The Nazi rise to Power 1923-1933

Question 1

What made Hitler believe the time was right to seize power?

Answer 1

Successful takeover of Benito Mussolini in Italy October 1922
Developing internal crisis in Germany

Question 2

When was the Beer Hall Putsch?

Answer 2

1923

Question 3

Why did Hitler need allies for the Beer Hall Putsch?

Answer 3

Nazis far too weak on their own for political takeover and Hitler only seen as a drummer who could stir up masses for national movement

Question 4

Who were Hitler’s allies for the Beer Hall Putsch?

Answer 4

Kahr and Bavarian state gov. and Bavarian section of German army under Lossow

Question 5

What did Hitler plot to do with Lossow and Kahr?

Answer 5

March on Berlin

Question 6

Why was Hitler’s plan unrealistic and doomed with hindsight?

Answer 6

Overestimated level of public support for a putsch - despite problems face by Weimar
Lack of real planning
Relied too much on support of Ludendorff
Kahr and Lossow, fearing failure, decided to hold back

Question 7

What were the consequences of the Munich Putsch?

Answer 7

NSDAP banned
Trial turned into propaganda success, made himself national figure
Won respect of other nationalists for having courage to act
Leniency of sentence - five years, minimum stipulated by Weimar constitution + reduced to 10 months
Months in prison used to reassess political strategy and dictating Mein Kampf

Question 8

By 1928 there had been party progress because of what?

Answer 8

Structure effectively organised
Membership increased four-fold since 1925
Hitler’s leadership was authoritative and secure

Question 9

What were the results of the Reichstag election in May 1928

Answer 9

2.6% of the vote, 12 seats

Question 10

What did the results of the 1928 election show?

Answer 10

Policy of legality failed to bring political success

Question 11

Where did Hitler make gains in the election?

Answer 11

Northern part of Germany among rural middle and lower-middle class
Fall in agricultural prices

Question 12

How did National Opposition campaign to the Young Plan benefitted Hitler?

Answer 12

Party membership grew to 130,000 by 1929
Nazism gained a national standing for the first time
Main party rally at Nuremberg - on a much grander scale than before - was a great success
Hitler made influential political contacts on extreme right wing
Opportunity of having access to Hugenberg’s media empire

Question 13

Who were the four chancellors before Hitler?

Answer 13

Muller
Bruning
Papen
Schleicher

Question 14

What two reasons is it that Bruning appointment marked a crucial step towards the end of true parliamentary government?

Answer 14

Manoeuvred into office by select circle of political intriguers around Hindenburg. All 3 had limited faith in democratic process, instead viewed president and A48 as means of creating authoritarian gov.
Bruning’s response to growing economic crisis led to constitutional crisis. Proposed cuts in gov. expenditure to achieve balanced budget and prevent risk of inflation. Budget rejected in Reichstag, put proposals in effect by emergency degree instead. Reichstag challenged legality, voted for withdrawal, deadlock reached, B asked H to dissolve R and call election in Sept. 1930

Question 15

What are the key features about the performance of the political parties in the 1930 Reichstag election?

Answer 15

Nazis w/ 107 seats became second largest party
Vote of the VNVP halved 14.2 to 7%
Democratic parties of DDP and German people’s party DVP lost significantly
Vote of SPD declined 29.8 to 24.5
KPD increased 10.8 to 13.1

Question 16

What key factors explain the Nazi breakthrough in the 1930 Reichstag election?

Answer 16

Directed propaganda at rural and middle class/lower class
Attracting new voters
New generation of voters, electorate grown by 1.8m
turnout increased 75.6 to 82

Question 17

Why was Bruning titled the Hunger Chancellor?

Answer 17

Main measures were to cut spending drastically, raise taxes but this lowered demand, leading to worsening of the slump. Most marked effect of this was a large increase in no. of unemployed and decline in welfare state provision

Question 18

Why was Hindenburg’s re-election in 1932 a negative victory?

Answer 18

Was only chosen as he was the sole alternative between Hitler and KPD candidate
Hitler doubled Nazi vote

Question 19

Why did Hindenburg force Bruning to resign?

Answer 19

Banking crisis - collapse of major bank + others 1931 -> fears of financial crissis
End of year unemployment nearing 5m
Oct 1931 National Opposition reborn as the Hazburg Front , demanded resignation of Bruning + new reichstag election
Land reform - B aimed to issue ED to turn Junker estates in East Prussia into 600k allotments for unemployed workers. Landowners felt threat to property interests and dubbed it agarian bolshevism

Question 20

What shows that Papen’s understanding and experience of politics were limited?

Answer 20

He did not even hold a seat in the Reichstag

Question 21

In order to strengthen the gov. Papen and Schleicher wanted to what?

Answer 21

Secure political support from the Nazis

Question 22

Hitler agreed not to oppose the new gov. (Papen) in return for what two concessions?

Answer 22

Dissolution of the Reichstag and calling of fresh elections
End of gov. ban on SA and SS which was introduced after violence during the presidential campaign

Question 23

What did Papen and Schleicher hoped that the agreement with the Nazis would result in?

Answer 23

Creation of a right wing authoritarian gov.

Question 24

How many people died in July alone because of political fights in 1932?

Answer 24

86 people

Question 25

Why was Papen and Schleicher able to abolish Prussia?

Answer 25

Bloodshed due to the 1932 Reichstag election

Question 26

What were the results of the 1932 Reichstag elections?

Answer 26

Nazis 230 seats, became largest party in Germany
Nationalists fell
Middle-class democratic parties 11 seats between parties
Left-wing parties SPD declined, KPD increased

Question 27

When was the Stennes’ revolt?

Answer 27

1931

Question 28

What was the Stennes’ revolt?

Answer 28

Serious disagreement between SA and party leadership
Berlin SA leader rebelled against Hitler’s orders and Goebbels to act legally and limit the violence, Hitler defeated the revolt with small purge, but underlined difficulties between SA and party leadership

Question 29

Why did Papen dissolve the Reichstag and call for another election after the 12th of September ?

Answer 29

Reichstag passed vote of no confidence in his government

Question 30

Why was Papen’s reading of the situation sound to call for another election?

Answer 30

Nazis = short on money, morale and electorate growing tired of repeated elections
Resulted in fall of naxi vote on 6th nov.

Question 31

How many seats did the Nazi party have on the 6th November 1932 election?

Answer 31

196 seats

Question 32

After the November 1932 election what did Papen do?

Answer 32

Dissolved Reichstag and declared Martial law and establishment of a presidential dictatorship, opposed by Schleicher

Question 33

What did Schleicher believe about Papen’s plan?

Answer 33

Would lead to civil war, so he informed hindenburg of army’s lack of confidence in Papen

Question 34

What were Schleicher’s aims when he became Chancellor?

Answer 34

Achieve political stability
Restore national confidence by creating a more broadly based gov.

Question 35

What was Schleicher’s strategy?

Answer 35

Gain support from political left, esp. trade unions by suggesting programme of public works
Split Nazis and attract socialist wing of Nazi party by offering Strasser position of vice-chancellor

Question 36

Why did trade unions break off negotiations?

Answer 36

Suspicious of his motives
Encouraged by political masters from SPD

Question 37

When did Hitler and Papen hold a meeting and what did they agree to?

Answer 37

4th January 1933
Agreed Hitler should head a Nazi-Nationalist coalition gov. with Papen as vice-chancellor

Question 38

When did Hindenburg agree to sanction the creation of a Nazi-Nationalist coalition?

Answer 38

30th January 1933

Question 39

What were Hitler’s limitations as Chancellor?

Answer 39

Only two other Nazis in cabinet of 12
His coalition didn’t have Reichstag majority, difficult to introduce significant legislation
Chancellor’s post dependant on Hindenburg, who openly resented Hitler

Question 40

What were Hitler’s strengths as Chancellor?

Answer 40

Leader of largest party
Gained access to the resources of the state, Goring took control of police, could ignore Nazi crimes
Masterly political tactician, wouldn’t be a puppet like Papen

Question 41

What was the election result of the Reichstag election 5th March 1933?

Answer 41

88% turnout
Nazis secured 288 seats , could now claim majority in the Reichstag, but only with help of 52 Nationalists

Question 42

What was the ‘revolution from below’ in 1933

Answer 42

Momentum built up within lower ranks of Nazi party in regional area, increasingly difficult for Hitler to contain
Members taking law into own hands
Threatened Hitler’s image of legality and antagnoise many conservatives

Question 43

What grandiose act of reassurance did Hitler arrange?

Answer 43

Potsdam day 21st March
Celebrate opening of Reichstag
Hindenburg + Crown Prince to be there

Question 44

Why was the Enabling Law passed by 444 to 94 votes?

Answer 44

Communists were refused admittance
Intimidation from SA who surrounded building
False promises to respect rights of Catholic Church