Hitlers rise to power and the Nazi Party (1929-1934)

Question 1

What global event occurred on October 24th 1929?

Answer 1

The Wall Street Crash

Question 2

What was the Wall Street Crash?

Answer 2

When the price of stocks and shares in the New York Stock Exchange crashed causing companies to lose millions in value.

Question 3

What was the impact of the Wall Street Crash on Germany?

Answer 3

The USA called in its loans which Germany needed to fund its economy.
This meant there was no money to be invested into the German economy causing an economic depression

Question 4

How did the economic depression impact on Germany?

Answer 4

By 1932 6,000,000 Germans were unemployed

Unemployment benefit only lasted for 6 months after which millions of Germans were reduced to living in poverty.

The Weimar Government was unable to solve the crisis and their coalition governments kept collapsing, this led to an increase in support for extremist parties like the Communists and the Nazis

Question 5

What was the only way that the Weimar Government could pass laws easily during the Great Depression?

Answer 5

President Hindenburg allowed Chancellor Bruning to use the emergency powers in Article 48 to bypass the Reichstag.

Question 6

What happened to support for the Nazis during the Great Depression?

Answer 6

It rapidly increased. In 1928 they had 12 members of the Reichstag however in 1930 they 107 members elected and in 1932 they had 230 members.

Question 7

How did the Nazis convince more ordinary Germans to support them?

Answer 7

They used propaganda to spread their message across Germany.
They blamed the Jews and the communists for Germany’s problems
They used the SA to attack the Communists which gained the support of the middle classes and business owners. It also made the Nazis look powerful.
Hitler promised to provide German workers with jobs and promised business owners he would control the Trade Unions

Question 8

What happened when Hitler stood in the 1932 Presidential Election?

Answer 8

He lost to Hindenburg who got 17 million votes to Hitlers 11 million

Question 9

What happened to the Nazi Party in July 1932?

Answer 9

They became the largest party in the Reichstag

Question 10

Who became Chancellor in July 1932?

Answer 10

Franz von Papen as Hindenburg did not want to make Hitler Chancellor of Germany.

Question 11

Who replaced Franz von Papen in November 1932?

Answer 11

General Kurt von Schleicher who promised he could control Germany more effectively than Von Papen.

Question 12

Why was Hitler appointed Chancellor on January 31st 1933?

Answer 12

Von Papen suggested making him Chancellor because he believed that he could control him as his vice-chancellor.

Question 13

What were the limits to Hitlers power when he became Chancellor in January 1933?

Answer 13

He still needed the support of the Reichstag to pass laws.
The Nazis were the largest party in the Reichstag but did not have a MAJORITY meaning they needed the support of other parties to rule.

Question 14

When was the Reichstag Fire?

Answer 14

27th February 1933

Question 15

When were elections scheduled for in 1933?

Answer 15

March 1933

Hitler called them hoping to win an overall majority

Question 16

Who was blamed for the Reichstag Fire?

Answer 16

A Dutch Communist called Marius van der Lube who confessed to starting the fire. He was later beheaded.

Question 17

Who did the Communists blame for the Reichstag Fire?

Answer 17

They blamed the Nazis and claimed that the SA had started the fire.

Question 18

How did Hitler take advantage of the Reichstag Fire?

Answer 18

He persuaded Hindenburg to grant him emergency powers to deal with the plot.
Hindenburg passed an Emergency Decree using Article 48.

Question 19

What powers was Hitler granted after the Reichstag Fire?

Answer 19

Anyone could be arrested and detained without a trial

All freedom of expression was ended

Hitler could arrest political opponents he suspected of being involved in the plot

Question 20

Which group did Hitler use his powers to arrest and place in concentration camps?

Answer 20

The Communists.

Question 21

How did Hitler try and influence the 1933 election?

Answer 21

He used the SA to intimidate people into voting for the Nazis.

Question 22

What percentage of the vote did the Nazis receive in the March 1933 election?

Answer 22

44% which did not give them a majority.

Question 23

How did Hitler gain a majority in the Reichstag in March 1933?

Answer 23

He arrested the 81 Communist deputies.

Question 24

What was the Enabling Act?

Answer 24

A law passed by the Reichstag that gave Hitler the power to make his own laws without Reichstag approval.

Question 25

What were the consequences of the Enabling Act?

Answer 25

Hitler had now become a legally elected dictator and ended democracy in Germany

He banned other political parties

He banned Trade Unions and created a Nazi controlled one (the German Labour Front) in May 1933

Strikes were made illegal

Senior German politicians were replaced with loyal Nazis

Concentration camps were set up to imprison opponents

Question 26

What was the Concordat?

Answer 26

An agreement with the Pope signed in July 1933

It gained Catholic support for Hitler after he promised not to interfere with Catholicism in Germany.

Question 27

Why had the SA become a threat by 1934?

Answer 27

It was 2 million strong and controlled by Ernst Rohm who had a number of ideas that Hitler opposed.

He wanted to nationalize industry and replace the army with the SA which cost Hitler the support of the generals and business owners.

The SA were also unpopular in Germany due to their violent reputation.

Hitler feared that Rohm might use the SA to overthrow him.

Question 28

What was the Night of the Long Knives?

Answer 28

When Hitler used the SS to murder 200 of the leaders of the SA including Rohm.

He ordered the SA to go on leave for a month so they would not interfere and protect their leaders.
Then on June 30th he organised a meeting of the SA leadership in a tavern where they were murdered by the SS.

Question 29

Who else was murdered during the Night of the Long Knives?

Answer 29

General Kurt von Schleicher and his wife

Gustav von Kahr the Bavarian politician who had betrayed Hitler during the 1923 Munich Putsch

Question 30

What were the consequences of the Night of the Long Knives?

Answer 30

All opposition to Hitler from within the Nazi Party ended.

People in Germany became more intimidated by the Nazis.

The German Army became more supportive of Hitler

The SS increased in power giving Himmler and his deputy Heydrich more power and influence.

Question 31

How did Hitler become Fuhrer?

Answer 31

On August 2nd 1934 President Hindenburg died.
Hitler used his powers under the Enabling Act to declare himself Fuhrer (leader) and got the German Army to swear an oath of loyalty to him.

This gave Hitler complete control over Germany.