Why did Hitler gain power in 1933 Flashcards
why did Hitler gain power in 1933?
-The failure of Weimar Republic.
-The Depression of 1930
-Hitler’s role in bringing the Nazis to power such as propaganda and increased appeal of Nazism
-Political intrigue
explain the impact of the great depression in Germany and how it led for Hitler to gain power?
-The Wall Street Crash is when the American Stock Market lost 89% of it’s value, causing many Americans to become unemployed and the US economy to collapse.
It resulted in the US loans to Germany, which were provided under the Dawes Plan, being recalled.
This caused the fragile Weimar economy to collapse as it relied heavily on US loans.
As the coalition government of the Weimar Republic were unable to decide on how to solve the economic issues, President Hindenburg used Article 48, declaring it a time of emergency. This allowed him to frequently make new laws and decisions by himself, making the supposed democracy of the Weimar Republic look weak and ineffective.
-additionally, People were hungry and poor. They turned to the
extreme parties like The Nazi’s because they believed
the Weimar Republic could not help them.
* Hitler and Goebbles went into propaganda overdrive –
thousands of posters, speeches and films were made to
appeal to affected groups.
* The 1929 elections saw the Nazis get 107 seats in the
Reichstag – up from 12 the previous year!
* In 1932, The Nazi’s got 230 – making them by far the
biggest party in the Reichstag.
* However, Proportional Representation voting still made
it nearly impossible for them to get a majority
* Hitler needed to be invited to become Chancellor in
order to get into power
-By 1932, over 6 million Germans were unemployed.
The Great Depression created the environment in
which Hitler could exploit his political skills. His charisma, his speeches and his advanced use of
propaganda, directed by Goebbels allowed Hitler to put his political message across at a time where
majority of the German people felt there was no hope for them.
How did the Great Depression contribute to the decline of the Weimar Government and how was the Weimar republic seen as failure which led hitler to gain power
-After 1929, the government’s main aim was to reduce expenditure in order to cope with the reduced tax revenue caused by declining economic activity. Therefore, between 1929 and 1933, the budget for pensions of victims of war was cut by ⅓, which caused anger among ex-soldiers, who had always felt betrayed by the Weimar Government.
-Many German industries began to decline and Germany was unable to afford to import the number of raw materials and food it required as the government found it difficult to borrow money from potential German investors (who had lost savings in 1929) and the foreign governments who might set unacceptable terms.
-The number of bankruptcies increased significantly, as did unemployment, which was 1.4 million in 1928. This rose quickly to 2 million by the end of 1929; by 1932, the number had risen to 6 million, about one-third of the German workforce. However, the government did very little to solve the problems as Germany had recovered from the minor slump of 1926 without government intervention.
-In March 1930, Müller SPD-led coalition government collapsed when it failed to agree on what cuts to make for unemployment relief. It was replaced by the centre-right coalition headed by Heinrich Brüning of the Centre Party.
-Chancellor Brüning feared hyperinflation and government budget deficits over unemployment. As a result, he decided to increase taxes, implement wage cuts and reduce government spending. However, this likely exacerbated the problem and caused further resentment among German people who were already struggling to feed themselves.
-This scheme by Brüning was actually rejected by the Reichstag. However, it was supported by Hindenburg, so he used decrees under Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution to enact the policies himself.
This demonstrated the weakness of Weimar politics.
Von Hindenburg was a militaristic, authoritarian man and had never liked democracy.
He used decrees frequently and not in times of real emergency. He issued 5 decrees in 1930, 44 in 1931 and 60 in 1932.
He also used his power to appoint and dismiss chancellors from March 1930 to January 1933.
-The fall of Müller’s SPD coalition that had a majority in the Reichstag led to a large increase in the number of anti-democratic deputies in the Reichstag, a trend that continued in 1932. This meant that it became virtually impossible for any government to gain the support of the Reichstag, and parliamentary government declined.
-Following the suspension of reparations in 1931, Chancellor Brüning set up public works schemes and his successor Papen began to allocate unused land to peasants and workers who had lost their savings and jobs. However, the damage to their livelihoods was irreparable and these schemes came too late for the government to regain public confidence and support.
Additionally ,
The Depression made the Weimar Government very weak. They didn’t have enough money to help
everyone.
* Different parties in the Government
couldn’t agree.
* They made the Nazi’s look like they would be better at leading the country.
What are the main elements of Nazi ideology?
-Anti-semitism
This is hatred and disdain for Jewish people. Hitler contributed to the spread of the belief that Jews had a business-minded nature and made profits by taking advantage of German war production. They were also believed to be sub-human and the most racially inferior. This aligns with the belief that the Aryan race is the superior race.
-Anschluss
The unification of all German-speaking people. He was able to succeed in doing this with the Anschluss with Austria in 1938.
-Expansionism
Hitler aimed at creating Lebensraum– meaning ‘living space’ for German people.
-Totalitarianism
Nothing and no one should go against the state. The Nazis should receive total obedience from the population.
-Dictatorship
Hitler took many steps to centralise power & control over Nazi Germany and remove democracy from the country.
-Militarism
The Nazis believed that it was imperative for Germany to have a great military capability to aggressively defend and enforce their territorial interests, and also for National Pride.
-Autarky
Hitler wanted to make Germany self-sufficient in terms of its economy and supply of resources.
Explain the Growth of support for Nazism after 1929 and how it led hitler to gain power
Hitler’s leadership
* Hitler was a strong leader
* He was able to make people believe that only he could solve the problems in Germany
* He was one of the best public speakers ever. His speeches convinced people to vote for him.
- The Nazi’s promised to solve the depression crisis that was affecting
people - They promised to end the Treaty of Versailles.
- They promised to build up the army and make Germany great again
- Nazis used the latest technology like
loudspeakers, slideshows and films to get their message across. - They used mass rallies of people to spread their ideas.
- They used lots of advertising with
simple messages that people wanted to
hear
Therefore…
By 1929, the Nazi Party had over 100,000 members and was increasing its support by targeting specific groups of people: peasant farmer
small shopkeepers, women, big business and the unemployed.
-Industrialists & Businessmen
Hitler’s leadership was appealing due to his anti-communism. Communism would see state control over businesses, which is what industrialists were afraid of.
tremendous increase in support for the Nazis was also the result
of their use of violence, which was stepped up in 1 932. Despite their apparent
abandonment of violence after the failed Munich beer hall Putsch in favour of
democratic methods, SA violence had continued and
Meanwhile, Hitler’s industrialism and plans to invest in German industry to allow for autarky were also largely appealing.
-Middle Class
The middle class would support Nazism as it promised an authoritarian state, equipped with a strong leader that would revive German strength. They also promised solutions to the Great Depression, which would improve and restore a higher quality of life for the German people. This is something that the Weimar politicians were unable to carry out.
-Military & Soldiers
Nazism was appealing due to its militarism. Hitler aimed at reversing the Treaty of Versailles which created anger in Germany as it reduced the military and national pride. He also had a policy of lebensraum and Anschluss, which involved the expansion of the German Empire and uniting all German speakers. Thus, Hitler’s policies towards the military and expansion meant that Nazism was appealing to the army.
-Nationalists
Nationalists would support the Nazi Party as the party believed in Nationalism, and installing Hitler as the strong, all powerful dictator or Fuhrer of Germany. They also disliked the foreign influence in Germany, and this would be reduced under the policy of achieving autarky. Furthermore, they believed that Germans are the superior race, and would support Hitler’s racial policies towards the Jews and other minorities. Overall, Nationalists supported Nazism because the Nazi Party promised to restore Germany’s international prestige through improving the economy and reviving the military (and thus national pride).
-Workers & Peasants
Some of the Nazi policies were appealing to workers and peasants who faced unemployment and low wages. The nazis were able to present solutions to the economic problems brought on by the Great Depression, namely profit-sharing in large industries and higher welfare for the industrial workers and peasants.
how did the Nazi votes grew?
-In the September 1930 election, the Nazis increased their number of seats from
12 to 107, winning almost 6 million votes (19 per cent of the vote) .
-This made them the second largest party in the Reichstag. In the 1932 presidential elections, Hitler stood for the Nazis and gained 11 million votes (30 per cent) in the first
round and 13 million votes (27 per cent) in the final ballot against von Hindenburg, who received 19 million votes.
-In this election campaign the Nazis had used propaganda effectively to raise Hitler’s public profile and to portray the Nazi Party as a truly national force. Hitler used his charisma to sell his party’s
position to the German people. With increasing funds from leading industrialists,
the Nazis were able to fight an even more extensive campaign in the July 1932
elections.
-This time, their number of seats increased to 230 (about 37 per cent of
the vote). which made them the largest party in the Reichstag. It should be noted
that under a ‘first past the post’ system, the Nazis would have been able to form
their first government in July 1932.
explain how propaganda was effectively used to make Hitler gain power.
-Hitler and Joseph Goebbels (head of Nazi propaganda) massively expanded efforts.
-They used radio, posters, newspapers, films, mass rallies, and Hitler’s speeches to gain support.
-Propaganda was essential to Hitler’s rise to power in 1933. It built his image as a strong leader, gave people hope during a crisis, and spread Nazi ideas in every corner of Germany.
-Under the leadership of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Party used posters, newspapers, radios, films, and mass rallies to spread powerful messages. For example, in the 1932 election campaign, Hitler flew across Germany on the “Hitler Over Germany” tour, showing him as a modern and dynamic leader. Propaganda also blamed Jews and communists for Germany’s problems, and promised “Work and Bread” to desperate workers.
-This propaganda made Hitler seem like a heroic and trustworthy figure at a time when many Germans felt hopeless due to the Great Depression. It also targeted specific groups — like farmers, business owners, and families — so that everyone felt the Nazis were on their side. At the same time, it spread fear of communism, pushing more people to vote for Hitler as a way to protect their future.
how was Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor done through political intrigue
-The chancellor, Von Papen was forced out of power by Schliecher but von Papen wanted revenge and was determined to remove
Schliecher from power. Hitler’s fortunes took a more favourable turn in the first week of 1933, Papen
and Hitler agreed that Hitler could become chancellor if Papen was made vice.
Papen had successfully encouraged Hindenburg to make Hitler chancellor of a coalition government, secure in knowledge that Nazis would be overwhelmed by traditional conservatives and nationalists.
In April 1932, the Weimar Presidential election was held. The result was Hindenburg re-elected, winning 53% of the vote, whilst Hitler came second to Hindenburg with 36.8%.
In May, Chancellor Brüning resigned, and the non-party conservative, Franz Von Papen was appointed by Hindenburg.
The July Reichstag elections resulted in the Nazis becoming the largest party as they obtained a total of 230 seats. With this in mind, Hitler demanded to be made Chancellor, but Papen continued to remain with Hindenburg’s support.
Again, von Papen called another round of Reichstag elections in November as he wished to win a majority in parliament. Although the Nazis lost 34 seats, they still remained the largest party as they had 196 seats at this time.
In December, Von Papen resigned, but Hindenburg was still unwilling to appoint the Nazi extremist as Chancellor, so he appointed the army general, Kurt Von Schleicher, as Chancellor. Von Schleicher tried to split the Nazi Party by asking one of the leaders, Gregor Strasser, to be his Vice-Chancellor. Hitler forced Strasser to decline.
In the end, von Schleicher proved to be even less successful than his predecessors. Less than two months later, Hitler succeeded him as Chancellor
This only enabled Hitler to become chancellor legally.
Why did Hindenburg appoint Hitler as Chancellor?
Firstly, Hitler’s personal strengths made him a prime candidate for the Chancellorship.
-He had a charismatic and persuasive speaking ability, especially as he was able to appeal to all social classes.
-Furthermore, he had a long and established political career as he had been a party leader since 1921.
-He was able to successfully convince the German public to support the Nazi party, portraying himself as the saviour for all German people with his proposals appealing to those who suffered from the Great Depression, those who were angered by the Treaty of Versailles, and those who saw and criticised the failures of the Weimar Government.
-His previous military experience and aims enabled him to gain greater support from the military.
-Hitler wished to abolish the Treaty and gain the land lost under the Treaty of Versailles, whilst also restoring the national pride of the large, powerful army.
-This was popular among the army and Freikorps who had lost their positions as a result of the disarmament.
Secondly, the image, proposals of Nazism and propaganda contributed to the success of Hitler and the party.
-Joseph Goebbels, who was in charge of propaganda, was able to amass large numbers of supporters for the Nazi Party.
-Hitler also had many supporters in rural towns all across Germany, which other parties didn’t reach. The Nazi Party began to provide rural towns with communal loudspeakers, on which Hitler’s messages and speeches were broadcast.
-Hitler also received a massive amount of support from farmers, students and lower & middle-class people.
-Thirdly, the detrimental effects of the Great Depression also contributed to Hitler’s eventual appointment as Chancellor.
-In 1933, 6 million people of the working population (equivalent to one-third) were now unemployed. The economy had collapsed as the US loans which were supporting the economy had been recalled.
-As a result of this, Hitler’s extremist policies were much more appealing, whilst the Nazis themselves presented solutions to the economic problems and promised to restore the strength of not just the German economy, but also their military.
Fourthly, the failure and weaknesses of the Weimar politicians themselves allowed Hitler to rise in popularity.
-The Weimar Government did little to solve the financial crisis, believing that it would solve itself, as it had done in the slump of 1926. However, this idea never solidified.
-The policies that the Weimar Government did eventually implement actually degraded the support for the government.
-Chancellor Brüning’s tax increases, wage cuts and reduced government spending in the early 1930s exacerbated the problem and struggles of the German people and caused further resentment towards the Government among the German people who were already struggling to feed themselves.
-Furthermore, German industries were severely losing business and the government was unable to obtain investments from German investors or international loans.
-Hitler, on the other hand, was an industrialist, and his policy of investment in German industry, with the goal of achieving autarky, was popular to struggling industries.
-He also promised to improve the lives of peasants and workers, who made up a large part of the German population.
-In the end, the elites contributed to Hitler’s rise to power.
-Von Papen and Von Schleicher were both unpopular as Chancellors. Therefore, Von Papen convinced President Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor, with von Papen as Vice-Chancellor, believing that Hitler could then be controlled (this failed).
-Meanwhile, Hitler gained the support of rich industrialists Thyssen and Kirdorff, promising to control the leftist Nazis, whilst his anti-communism was also appealing.
-In the end, Hindenburg did decide to appoint Hitler as Chancellor (with Von Papen as Vice-Chancellor) and this was backed by Hitler’s significant rich industrial supporters.
How did Hitler consolidate his power?
Hitler consolidated his power through a mix of legal manipulation (Enabling Act), violence and intimidation (Reichstag Fire & Night of the Long Knives), and elimination of opposition. Each step removed checks on his power until, by August 1934, Hitler had turned Germany into a one-party dictatorship, with himself as Führer. His consolidation was systematic, ruthless, and strategically timed.
To consolidate power means to strengthen and secure it — removing rivals, taking full control, and making sure no one can challenge your authority.
🏛️ 1. The Reichstag Fire (27 February 1933)
Evidence:
A fire broke out in the Reichstag building; a Dutch communist, Marinus van der Lubbe, was blamed.
Explanation:
Hitler used the fire to create fear of communism and push President Hindenburg to pass the Reichstag Fire Decree, which suspended civil rights and allowed arrest without trial. Thousands of communists were arrested.
Impact:
This removed political opposition just before the March 1933 election and gave Hitler a legal excuse to crush dissent.
📜 2. The Enabling Act (23 March 1933)
Evidence:
Passed with support from the Centre Party and others (after intimidation), it gave Hitler the power to make laws without the Reichstag for 4 years.
Explanation:
This effectively made Hitler a legal dictator, as he no longer needed parliamentary approval for any decisions.
Impact:
It was the key turning point that let Hitler destroy democracy from within the system.
🛑 3. Banning Opposition & One-Party State
Evidence:
Between April–July 1933, all opposition parties were banned or dissolved. The Law Against the Formation of New Parties (July 1933) made the Nazi Party the only legal party in Germany.
Explanation:
This meant no political competition, no debate, and no democratic choice.
Impact:
Germany was now a one-party dictatorship under Nazi control.
💀 4. The Night of the Long Knives (30 June 1934)
Evidence:
Hitler used the SS to eliminate Ernst Röhm (leader of the SA) and other political threats, including former allies and conservative critics.
Explanation:
The SA had become too powerful, and Röhm wanted a “second revolution” — Hitler saw this as a threat. By killing him and others, Hitler won the army’s support.
Impact:
This removed internal threats and gave the army loyalty to Hitler personally.
⚰️ 5. Death of President Hindenburg (2 August 1934)
Evidence:
After Hindenburg died, Hitler combined the roles of Chancellor and President, declaring himself Führer (Leader) of Germany.
Explanation:
There was no more legal check on Hitler’s power.
Impact:
Now, Hitler was the undisputed dictator of Germany — he had full control of the government, military, and law.
How did Hitler become an absolute ruler (Führer) in 19th of August.
Through:
-Hindenburg’s death
-The Night of the Long Knives 30th June 1934
-Enabling Act
ENABLING ACT
He can use article 48 all the time he never has to get the Reichstag to
agree with him
Powers over the police, taxes,
economy, calling elections.
Only Hitler can now make new laws
He can also change the constitution again (or scrap it) anytime he likes
All Trade Unions are banned in May1933
Hitler bans all other political parties in July 1933. Hitler wins the next election as the only candidate!
THE NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES 30 june 1934
-Hitler wanted Rohm and the SA to break up and join the Army – Rohm wanted the army to break up and join the SA. Rohm threatened to rebel against Hitler if he didn’t get what he wanted.
Hitler chose to support the army, and sent his SS men (see section on the
terror) to the SA barracks. 200 SA leaders were arrested, and Rohm was
given a pistol to shoot himself with. He refused and was executed.
-therefore, this
Allows him to become “Fuhrer” when Hindenburg dies because army now support him
Complete loyalty of the army with an oath.
Embarrassing and out of date SA removed – gives Hitler more support from ordinary Germans.
-Gives Hitler chance to build up his new
group, the SS.
HINDERBURG’S DEATH
-The army were thankful to Hitler for removing the threat of Rohm.
-When Hindenburg died a month later, all army solders took at oath of loyalty to Hitler. Hitler didn’t bother having an election for a new president he just combined the position of Chancellor and president to
call himself “Fuhrer” (leader)
