Hitler: An Outline

TERMS
Karl Lueger
von Liebenfels
DAP-NSDAP
Mein Kampf
Weimar Republic The period of German history from 1919 to 1933 is known as the Weimar Republic
Failed Beer Hall Revolt, Nov 1923
SA @the brown shirts- Nazi paramilitary wing
SS (Nazi elite guard) cf. Lenin’s Cheka
President Hindenburg
Reichstag Fire
Reichstag Fire Decree
The Enabling Act
The Third Reich

Statistics of German parliament (reichstag)
Nazi started as a fringe party in 1919
Started as a fringe/minor radical political party, 1919

1928 1930 1932(1) 1932(2)
NSDAP 12 107 230 196
SPD 153 143 133 121
Communist 54 77 89 100

*German parliament 608-seats
FACTORS FOR HITLER’S RISE
The unpopularity of the Weimar Republic- failed to function properly
The Germans overwhelming disgust at the WW1 unjust settlement
1929 Great Depression (occurred worldwide but Germany was seriously affected- loss of job, inflation, uncertainty)
Hitler benefited greatly from this and utilized this effectively in his campaigns and speeches
The collapse of coalition –SPD, The People’s Party (DVP) & Democratic Party DDP in 1929- 1930s democracy did not really function- political stalemate
HITLER APPOINTED THE CHANCELLOR
January 30, 1933, President Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler chancellor of Germany
Nazis never captured more than 37 percent of the national vote,
they still held a minority of cabinet posts and fewer than 50 percent of the seats in the Reichstag.
Hitler is the Chancellor in a coalition government
HITLER’s CONSOLIDATION OF POWER( ESTABLISHING DICTATORSHIP)
The Reichstag fire & Suspension civil liberties
Feb 1933, fire on Reichstag, suspect the Communists
Hitler requested the Reichstag to temporarily delegate its powers to him so that he could adequately deal with the crisis
The President issued the Reichstag Fire Decree
suspended most human rights
allowed for the arrest of political adversaries, mostly Communists, and for general terrorizing by the SA
LEGAL MOVES
March 1933, the Parliament passed the Enabling Act
transferring all legislative powers to the Hitler government and in effect abolishing the remainder of the Weimar constitution as a whole
SDP was banned, other parties dissolved to avoid arrest
Essentially, dictatorship was established
HOW TO CHARACTERIZE NAZI IDEOLOGY?
Not a coherent ideology, often known as anti something.
Anti-communism, anti-capitalism
Conflicting promises to various groups-workers, big businessmen, middle classes, lower middle class, ex-army, thugs, religious etc
HITLER’S GLORIOUS YEARS (1934-38)
Ian Kershaw “There is few if any leader more popular than Hitler among his own people in the 30s and 40s”
The initial years of Nazi rule improved Germany materially
H reasserted German’s international prestige. Versailles was a huge indignity. Hitler overturned it
Remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936, redeemed Germany pride.
Against the Versailles terms, he remilitarized the Rhine at the risk of war, but did not cause any military hostility. (Britain & France didn’t take action)
He took the gamble against the advice of his generals
That led to the notion of Hitler’s infallibility- Hitler knows the best.