Conditions for Hitlers Rise - Inherent Failure and political instability

Question 1

Treaty affects on people

Answer 1

• Unshakeable tainted view of democracy - born from ruins.
• People hated giving in - “Death rather than slavery”
• People were angry, humiliated and betrayed.
• ‘Diktat’ - Dictated peace
• People ‘stabbed in the back’
• Many people never got on board with democracy because of this.

Question 2

Start of democracy issues

Answer 2

• Autocratic background (no democratic tradition)
• Move from above and people didn’t get a say (undermines democracy)

Question 3

Nazi ‘solution’

Answer 3

• Hitler promoted national unity, honor and greatess (all things lackd by ‘giving in’
• Openly wanted to revise the treaty
• Ultra-nationalism which people got behind.

Question 4

Political instability born from economic instability

Answer 4

• Brüning budget in 1930
• Proposed deflationary policy (increase tax, severely cut spending on relief services paying unempolyed)
• Rest of Reichstag opposed so Article 48 was used to pass.
• Marked end of ‘democracy’
• People saw what was happening and how it would affect them and lost hope.

Question 5

Constitutional issue - Proportional representation

Answer 5

• So many small parties (31 in 1928)
• 8 major parties
• Only coalition governments could get majority but they never lasted long.
• 8 coalitions from 1919-1923.
• Germans never had a coalition to back because it switched so regularly.

Question 6

Constitutional issue - Article 48

Answer 6

• Presidential power to rule by decree
• Lead to loss of public confidence in government and democracy (because it wasn’t democratic)

Question 7

Constitutional issue - President choosing chancellor

Answer 7

• Had positives (e.g. stresseman) and negatives
• Meant frequent overturn (Muller to Bruning to Papen to Schleider.
  Eventually backfired when Papen and Hitler went to Hinderburg together and got into chancellor/vice chanellor.

Question 8

Nazism appeal to politically affected

Answer 8

• Had rallies using the idea that democracy had failed.
• Appealed to the middle class, small business operators and rural/framing population who were all badly affected by Reichstag decisions.
• Nazi party supposably made up by ‘relatable’ and common people.