How did Hitler come to & consolidate his power?

Question 1

What did Ein Volk entail?

Answer 1

• Volksgemeinschaft➡️Perfect society.
• Desire for a pure Aryan race➡️Blonde hair and blue eyes.
• ‘subhumans’ to be eliminated.

Question 2

What did Ein Reich entail?

Answer 2

• All German (speakers) in one state.
• Overthrow T.O.V➡️War.
• Entitled to lebensraum (‘living space’)➡️Wanted farm land➡️Russia.
• War➡️To show racial dominance= Germany best country.

Question 3

What did Ein Fuehrer entail?

Answer 3

• Opposite of Weimar system➡️Dictatorship.
• Strong government.
• Hitler the supreme leader➡️Better than everyone else.
• Fuehrerprinzip➡️Complete power.

Question 4

How was the Munich Putsch a failure?

Answer 4

❌Kahr broke his promises to Hitler and dissolved the Nazi Party.

❌16 Nazis were killed by the police.

❌Hitler in prison➡️Nazi party leaderless and nearly disintegrated.

❌Hitler taken to prison➡️Sentenced to 5 years of fortress arrest.

❌Fled, arrested 2 days later, taken to prison➡️Embarrassment.

Question 5

How was the Munich Putsch a success?

Answer 5

✅People involved in putsch➡️Pretigious jobs in Nazi leadership.

✅Hitler realised road to office lay in legal methods, not violence.

✅Nazi party recognised as leading right wing party in Germany.

✅Only served nine months of fortress arrest.

✅Prison sentence gave time for Hitler to write Mein Kampf.

✅Trial enabled Hitler to publicly criticise Ebert and the Weimar Republic.

Question 6

What changes were made to the Nazi party from 1925?

Answer 6

• Established strong leadership➡️Internal conflicts not tolerated.
• SA had to look more professional and respectable➡️Neat uniform.
• SS set up➡️Elite Aryans and Hitler’s personal bodyguards.
• Gauleiters➡️Regional party leaders to promote Nazi party outside of Berlin.
• Mein Kampf published in 1925.
• Hitler Youth set up➡️1930= 25,000 members.
• Public meetings➡️Training in public speaking.

Question 7

Why did the Wall Street Crash result in 6 million unemployed by 1932?

Answer 7

Countries stopped buying German goods and American banks recalled loans…

➡️Fall in demand and businesses cut back production➡️Workers laid off as companies no longer make enough money to survive➡️Germans made redundant and wages reduced for those who keep their jobs➡️German people have less money to spend on goods➡️Fall in demands and businesses cut back (and so on).

Question 8

Why did the Wall St. Crash result in increasing Nazi popularity?

Answer 8

Wall St. Crash➡️Unemployment➡️Poverty➡️People unhappy➡️More support for Nazis.

Question 9

Why was Hitler appointed Chancellor in 1933?

Answer 9

July 1932: Nazi party largest in Reichstag but not majority, Von Papen appointed chancellor➡️Papen has no support-Nov 1932: Nazi vote fell➡️Hitler saw this as disaster, Kurt von Schleicher appointed chancellor➡️Forced to resign, 30th Jan 1933: Hitler appointed chancellor➡️Hindenburg and Von Papen thought they could control him.

Question 10

What did the Nazis believe?

Answer 10

Ein Volk- One people.

Ein Reich- One empire.

Ein Fuehrer- One leader.

Question 11

How did the Nazi party become popular?

Answer 11

• Propoganda➡️Fear and Hatred➡️e.g: Anti-Communist.
• Support➡️Support of powerful industrialists= money.
• Technology➡️Radio reached people in homes, Hitler flew across country to give speeches.
• Promises➡️Promised things to different groups➡️e.g: Arbeit und Brot.
• Hitler➡️Portrayed as strong leader.
• Weakness of Weimar Republic➡️Failed to deal with depression.

Question 12

What were the limits to Hitler’s power in 1933?

Answer 12

• No majority in Reichstag➡️Can’t pass laws without support.
• Losing trust from SA➡️Threat of overthrowing Hitler.
• Communists➡️Oppose Hitler.
• Hindenburg=president➡️Can use Article 48 and/or get rid of Hitler.
• Only 3 Nazis in Hitler’s first cabinet➡️Has to compromise.

Question 13

When was the Reichstag fire?

Answer 13

February 27th 1933.

Question 14

How did Hitler use the Reichstag fire to get rid of a certain limit to his power?

Answer 14

Hitler claimed the Reichstag fire was the start of a communist uprising.

He ordered the SA to arrest 4000 communists and received the ‘Reichstag Fire Decree’ from Hindenburg the next day, which eradicated communist threat.

Question 15

What did the Reichstag Fire Decree do?

Answer 15

• Suspended most civil rights in Germany.
• Used to imprison 1000s of communists without trial.
• Communist meetings and publications banned.

Question 16

What did Hitler do which allowed him to pass laws, without needing support from the Reichstag?

Answer 16

Enabling Act:

• Allowed Hitler to pass laws without approval of Reichstag.
• Hitler used SA to intimidate other parties into voting for it.

Question 17

What was the impact of the Enabling Act?

Answer 17

• Hitler given power to pass laws without Reichstag approval.
• Nazi Revolution➡️Trade unions and political parties banned.
• Reichstag in effect voted itself out of existence➡️No power.
• Gave Hitler dictatorial powers.

Question 18

How did Hitler deal with the threat from the SA?

Answer 18

Night of the Long Knives:

• Squads of SS broke into homes of Rohm and other leading SA.
• Rohm and 400 others executed.

Question 19

What was the impact of the Night of the Long Knives?

Answer 19

• Gained Hitler support from army, who felt threatened by SA.
• Gained Hitler support from middle class, who didn’t like SA violence.
• Ensured Hitler support of big businesses, who were influential.
• NotLK ensured no threat of ‘Second Revolution’.

Question 20

When did Hindenburg die?

Answer 20

July 1934.

There was no presidential election held, Hitler declared Führer= chancellor and president.

Question 21

What happened during the Munich Putsch?

Answer 21

• Hitler plotted with two nationalist politicians, Kahr and Lossow, to take over Munich➡️They called off the rebellion.
• Hitler stormed into a meeting with 600 SA demanding for them to agree to the rebellion➡️Let them go home.
• Kahr called the police and army reinforcements.

Question 22

When was the Enabling Act?

Answer 22

24th March 1933.

Question 23

When was the Night of the Long Knives?

Answer 23

29-30 June 1934.