Hitler Takes Political Control: 1933-34 Flashcards
What the Nazi Party initially named?
The German Worker’s Party
Nazi Party
the National Socialist German Worker’s Party
Why did the Nazi party grow?
Hitler was popular
What happened in 1923?
The Munich Putsch
the Munich Putsch
An attempt to seize control of Munich
Effects of the Munich Putsch
- attempt to seize control of Munich failed
- Hitler was arrested for treason and thrown into prison
- strengthened Hitler’s position and he altered his political views
How did the Munich Putsch strengthen Hitler’s position?
trial gave publicity to Nazi movement
What did Hitler do while in prison?
- wrote a book
- Mein Kampf
- developed two important principles
Mein Kampf
My struggle
Two important principles developed in Mein Kampf
- the Fuhrer Principle
- the Reichstag Principle
The Fuhrer Principle
Hitler argued to be successful his party needed one all-powerful leader - himself
Fuhrer
One all-powerful leader
The Reichstag Principle
- Hitler argued that outright rebellion would never destroy the system
- instead get elected and destroy the system from within
Racism
- idea of Hitler outlined in Mein Kampf
- Hitler believed the Aryan race were the master race, all other races were inferior
Anschluss
- idea of Hitler outlined in Mein Kampf
- Hitler would join Austria and Germany
Treaty of Versailles
Hitler would reverse this
Lebensraum
- living space
- Germany, needed to expand as it’s many people were hemmed in
- mainly at the expense of Russia and Poland (East)
- by war if necessary
Armed force
Hitler believe that war and struggle were essential part of development of healthy Aryan race if Germany was to be great again
Communism
Hitler believed it was evil because it was international
What happened in 1929?
- World slump began
- this help the Nazis because people were more willing to listen to their extreme ideas
- Hitler promised employment
What helped Hitler rise to power in Germany?
- high unemployment
- falling wages
- closing factories + businesses
- Unemployment rate
1,320,000
- Unemployment rate
5,102,000
What helped Hitler gain support?
Hitler was a superb public speaker
How was Hitler able to fight expensive election campaigns?
- Rich men supported Hitler
- they disliked the treaty of Versailles + war guilt cause
- gave Hitler money
What helped Hitler rise to power in Germany?
- German government was weak
- President Hindenburg was past his prime – 84 years old
How was the German government weak?
Having a Civil War, couldn’t agree on anything
Why did Hindenburg give Hitler the job of Chancellor?
Hindenburg feared the Communists’ growing power
- He hated them even more than the Nazis
- Hitler promised to sort them out
Chancellor
German equivalent of PM
Why could Hitler not make laws?
- Germany was a democracy
- could only make laws Reichstag agreed to them
- many opposed to ideas
Why did Hitler have to get rid of half the seats in the Reichstag?
- more than half the seats in the Reichstag opposed him
- particularly Communists and Socialists
Why was general von Hindenburg a problem to Hitler’s steps to total power?
- Owed his job to Hindenburg
- could make him resign if he thought he wasn’t governing the country properly
What did Hitler 30th January 1933, which helped him strengthen his position and increase his power?
Became Chancellor
How did becoming chancellor strengthen Hitler’s position and increase his power?
- gave him more power
- got him closer to end goal – dictator
What did Hitler do 27th February 1933, which strengthened his position and increased his power?
Reichstag fire
How did the Reichstag fire strengthen Hitler’s position and increase his power?
- blamed on communists
- communist Marianus van der Lubbe found on premises
- claimed communists couldn’t be trusted to uphold government
What did Hitler do 28th February 1933, which strengthened his position and increased his power?
Law for protection of people and state
How did the law for protection of people and state, strengthen Hitler’s position and increase his power?
- banned Communists and Socialists from taking part in upcoming elections
- **SA beat up supporters in the streets **
- emergency powers – anyone suspected of plotting against government, arrested and imprisoned without trial
What did Hitler do 5th March 1933, which strengthened his position and increased his power?
New elections
How did the new elections strengthen Hitler’s position and increase his power?
- hoped new actions would help achieve overall majority in the Reichstag
- however, did not
What did Hitler do 23rd March 1933, which strengthened his position and increased its power?
Enabling act
How did the enabling act strengthen Hitler’s position and increase his power?
- able to make laws without asking for Reichstags’ consent (four years)
- absolute power to make laws
- enabled to destroy all opposition to rule
- Removed Reichstag source of opposition
what methods did Hitler use to ensure members of Reichstag were not there to vote against enabling act?
- SA
- SS
- Law for Protection of People and State
What did Hitler 7 April 1933 which strengthened his position and increased his power?
Nazi officials in charge of local governments ran Germany’s provinces
What was enabling act passed with?
Passed with help of Catholic Centre party
How did putting Nazi officials in charge of local governments strengthen Hitler’s position and increase his power?
Nazi officials in charge of local governments ran Germany’s provinces
Power over every area of Germany
How did Gleichschaltung strengthened Hitler’s position and increase his power?
- eliminated any remaining opposition to regime
- ‘bringing alignment’ coordinating all aspects of life to fit Nazi ideals
Gleichschaltung
Describe an action taken by Hitler to increase his power (3)
- as a result of the Reichstag fire Hitler was able to persuade P. Hindenburg, who feared communist revolution to pass law for PoPaS
- gave advantage in forthcoming elections
- socialists and communists taken out of elections
- Nazis used to advantage
