Hitler and Mao additional knowledge

Question 1

Comparisons and contrasts for ideology in terms of emergence?

Answer 1

Similarities:

• Ideology: grounded in change

–> Mao was a radical shift from the GMD and Hitler was a radical shift from the Weimar

–>

Question 2

Compare and contrasts terror in the emergence of Mao and Hitler?

Answer 2

Differences:

• Mao emerged to power through a protracted guerrilla warfare campaign, while Hitler rose to power through a combination of political maneuvering and the use of paramilitary organizations such as the SA and the SS.

Similarities:

• Both M H employed paramilitary organizations
• Mao Red Army, a guerrilla force + Hitler (SA)
• Force to intimidate their opponents + create a sense of fear among the population.
• Mao Cultural Revolution + Hitler Jews, Communists

Question 3

Force (Hitler)

Answer 3

• 1921: (SA) → purpose was to win ‘street battles’ against communists

+ Protect Nazi speakers/members during party meetings AND disrupt the meetings of political opponents

→ Propaganda purpose (ie. demonstrated that the Nazi Party could achieve order + control)

→ Ernst Röhm the SA expanded (Jan 1933: 2,000,000 members → 20 times larger than German Army).

E2: 1923: Hitler and General Ludendorff (supported by 2,000 Nazis) attempted a violent uprising in Munich

→whilst this putsch failed (16 Nazis killed AND Hitler was arrested), it gave the Nazi Party immense fame both domestically + internationally

→ the subsequent trial lasted 24 days and was covered in depth by the media, giving Hitler an opportunity to spread his ideology → also showed he was willing to use force to gain power.

Question 4

Ideology (Hitler)

Answer 4

Feb 1920: NSDAP + National Socialist Program (‘25-Point Program’)

→ described main ideas of Nazism → nationalism, racialism, anti-Semitism, anti-immigration, anti-communism
→ early Nazism even included socialist ideas (eg. nationalization of businesses; abolition of unearned income)
→ the aim of this ideology was to attract as wide of a support base as possible (ie. across all social classes).

July 1925: Hitler published his autobiographical manifesto ‘Mein Kampf’ (My Struggle)

→ defined Nazism in more detail and in a more accessible format → argued that National Socialism was the only doctrine that
could defeat socialism/communism AND suitably prepare the population for war (needed to gain Lebensraum)

→ 1925-32: 240,000 copies sold (more popular after Hitler rose to power) → still helped spread Nazism.

Question 5

Perspectives on Ideology (Hitler)

Answer 5

PA: Holborn → Nazi ideology was consistent and continuous and this made it central to Hitler’s rise to power.

PB: Brustein → people voted for Hitler due to his “innovative programs that appealed to material interests”.

R1: there were pragmatic reasons for social groups to support Hitler → working class (pensions/employment);

industrialists (gov. contracts for remilitarisation); landowners/businessmen (elimination of communist threat)

→ ideology sometimes overlapped with pragmatism → the objective of autarky was an element of Nazism →
this was popular for nationalistic + material/economic reasons → gained the support of many social groups.

R2: Nazi ideology was not always consistent (eg. socialist ideas in the ‘25-Point Program’ were abandoned)

→ Mein Kampf was repetitious + illogical → ideology was only effective in winning popular support after the GD

→ 1924-28: NSDAP barely survived (May 1928: 2.6% votes / 12 seats) → from 1929 onwards, the NSDAP
had far greater electoral success (Sep 1930: 18.3% votes / 107 seats → July 1932: 37.4% votes / 230 seats)