A 'second revolution'? Flashcards
What was the membership of the SA in 1931?
100,000
What was the membership of the SA in 1934?
3,000,000
Why did SA membership grew at first?
Because of the large number of unemployed young men
Why did SA membership continue growing from 1933?
Many joined simply as a way to advance themselves
The SA placed more emphasis on what?
On the socialist elements of the party programme (more so than Hitler ever did) and saw no need to hold back simply to satisfy the elites
What were many members embittered and frustrated over?
The limited nature of the Nazi revolution
What were the SA also disappointed by?
Their own lack of personal gain from this acquisition of power
Such views were epitomised by who?
SA leader, Rohm
What did Rohm call for?
Openly called for a genuine ‘National Socialist revolution’
What did Rohm not want?
Didn’t want SA maeches and rallies to degenerate into mere propaganda shows now that the street-fighting was over
What did Rohm want ?
A more political role for the SA, amalgamating it with the army into a people’s militia - of which he would be the commander
Also had hopes for a more fundemental social and economic reforms
The asrmy saw what in Rohm’s plan to anathema to the army?
Saw its traditional role and status directly threatened
Both parties could create what, creating a uncomfortable position for Hitler?
Could create considerable political difficulties for him
Was the SA larger or smaller than the army?
Larger
What was the one organisation that could unseat Hitler?
The army
The officer class was suspicious of who and had close social dies with what?
Suspicious of Hitler and had close social ties with the Junkers
The army alone possessed what which was vital to the success of what?
Possessed the military skills vital to the success of his foreign policy aims
However large, the SA could never match the ….
The discipline and professional expertise of the army
Political realities dictated Hitler had to retain the backing of who?
The army
How did Hitler try to conciliate Rohm?
By bringing him into the cabinet
When did Hitler call a meeting between the leaders of the army, SA and SS to seek an agreement about the role of each within the Nazi state?
February
Rohm and the SA resented Hitler’s apparent acceptance of what?
Of the privileged position of the army
What did the SA do that increased dissatisfaction among the generals
Unrestrained actions and ill-discipline of the SA
Why did the developing crisis come to a head in April 1934?
Became apparent that Hindenburg was nearing death
Why were the implication of Hindenburg’s death profound?
Hitler wanted to assume the presidency unopposed, did not want a contested election nor restoration of the monarchy
Hitler was forced to secure whose backing for his succession to Hindenburg?
The army
In short term, the army’s support was the key to the survival of Hitler’s regime, but what was essential long term?
Was essential for his ambitions in foreign affairs
What did the army desire?
The elimination of the SA and Rohm and an end to the talk of a ‘second revolution’ and a ‘people’s army’
By agreeing to the elimination of the SA, Hitler could gain the favour of who, secure what and remove what?
Favour of the generals
Secure his personal position
Remove an increasingly embarrassing millstone from around his neck
Why is it difficult to establish the details of June 1934?
Limited evidence
What is probable that occurred in June 1934?
On the battleship Deutschland in April 1934, Hitler and two leading generals, and Werner von Frisch came to an agreed position against Rohm and the SA
Who were two influential figures also manoeuvring behind the scenes?
Himmler and Goring
What were Himmler and Goring aiming for?
For a similar outcome in order to further their own ambitions by removing a powerful rival
Why was it that Hitler did not decide to make his crucial move to solve the problem of the SA until mid-June?
Papen gave a speech calling for an end to SA excesses and criticising the policy of co-ordination
Those words were seen as a clear challenge
Papen’s speech caused Hitler to now recognise what?
That he had to satisfy the conservative forces - and that meant destroying the power of the SA immediately
When was the Night of the Long Knives?
30th June 1934
What were the events that happened on the Night of the Long Knives?
Hitler eliminated SA as a political and military force once and for all
Rohm and the main leaders of SA were shot by member of SS, weapons and transport were provided by the army
No resistance of any substance
Various old scores settled: Schleicher, Strasser and Kahr were killed
Estimated 200 people murdered
Who were the old scores that Hitler settled on the Night of the Long Knives?
Schleicher
Strasser
Kahr
What perspective does the Volkischer Beobachter, the Nazi newspaper, show when they reported on the cabinet meeting held two days later?
That Hitler protected the German people from possible Civil war and the deaths of thousands rather than a mere few hundred.
German people thanked him
The Night of the Long Knives is significant because Hitler overcame what?
Overcame the Nazi radical left, and neutralised the conservative right
When could the effects of the purge be clearly seen?
By the summer of 1934
Explain the effects of the purge that could clearly be seen by the summer of 1934, 4 points
Army endorsed Nazi regime, shown by Blomberg’s public vote of thanks to Hitler on 1 July. German soldiers agreed to take personal oath to Hitler and not the state
SA was in effect disarmed and had little political purpose. Major role was to attend propaganda rallies as a showpiece force (as Rohm feared)
Incident marked the emergence of the SS. Generals had feared the SA, but failed to recognise the SS as the party’s elite institution of terror
Hitler secures his own personal political supremacy. His decisions and actions were accepted. He, in effect, legalised murder. It was clear that the Nazi regime was not a traditional authaoritarian one; it was a personal dictatorship.
When did Hindenburg die?
2 August 1034
What happened when Hindenburg died?
No political crisis
Hitler merged offices of chancellor and president, took official title of Fuhrer
Nazi regime had been stabilised and the threat of a ‘second revolution’ had been averted
What were the 6 key factors that Hitler was able to effectively establish a dictatorship?
Terror
Legalism
Deception
Propaganda
Weakness of opposition
Sympathy of the conservative right
Explain Terror
Nazis used violence, increasingly without legal restriction e.g. arrest of Communists, Night of the Long Knives
Nazi organisations also use violence at a local level
Explain legalism
Use of law gave a legal justification for the development of the regime e.g. Emergency decree of 28 Feb 1933, Enabling Law and dissolution of parties
Explain deception
Misled powerful groups in order to destroy them eg. trade unions and the SA
Explain weakness of the opposition
Left had considerable potential power, but it was divided between the Social Democrats and the Communists
Explain sympathy of the conservative right
Few of conservative vested interest were wholly committed to Weimar and generally sympathised with a more right-wing authoritarian regime, they accepted the Night of the Long Knives
What does revolution mean?
A fundamental change - an overturning of existing conditions
What are the three arguments for there being a Nazi Revolution?
The destruction of autonomy of the federal states
The intolerance shown towards any kind of opposition
The reduction of the Reichstag to complete impotence
What are the arguments against a Nazi revolution?
There were key elements of continuity
Major forces within Germany were still independent of Nazi regime e.g. army, big businesses and the civil service (could include Christian Churches but they did not carry same degree of political weight)
Willingness to enter political partnership with these representatives shows his claim for a ‘national revolution’ was an attractive slogan
Early years of Nazi regime were a continuation of the socio-economic forces that had dominated Germany since 1871
True revolutionary extent of the regime can only be fully assed by considering what?
The developments in Germany throughout the entire period of the Third Reich, not until late 1934
