Political and governmental change - Origins of the Nazi party Flashcards
What are the 6 levels of organisation to the Nazi Party
Hitler
The SS
Leadership Corps
The SA
Party Membership
Hitler Youth
The Nazis got ____% of the vote in 1928
2.8
What were the policies of the Nazi party when the party originated
To improve the country
- Educate gifted children at the state’s expense
- Increase old age pensions
- Strong central government
- Nationalise important industries
What were the policies of the Nazi party when the party originated
To go against the Weimar government
- Challenge terror or violence with your own terror
- Abolish the TOV
- Destroy marxism
- Destroy the Weimar
- Remove Jews from all positions of leadership in Germany
- No non-Germans to be newspapers editors
What were the policies of the Nazi party when the party originated
Military
Conquer Lebensraum
Re-arm Germany
Reasons why the Nazis didn’t get the a large proportion of the vote:
lacked support of the working class
- most workers, who wanted to see change, voted for the social democrats
Reasons why the Nazis didn’t get the a large proportion of the vote:
1924-29 was a prosperous time in Germany
- the Germans, felt better off at this time
- Stresemann had built better relations with other countries & diminished political violence inside Germany
- Stresemann had managed to solve many of the economic problems of the early 1920s, loans from other countries also helped Germany
Reasons why the Nazis didn’t get the a large proportion of the vote:
The Nazis were too extreme
- the SA were very violent they were seen by people as too authoritative
- people were put off by the Nazi’s anti-semetic ideas & their aim of invading other countries
What are the 4 main reasons why Hitler became Chancellor by 1933
- Weaknesses of the Weimar government
- Hitler’s appeal & promises
- Massive fear of communism
- 1929 - The Wall Street Crash - economic issues always make people question their government
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Impact of the Wall Street Crash & the depression 1929
- In the months after the Wall Street Crash, American banks recalled their loans
- and as a result many German businesses had to close & the country went into a depression
- Unemployment stood at 2 million in Autumn 1929
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Weimar Government October 1929
- The Grand Coalition disagreed over how to respond to the rising unemployment
- and as a result no effective policies are implemented by the government after the Wall Street Crash
- leading to National income shrinking by 39% between 1929-32
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Weimar Government March 1930
- Effective coalitions were nearly impossible to form
- Policies of cuts & austerity deepened the depression and increased poverty leading Bruning to be known as the “Hunger Chancellor”.
- By the end of the 1930, unemployment was over 3 million
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Nazi Party September 1930
- The Fuhrer cult
- Hitler was always portrayed as Germany’s saviour
- the man who would rescue the country from the grip of depression
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Nazi Party September 1930 - people’s community
- Volksgemeinschaft (people’s community)
- This was the idea that the Nazis would create one German community that would make religion or social class, less relevant to people
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Nazi Party September 1930 - Anti-semitism
- Scapegoating the Jews (and other religions/ races) for Germany’s misfortunes
- Jews were often portrayed as sub-human, or as threat to both the racial purity & economic future of the country
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Weimar Government June 20th 1930
- The Hoover Moratorium
- This frees up money for the government to spend on solving the Depression
- but they only introduce modest work schemes and this is not enough to have a significant impact on the economy.
What was the Hoover Moratorium
US President Hoover suspends the payment of all war debts, including reparations for one year.
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Impact of the Wall Street Crash & the depression June 13th 1930
- Banking crisis erupts when the Danat Bank, one of the three largest banks, fails to open
- This prompts a run on the banks
- In the end 5 major banks went bankrupt
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Nazi Party July 27th 1930
A Frankfurt political and economic society collects a petition for Adolf Hitler’s appointment as chancellor of the republic.
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Weimar Government 1931 - Article 48
- There were 44 emergency decrees in 1931 using Article 48
- compared to 5 in 1930
- demonstrating the weakness of the Coalition government and its inability to get laws passed in the Reichstag
- and a movement towards authoritarianism
How many times was article 48 used in 1930
5
How many times was article 48 used in 1931
44
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Nazi Party February 26th 1931
- Hitler officially becomes a ‘German citizen’ having previously been considered a ‘stateless person.
- This allows him to take the position of President or Chancellor.
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Nazi Party April 10th 1931
- Hindenburg is re-elected as German president, defeating Adolf Hitler by a small margin.
- Despite the defeat Goebbels used modern technology such as radios and using aeroplanes to fly Hitler from region to region to campaign.
- Hitler came out of this as a credible political leader.
- The Nazi were also the only party to have increased support from Germans of all classes.
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Weimar Government 1931 - KDP
The KDP refuse to work in any coalition government leaving the right to have a greater share in any coalition combined with the rights total control of the Presidency.
Why would many argue that the government took more serious steps to deal with the depression in May 1931
- Müller and Brüning’s cabinets (1928 to 1932) came very close to bringing economic salvation.
- Reparations were finally cancelled, the budget was nearly balanced, the public debt was low.
- Collapse of the great financial institutions was prevented.
Describe how many perceived the government as weak by May 1931, as it was too little too late to solve the Depression
- Millions of Germans as demonstrated by the increasing votes for anti-democratic parties
- had lost faith in the government and its ability to get Germany out of the Depression,
- and many had lost faith in democracy itself.
What was a constant issue for the Weimar government during the Depression
unemployment
What was the seeming stance of the Weimar government on unemployment in May 1931
- Unemployment was a consistent issue
- there seemed to be no solution, or not one the Conservative right, who were running the country at this point were willing to take
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Nazi Party July 1932
- The Nazis secured 37.3% of the vote making them the largest party in the Reichstag
- During the election campaign, there were 461 riots in Prussia,
- with the SA responsible for much of the violence, as democratic norms began to break down
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Weimar Government July 1932
Hindenburg and the Reichstag were not working together in any meaningful way and hadn’t been for some time.
How did Von Papen give direct precedent for Hitler’s takeover of branches of government in 1933.
- Von Papen disliked democracy & was more willing to work with the Nazis, rather than Bruning to tackle the violence in Germany & Prussia
- e.g removing the SPD from the govt of Prussia, becoming Prussian Reich commissioner himself,
- so with him preoccupied, he provided Hitler with a direct precedent for his takeover of branches of government in 1933.
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Nazi Party Summer/Autumn 1932
- Leading industrialists urged Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor because Hitler’s pledge to destroy communism was popular amongst the Conservative elites
- The Nazi party were now very well-funded with industrialists contributing to Nazi party funds.
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Weimar Government November 1932
- Hindenburg called another election because of the inability of the government to function in any meaningful way
In November 1932, the Nazis share of the vote fell to…
33.1%
By December 1932, unemployment had risen to
5 million
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Nazi Party December 1932
- There were now over 170,000 members of the SA - an increase of 100,000 in one year.
- The SA had been used to create chaos during elections,
- even after, demonstrating the “failure of democracy”
Why did the Weimar government collapse
Actions of the Weimar Government January 1933
- Constant problem that the Reichstag could not be continually dissolved and hold elections every few months.
- However, the Constitution meant that Hindenburg, Papen and others anti-democratic Conservatives couldn’t simply act as they wished
In January 1933, Hindenburg, working with Von Papen, made….
- Hitler Chancellor, replacing Schleicher
- with Papen as Vice Chancellor
- and the Nazis were limited to 3 members in the cabinet
In January 1933, Hindenburg, working with Papen, made Hitler Chancellor because….
- The conservative elites though they could control Hitler & use the Nazi party to continue governing in an authoritarian manner
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
Underlying problems - Responses to the ToV from the German public
- The severity of the terms created intense political debate & division
- Vast majority of Germans were divided as how to how respond to the ToV
What groups refused to acknowledge the treaty or comply with the ToV terms
Right wing nationalist groups, like the Nazi Party
What did the Moderates and Pragmatists think about the approach of refusing to acknowledge the terms of the ToV
Believed this approach could lead to economic collapse
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
Underlying problems - Responses to the ToV from Stresemann
- Stresemann’s approach was to restore foreign relations, working for a re-negotiation & relaxation of the ToVs harsher terms
- this resulted in the Dawes & Youngs plan
- which created a greater dependency on America,
- which exasperated the consequences of the Wall Street Crash
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
Underlying problems - Economic impact of WW1 (reparations)
- Heavy reparations bill - hampered Germany’s postwar economic recovery - and therefore its political stability.
- By 1922 Germany was unable to pay the reparations instalments, triggering the Ruhr occupation, the hyperinflation crisis and the collapse of two government coalitions.
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
Underlying problems - lingering militarism, nationalism and authoritarian political values
- Germany’s defeat in World War I should weakened German militarism, nationalism and faith in authoritarianism.
- These ideas survived in the post-war period and working to undermine Weimar democracy.
- The main sources for these ideas were military organisations & political parties on the far right and national institutions
Describe which military organisations upheld lingering militarism, nationalism and authoritarian political values
- The Reichswer (the German army) via the Ebert-Groener agreement of 1918
- The Freikorps, who helped to oppose the government during the Kapp Putsch [1920]
Describe which political parties upheld lingering militarism, nationalism and authoritarian political values
Political parties on the far right and national institutions, such as the judiciary
(e.g. Hitler’s sentence following the Munich Putsch was small)
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
The problems of the coalition government - Weimar’s divisive electoral system
- Ruled out any prospect of a majority government.
- Filled the Reichstag with smaller (and extremist) parties, with regional or narrow focuses
- The scattered composition made coalitions fractious, hindering both debate, passing legislation, and responses to national crises,
- resulting in stalemates
What was proportional representation
Very democratic system which allocated Reichstag seats based on the share of votes each party received.
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
The problems of the coalition government - Difficulties of minority government
- For the duration of the W.R, no single political party ever held an absolute majority of Reichstag seats
- To push through legislation, coalition voting blocs had to be coddled together to form a majority.
- But the political divisions of the 1920s meant that these coalitions were fragile,
- as a contentious bill or measure could put it at risk of fracturing and collapsing
Describe how some more extreme parties in the Reichstag would make coalitions difficult
- Some parties, especially those on the radical fringes,
- refused to participate in Reichstag coalitions, or they entered them reluctantly or insincerely.
- Right-wing parties, for instance, were reluctant to participate in coalitions with the large SPD
The fragility of these coalitions made the task of the…
Chancellor and his cabinet enormously difficult.
Give an example of how the fragility of coalitions made it difficult to be the Chancellor
Between 1930 and 1932, there were three Chancellors and several elections in an attempt to find a government which worked
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
The constitution & a lack of support for democracy - conspiracy theories
- ‘stab in the back’ myth undermined the trust and popularity of the post-war Weimar government,
- perceived by nationalists as treacherous and unpatriotic.
- Second, the Dolchstosslegende protected the reputation of the military and allowing militarism to survive the war.
Provide evidence that despite their huge failures in 1918, military commanders kept their status and influence in the new republic.
1925 election of Paul von Hindenburg, a failed general who publicly expressed his belief in the Dolchstosslegende
Explain what is meant by the ‘stab in the back’ theory
- This myth claimed that the 1918 surrender
- was created by socialists, liberals and Jews in Germany’s civilian government (the ‘November Criminals’),
- rather than being the result of military defeat.
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
The constitution
The men who drafted the constitution in 1919 attempted to create a political system which incorporated democracy, federalism, and protection of individual rights.
Stalemates - the President’s emergency powers were frequently called into action, which only enhanced and worsened political divisions
The President being allowed to have considerable emergency powers (Article 48) & a 7 year term. - made him very similar to…
The Former president Kaiser
Between July 1930 and July 1932, how many laws were passed by the Reichstag versus the President
109 - Presidential decree
29 - The Reichstag
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
The constitution & a lack of support for democracy - hostility to democracy & parliamentarian government
- Parties like the KPD, the NSDAP and the DNVP (in its early years) had anti-democratic platforms that called for the destruction of parliamentary democracy & were very intransigent.
- These groups stood candidates in elections, not to participate in the Reichstag but to sabotage and destroy it from within
- Public trust in the Weimar political system to fall.
Describe how the NSDAP used its growing representation in the Reichstag
In the early 1930s they used it as a platform for anti-democratic rhetoric and propaganda.
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
The rise of extremist parties - political plotting
- Former chancellor Franz von Papen, for example, helped to persuade the president that a Hitler cabinet could succeed.
- If Hitler was appointed Chancellor, Von Papen could control Hitler in government.
- On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor, and secured his path to dictatorship by August 1934.
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
The rise of extremist parties - political plotting
In April 1932, Hindenburg (now 84 years old) wanted to retire, but was persuaded to run again as president to keep ….. out.
Hitler stood as a presidential candidate, but was ……… by Hindenburg with 19.4 million votes to Hitler’s 13.4 million.
Hitler
Defeated
Hitler stood as a presidential candidate, but was defeated by Hindenburg with……..million votes to Hitler’s …. million.
19.4
13.4
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
The rise of extremist parties - rising support for Hitler & the Nazis
changing the party’s principles
- Between 1924 and 1932, Hitler and his agents busied themselves with reforming and expanding the NSDAP. They critically re-badged the NSDAP as a legitimate contender for Reichstag seats by:
- toning down their anti-Semitic and anti-republican rhetoric;
- recruiting members to increase party membership;
- transforming the NSDAP into a national party rather than a Bavarian group.
Support for the Nazis in elections was also boosted by the …………..and its attacks on political opponents.
Sturmabteilung (SA)
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
The rise of extremist parties - rising support for Hitler & the Nazis
gaining support
Hitler also chased support from powerful interest groups: German industrialists, wealthy capitalists, press barons like Alfred Hugenberg and the upper echelons of the Reichswer.
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
The rise of extremist parties - The Depression
The NSDAP recorded significant increases in Reichstag seats in 1930 and July 1932.
Explain the different arguments why the Weimar Republic failed
The Depression: effects & failure to deal with them
- 6 million unemployed
- This resulted in many German voters (in particular, the middle class) abandoning their support for mainstream and moderate parties and voting instead for radical groups
- Whether this was genuine support for these parties or a protest vote, an increase in NSDAP seats in the Reichstag, propelled Adolf Hitler into the public eye, first as a presidential nominee and then as a potential chancellor
