Germany: 1929-1933 - The Great Depression Flashcards
The Wall Street Crash + the Great Depression
The Impact of the Depression
- 1928
- usa stock market crash
- us called their loans back leaving germany poor
- products could not sell internationally so industries failed
- unemployment reached 6 million (1932)
- weimar goverment raised taxes + cut wages
- goverment couldnt deal with violence
Rise of the Nazis - Great Depression
The Impact of the Depression
- Nazis promised ‘work and bread’ to provide jobs and food
- the phrase was applicable to many so broad appeal
- appealed to workers who were struggling
Rise of the Nazis - Propaganda
The Impact of the Depression
- Josef Goebbels in charge of propaganda
- a clear message
- owned newspapers
- hitler made speeches on the radio + at mass rallies
Rise of the Nazis - SA
Impact of the Depression
- weimar goverment look very diorganized -> article 48 -> unpopular
- SA had smart uniforms -> looked organised at marchers -> got votes
- SA beat up oppositions (communists)
- proved that hutler could deal with the unpopular communists.
Election Results
Failure of the Weimar Democracy
nazi votes rose throughout the 1930s
1928: 12 seats
1930: 107 seats
July 1932: 230 seats (largest political party with 37% but not majority)
Nov 1932: 196 seats (33% as the SA violence was not popular)
Chancellors in Germany (von papen + hindenburg)
Failure of thr Weimar Democracy
- Hindenburg refused hitlers bid for chancellor
- hindenburg choose von papen but wasnt the majority party
- after the nov 1932 election von papen couldnt get majority in reichstag
- then hindenburg choose von schleicher. Who still didnt have the majoity -> hindenburg ruled with 48th article
- Von Papen and hitler met in january 1933
- Hitler finally became chancellor and Von Papen vice-chancellor on 30th of january 1933 via article 48. As nazis never made the majority
Reichstag Fire
Establishment of Hitlers Dictatorship
- Hitler called election to finally get a majority (couldnt pass laws without majority)
- The reichstag building set on fire a week before election (feb 27th 1933)
- Nazis scapegoated a dutch communist
- Nazis claimed the communists were trying to overcome germany.
- Hitler got hindenburg to sign the decree for the protection of the people and state allowing nazis to imprism politcal opponents (4000 communists)
- communist + socialist papers also banned
- Allowed nazis to eliminate their main rival from election + made germans nervous to vote for communists
- At election nazis increased to 288 seats (44%) still no majority
How it was passed, what it did, what it allowed
The Enabling Act
Establishment of Hitlers Dictatorship
- hitler formed coalition with nationalist party -> majority with reichstag
- 23 march 1933 passed enabaling bill:
- happened because:
- communists part members couldnt ote
- all those absent counted as voting for
- made deals with catholics
- SA members intidated voters
Allowed hitler to:
- made laws without reichstag for four years
Led to:
- banning opposing parties + put leaders in camps
- banned trade unions
- nazis incharge of all state goverments
- used fear + indimidation
- banned other parties
The Night of the Long Knives
Establishment of Hitlers Dictatorship
- only party powerful enough to challenge hitler was SA (2 million)
- Led by Ernst Rohm who wanted them to joined the army (hitler had promised) -> worried hitler
- 30th June 1934 hitler got Rohm and 400 SA leaders assainitated (by the blakshirts)
- also took out other nazi oppositions (von schleicher).
- claimed it was a protection
+ Fuhrer
Death of Hindenburg
Establishment of Hitlers Dictatorship
- died in august 1934
- hitler combined chancellor and president -> made himself fuhrer (supreme leader)
- could not be opposed due to enabaling act
- hitler then made army swear an oath of loyalty to him personally
