the history of anti-Semitism and the existing prejudices to establish a following. Furthermore, Hitler was convinced communism was part of the Jewish conspiracy, as prominent members of global society were Jewish. Overall Hitlers' uprising aided by the economic crisis throughout the world, and the loose constitution of the Weimar Republic, not to mention the support of the Germans was inevitable and it would have happened under a different leader had Hitler not had the appeal for the German people and the aeration he held for them.