Hitler's abilities Flashcards
The appeal of Nazi Ideology
-Many Germans were attracted to Nazi ideology and its promises.
-For example, the Nazi Party ‘s Twenty-Five Points promised to undo the humiliation Treaty of Versailles and restore Germany’s national pride.
-Hitler’s ideas of rebuilding Germany into a strong nation and establishing a Greater Germany for all German-speaking people also appealed to many Germans and won their support.
-The Nazis’ promise to deliver the Germans from their economic woes during the Great Depression by providing ‘Jobs and Bread’ and having a strong central government won them support of many Germans, who were already disillusioned with the Weimar government and were desperate for help.
Thus Hitler was able to rise to power by using ideology that was simple and relevant and appealed to the needs and sentiments of the Germans, and won their support.
Hitler’s charisma and oratorical skills
Hitler was able to relate to the people’s hardships and whip up the crowd with his stirring speeches.
-Through these speeches, he was able to make many Germans believe that he understood and could solve their problems.
-He was also able to gain rapport with the people as he toured the country frequently and held mass rallies.
-Moreover, his rallies were organised with floodlights and marching music, which projected a positive image of Hitler to the people.
-Hitler was also able to exploit situations to his advantage, such as the people’s problems during the Great Depression, and blamed the Weimar government.
-Thus Hitler’s strength as a passionate speaker helped him to convince the people to support his party, as he appeared to offer a credible solution to the people’s problems and end their misery.
Hence, Hitler’s charisma and strong oratorical skills won him many supporters, contributing to his rise to power.
Exploited the people’s fear of communism
-In the late 1920s, both the Nazis and the communists gained popularity as the Germans looked for alternatives to a weak Weimar government.
-However, the Nazi Party exploited the fears that the middle class had in communism by painting a bleak picture of a communist dictatorship like the one in the USSR.
-Rich industrialists and businessmen supported the Nazis, as they were afraid that they might lose their wealth and property if Germany came under communist control.
-Due to its strong anti-communist stand, the Nazi Party won the support of the rich upper class, who in turn gave financial support to the Nazis by donating funds to hold rallies and sponsored Nazi election campaigns.
-This enabled the Nazis to reach out to more people in Germany to garner their support.
-During the Great Depression, the communists often fought with the police and caused much instability. The Nazis used military force to tackle the communists.
-This impressed the rich people and convinced them that the Nazis were able to control the communists and restore order in Germany.
Thus, Hitler’s ability to exploit the people’s fear of communism to his advantage helped the Nazis secure the votes of those wary of communism. This contributed to the rise of the Nazis.
Reorganisation of Nazi Party: Increasing party membership
-After Hitler was released from prison for his involvement in the Munich Putsch, he recognised the Nazi Party through increasing party membership.
-He set up local branches of the Nazi Party in various parts of Germany, created youth movements to get support from the young and arranged large public meetings to attract new members.
-These provided platforms to reach out to the masses, increase party membership and broaden the support base for the Nazi Party.
Hence Hitler’s ability in reorganising the party by increasing the party membership helped the Nazis rise to power, as it won more supporters.
Setting up SS and SA
-The SA broke up communist meetings and won the support of anti-communist Germans.
-The SA and SS were portrayed as strong and well-disciplined.
-This gave the Germans the impression that the Nazis were capable of restoring stability in Germany, especially against the backdrop of the crisis during the Great Depression. This boosted their confidence in the Nazis and made them more willing to support the Nazis.
Thus Hitler’s setting up of the SS and the SA helped to win over more supporters for the Nazi Party, contributing to its rise to power.
Nazi propaganda
-Joseph Goebbels was put in charge of Nazi propaganda.
-He cleverly used propaganda effectively to appeal to people’s emotions and needs.
-He portrayed the Nazi Party as a strong, well-organised and united party.
The image of the Nazi as a disciplined and competent political party appealed to many people, especially against the backdrop of Germany’s political and economic crisis in the early 1930s.
Thus, through the aggressive and clever use of propaganda, the Nazis were able to win the people’s support, which helped them rise to power in 1933.
Hitler’s skilfulness at making deals with politicians
-Hitler was a good political strategist and opportunist who was willing to wait for the right opportunity to gain power gradually.
-He was skilful in making deals to advance his position.
-Though the Nazi Party was the single largest party in the July and November 1932 elections, President Hindenburg refused to make Hitler the Chancellor, as he did not trust Hitler.
-In the November elections, the Nazis saw their support decline and they lost 34 seats in the Reichstag.
-Hitler decided to make a deal with the conservatives as he realised that there was a slim chance for him to gain power through elections.
-This strategy enabled Hitler to stay in the competition and maintain his political influence in the Reichstag.
Thus Hitler’s willingness and ability in making deals with politicians paved the way for him to systematically rise to power and gain political control in Germany.
