The rise of Hitler and the Nazis to January 1933 Flashcards
Why did Hitler feel confident about the Munich Putsch?
- He wanted to destroy the Weimar Republic
- He had developed an increasingly close relationship with the former army leader, Ludendorff. Hitler believed that, if it came to a crisis, Ludendorff would be willing and able to persuade the German army to desert the government and side with the Nazis.
- The Bavarian government was right-wing. Its leaders, Gustav von Kahr and General von Lossow, had been plotting against the Weimar Republic. Hitler felt sure they would support a putsch.
- The Italian leader, Benito Mussolini, had successfully used the threat of violence and marched on Rome the previous year and taken over the Italian government. Hitler hoped to secure Bavaria and then march on Berlin.
- There was much discontent in Germany in 1923 due to the effects of hyperinflation. Many nationalists were furious when, in September, Stresemann’s government called off passive resistance in the Ruhr and again began to pay reparations to the French
Describe the events of the Beer Hall Putsch?
8 November 1923
Otto von Lossow and Gustav von Kahr address a meeting of 2,000 right-wing supporters in a Munich beer-hall. Hitler and his stormtroopers burst into the meeting. They declare a national revolution. Gun in hand, Hitler forces Kahr and Lossow into a side room. The two men are forced to state their support for a march on Berlin to impose a new government, with General Ludendorff as the new Commander-in-Chief. Meanwhile, thousands of stormtroopers seize other members of the Bavarian government; they terrorise their opponents but they fail to gain control of the army barracks. After Lossow and Kahr swear loyalty to the putsch, Ludendorff lets them go.
9 November
Berlin: President Ebert declares a national state of emergency because of the treason in Munich. General Seeckt orders Lossow to crush the revolt. Lossow and Kahr now issue a proclamation denouncing the putsch. Ludendorff persuades Hitler not to give up and to march into Munich to seize power, as a first step to marching on Berlin. Ludendorff is convinced that soldiers will support their former commander, and certainly not fire on him.
At noon, 2,000 armed Nazis gaining some public support march to a military base in Munich. They are met by armed police and Bavarian soldiers. A shot is fired and police return fire.
Fourteen Nazis are killed, including the person next to Hitler. Most Nazis fall to the ground and take cover. Hitler dislocates his shoulder in his fall, then flees. Ludendorff continues to march up to the police. He is arrested,
What was the aftermath of the Beer-hall Putsch?
- 11 November: Hitler is arrested. Seeckt bans the Nazis.
- February 1924: Hitler, Ludendorff and other leaders are tried for treason which carries the death sentence. Hitler turns the trial into an opportunity to attack the Weimar regime and expound his views. Hitler achieves national fame. The trial, just before the elections, helps the Nazi vote. The Nazis become the third largest group in Bavaria. The judges are sympathetic. Ludendorff is acquitted, using the excuse that he had been present ‘by accident’ (he used this excuse over his involvement in the Kapp Putsch) and Hitler is given the minimum sentence of five years, though he only serves nine months. On December 24 1924 he’s released.
- In prison Hitler writes Mein Kampf.
Why did Hitler’s attempt to seize power in 1923 fail?
Nothing had been properly planned, and when Hitler was forced to recognize that von Lossow and von Kahr had resumed their freedom of action and were taking measures to suppress the rising Hitler suffered a nervous collapse in which he passed through a whole succession of moods- anger, despair, apathy, renewed hope, hesitation. He remained shut up in the Beer Hall, isolated from the crowds from which he had always drawn strength, and unable to make up his mind whether or not to risk a demonstration. It was Ludendorff who decided for him, and at noon next day led men, which marched into the centre of the city. Eyewitness accounts strongly suggest that Hitler had already lost all faith in what they were doing. When a police cordon opened fire, 14 in the procession and 3 policemen were killed, and many more wounded. White Ludendorff marched on and pushed through the cordon, Hitler, after being pulled to the ground and dislocating his shoulder, scrambled to his feet and fled.
How did Hitler develop the party (1920-23)/How Hitler rose to leader of the NSDAP
In September 1919 Hitler joined the German Workers’ Party. It had been set up in Munich earlier in the year by Anton Drexler. Hitler showed a talent for propaganda and public speaking.
In February 1920 he was put in charge of propaganda. He bought a newspaper and changed the name of the Party to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. He also introduced a new emblem, the swastika.
By 1921, Hitler was strong enough to challenge Drexler. He now intended to turn the Party into a mass movement which would overthrow the Weimar Republic.
In August 1921 Hitler set about converting the NSDAP into a mass movement. He organised a series of armed groups (The SA). The SA attracted lots of ex-soldiers. They disrupted the meetings of Hitler’s enemies, especially the communists, and often beat up opposition supporters.
He also:
- introduced the Twenty-five Point programme
- used propaganda and made his own speeches.
By 1922 the Nazi Party had 3,000 members.
How did Hitler reorganise the Nazi Party (1924-29)
While in prison, Hitler decided to abandon attempts to seize power by force. Josef Goebbels, who became Nazi propaganda chief said in Der Angriff, in 1928, ‘We become members of the Reichstag in order to paralyse Weimar with its own assistance. We do not come as friends, nor even as neutrals. We come as enemies. As the wolf breaks into the flock, so we come.’
Whilst Hitler was in prison, the Nazi Party had almost disintegrated due to internal quarrels. Hitler quickly reasserted his leadership. The SA continued its thuggery. Hitler created his own bodyguard, the Schutzstaffel.
Bouhler and Schwarz reorganised the Party by dividing it into regions and at the Nuremberg Conference in 1927 Gauleiters who weren’t fit for their role were replaced, which strengthened the central organisation and bureaucracy
Even with Hitler back in control of the NSDAP, they weren’t very popular in the Reichstag. In May 1924, they had 32 deputies elected to the Reichstag, but in May 1928 they only had 12.
The Nazis had little support (1924-29) due to:
- the aftermath of the Munich Putsch– the loss of Hitler’s leadership whilst he was in prison.
- the divisions in the Nazi Party in the years 1924-5
- the recovery of the Republic under Stresemann.
What was the impact of the Great Depression on Germany?
- Germans lost confidence in their economy (causing people to spend less money) this caused businesses to experience a decrease in sales. This decrease in sales caused businesses to cut back production, which meant workers were laid off. Workers that weren’t laid off experienced their wages being reduced, which meant they had less money to spend. This made them wary, and they spent less money in shops.
- A general lack of confidence caused a growth in protectionism (When said country handicaps foreign goods by placing taxes, and other things, on them. This causes people to buy the same products within their own country, which means profit for their country, instead of the foreign one.) This protectionism caused a decline in world trade. The decline in world trade caused businesses to cut back production, and so workers are laid off or experience lower wages.
- Unemployment rose rapidly. In 1928, there were one million unemployed, in 1931 there were three million and finally in 1932 there were six million.
- Muller’s coalition government 1928-30 couldn’t agree on cuts. The DNVP wanted to raise taxes, and cut the dole (unemployment benefits) but the SPD disagreed. Heinrich Brüning eventually asked von Hindenburg to use Article 48.
To summarise, Germany’s economy was already suffering difficulties before 1929 and was heavily dependent on American loans. Between 1929 and 1932 production nearly halved and unemployment rose to 6 million. Governments were terrified of sparking off inflation if they spent extra money, and so took little action to counter the Depression. The slump led to growing support for extreme parties.
Who supported the Nazis?
- posters and pamphlets
- eight Nazi-owned newspapers
- mobile units to organise entertainment and speeches in different areas
- stirring mass rallies using music, lighting and banners as a backdrop to Hitler’s speech-making
- radio, for the first time.
Hitler persuaded powerful industrialists that he would prevent the communists from taking power and would restore the German economy. Industrialists feared that communism would rise in Germany, because of the Great Depression. In 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia successfully. They feared that Germans would listen to the communist message that the depression in Germany was proof that capitalism didn’t work. These industrialists were not being just paranoid, the communists had won 77 seats in the Reichstag in the 1930s elections. These fears led rich industrialists to financially back the Nazi Party. One of these industrialists, Fritz Thyssen claimed that ‘in all, the amounts given by heavy industry to the Nazis may be estimated at two million marks a year.’
They also targeted the traditional middle class, (Nationalists too) promising work and a strong government (People didn’t have much faith in the Weimar government as it was this government that had caused so much turmoil in the 1920s, before the recovery.) They comforted Germans about the Great Depression, claiming that it was the fault of the Jews and other parties.
They also gained support from rural areas, from farmers and agricultural labourers. Agriculture had been hit hard during the mid to late 1920s, during the supposed golden age. Farmers were hit by high interest rates, which caused many to go bankrupt; they then were hit by falling prices.
What was the role of the Sturmabteilung during Hitler’s rise to power?
The SA played a part in the Nazis’ increasing popularity by:
intimidating the Nazis’ political opponents – especially the communists – by turning up at their meetings and attacking them
providing opportunities for young, unemployed men to become involved in the party
protecting Hitler and other key Nazis when they organised meetings and made speeches
they also were symbolic of order. they were very much like an armed force and would’ve, no doubt, reminded people of the days of the German Empire and order. In such a chaotic time, when their government couldn’t agree on what actions to take, order would’ve been very attractive.
What direct events (agreement) lead to Hitler becoming Chancellor in 1933?
Von Papen, out of the role as Chancellor after von Schleicher stopped supporting him (leading to a failed government under Schleicher. He resigned on January 28th 1933, after Hindenburg refused to support his government with rule of decree) he was anxious to regain power. He made a deal with Hitler in which he’d be Vice-Chancellor with Hitler as Chancellor.
4th January von Papen agrees to work with Hitler.
Von Papen manages to make von Hindenburg give Hitler the role as Chancellor because:
- refusal might lead to civil war
- there would be a few Nazis in the cabinet
- von Papen would be Vice
- they would be able to use Hitler
What were the outcomes of Hitler challenging von Hindenburg in the Presidential elections, March 1932?
Von Hindenburg won 19.4 million votes, but Hitler’s position was strengthened by winning 13.4 million.
Explain the fall of Brüning’s government in May 1932 and the rise of Von Papen’s.
In May 1932 Heinrich Brüning’s government couldn’t solve Germany’s economic problems as unemployment rose. Brüning became increasingly unpopular as he increased taxes and reduced the dole. General von Schleicher advised Hindenburg to remove Brüning. Brüning resigned when Hindenburg had a disagreement with him and refused to sign any further decrees for him. He was replaced by Franz von Papen, a man with little experience in government, and seen as very right-wing.
Who recommended Brüning in the first place to Hindenburg?
Kurt von Schleicher advised von Hindenburg to appoint Heinrich Brüning as Chancellor in March 1930, believing that Brüning was a well-known figure in the Reichstag and was reliable and a conservative.
Why did Kurt von Schleicher like the appointment of Franz von Papen?
Schleicher believed Germany should be run as a presidential dictatorship, with the support of the army. He saw the increased support for Hitler and believed von Papen and Hitler could work together. The support the Nazis had would mean that a dictatorship would have the appearance of popular support.
Explain the Reichstag elections of July and November 1932.
Von Papen hoped to win enough seats to strengthen his position in the Reichstag.
It was a good election for the Nazis, who won 230 seats. It was the largest single party in the Reichstag, but didn’t hold majority. Hitler demanded to be Chancellor with complete control of the State, but Hindenburg refused.
Hindenburg decided on another election to try to get increased support for von Papen. The Nazis won 196 seats due to:
- continuous campaigning left them short of funds.
- the thuggery of the SA
