Paper 2 : Germany - Emergence of authoritarian states

Question 1

AUTHORITATIVE STATES - GERMANY

Emergence of authoritarian states

Answer 1

Objectives
* Conditions in which authoritarian states emerged: economic factors; social division; impact of war; weakness of political system
* Methods used to establish authoritarian states: persuasion and coercion; the role of leaders; ideology; the use of force; propaganda

Question 2

Conditions in which authoritarian states emerged: economic factors;

Answer 2

Economic factors
* Ruhr crisis of 1923 leading to hyperinflation. Great Depression 1924-1929.
*

Historiographies: Ian Kershaw state that “the economic turmoil of the 1920s and early 1930s helped feed the collective view that Germany needed a national savior”
* ‘As Kolb pointed out, it became the primary object of industrial leaders after 1929-30 to deprive the Reichstag of power and establish an authoritarian government.

Question 3

Conditions in which authoritarian states emerged: social division

Answer 3

• Fear of Many upper-class and middle-class Germans on the rise of Communism.
• Conservatives; were willing to support Hilter believe that a strong or authoritarian leader was required to solve Germany’s problems
• Historiography; Hamilton asserts that ‘Anti~communism was the most important of Hilter’s appeal.

Question 4

Conditions in which authoritarian states emerged: impact of war

Answer 4

• Germany’s failure in the treaty of versailles brought resentment among the people
• This influenced Hitler expansionist policies
• It brought the stab in the back theory criticizing the weimar’s governance

Question 5

Conditions in which authoritarian states emerged: weakness of political system

Answer 5

• Democracy in the weimar’s republic was fragile
• Proportional Representation allowed formation of political parties. hence Hilter’s fromation of NSDAP.

1. • Historiographies - Norman Lowe political parties had very limited experience in democratic system.
     * AJP Taylor claimed “if there had been a stong democratic sentiment in Germany, Hilter would never have come to power.
     *Salmon It was ‘one of the most democratic documents in the world’, but it can be argued that Germans were not historically or psychologically prepared for self-government.

Question 6

Emergence of authoritarian states

Methods used to establish authoritarian states: persuasion and coercion;

Answer 6

• Reichstag fire of 1933- crack down on the communist KPD and the socialist SPD parties.
• State-the decree - diminish threat of opposition
• Eliminating opposition-police banned all political party meetings and marches.

Historiography; Ian Kershaw states that “the Night of the Long Knives removed any internal threat to Hitler’s power”

Question 7

Methods used to establish authoritarian states: the role of leaders;

Answer 7

Characteristics of Hitler:
* skilled orator with emotional appeal
* He convicnced Bavarian authorities after banning of NAzi party
* He was elected chancellor because it was believed that he was a destructive element outside the government than in it.
* The Nazi party gained a third of the seats in the Reichstag after the 1932 elections.

**Historiographies;
1. AJP Taylor claim “Hilter was the most popular leader of any European country in modern Europe; it was silly to claim otherwise.”
2. Stephen J.Lee asserts that “Hilter came to power largely through conspiracy. Nazi party managed more effectively than any other party to mobilize popular disconnect against the public.

Question 8

Methods used to establish authoritarian states: ideology;

Answer 8

Ideology key to respond to the needs of the German people, especially in the economic conditions after the 1929 Stock Market Crash.

Fascism-emphasizes on tradition, conservatism, and discipline.
Fuhrerprinzip-the leader principle, meant that the ultimate
authority rested with Hilter and extended downward.
Racial theories-German was the superior Aryan race, all other races were inferior. The Nazi 25 points, and highlighted in Mein Kampf.
Anti Semitism-spread of the hatred of the jews.
Anti-communism-hatred of eastern Slavs and communist ideas, Fuhrer principle-need for a strong unifying leader a dictator to lead Germans to greatness.
Lebensraum -’living space’-Germans need for more lands for settlement of German people.
Dismantling democracy
Foreign conquest
*Historiography; Hamilton asserts that ‘Anti~communism was the most important of Hilter’s appeal.

Question 9

Methods used to establish authoritarian states: ; propaganda

Answer 9

• Books~Antisemitic children’s book “the poisonous mushroom”- superiority of the Aryan race
• Nazi propaganda newspaper- ‘The Jews are our Misfortune”
• Posters - red color
• Photographs; Hilter portrayed as a stong leader, patriotic German millitary member and concerned politician.
• Films - I accuse(1941) ; film that promoted nazi’s ideologies and anti jewish films
• Press- Nazi strict control over journalist, editors and publishers
• Jewish journalists and publishers fired
• Radio subsisidies for affordability
• Public speakers - radio programmes- speeches and propanganda
• Minister of propaganda - Joseph Goebells
• The 1936 Olympic Games - helped Hitler promote idea of strong Aryan man and woman.Hilter Youth participated in sporting activities.

Cult of Personality-
Hilter portrayed himself as a man who would restore Germany to greatness.
* Hitler remained outside the dirty side of politics, portrayed as a religious man who would confront the inherent evils of atheistic communism.

Question 10

Methods used to establish authoritarian states: the use of force;

Answer 10

• Hitler used force or the threat of it to intimidate Reichstag delegates who were considering not supporting him and the Nazis in passing the Enabling Act, 1933.
• Led to the arrest and hunt down of delegates
• Enabling Act allowed Hitler to bypass the Reichstag, it began the process of creating a legal dictatorship.
• The SA - ex-soldiers, who joined for : commitment to Hitler, hatred of Communism and the sanctioned use of violence, or desire for adventure and to belong to a group.
  The SS was originally Hitler’s private bodyguard and ‘Protection Squad’. The perpetrated the Holocaust.
  Historiography :Bruce Pauly “Hilter and Nazi infamously used force and violence as key methods to consolidate and maintain power.”

**Historiography;Bruce Pauly “Hitler and nazi used force and force -

Question 11

Methods used to establish authoritarian states: Coersion and use of force;

Answer 11

The night of long knives

• Reichstag fire of 1933- Hilter to crack down on the communist KPD and the socialist SPD parties.
• Led to the enaction of the Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of the Nation and the State-
• the decree would diminish the threat of opposition.
• police banned all political party meetings and marches.
  *1933 election-was characterized by violence and intimidation against opposition parties.
  press and radio only allowed messages that the Nazis wanted to be heard and published to be broadcast.
• banning public meetings and arresting over 4,000 communists, the Nazi party and the Nationalist party increased the number of seats they had in the Reichstag
  * Historiography; Ian Kershaw states that “the Night of the Long Knives removed any internal threat to Hitler’s power”