...1. TO WHAT EXTENT WAS THE RISE TO POWER OF HITLER AND THE THIRD REICH, THE RESULT OF PREVIOUS POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS? Introduction Paragraph: Hitler was able to become Germany’s chancellor in 1933 and after 6 months he was already able to establish a dictatorship. It is surprising how such an abominable personage was able to gain total control over Germany, which had been able to become a democratic republic. As Kershaw stated, “the future of Weimar looked promising. And without the onset of the world economic crisis from 1929 it might have remained so”. Thesis: The rise to power of Hitler and the Third Reich was to a large extent the result of previous political and economic problems, such as Germany’s authoritarian origins, the minimum support the Weimar Republic had, WWI and the Great Depression. Body Paragraph 1 – Political and social structure of German authoritarian origins Germany had always favored nationalism, militarism, and anti-Semitism; all emotions in the German people that went back to Germany’s roots and history. Before the Third Reich and the Weimar Republic, Germany lived a prosperous period known as the Second Reich, during which they became a great empire due to the authoritarian traditions and the military success. This is a view extremely supported by the “structuralists”, who believe that Nazism and Hitler were simply products of German history and that they were forces that still dominated...
Words: 3288 - Pages: 14
...Notes * U.S. Diplomacy and Russia In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge addressed the issue of Russian war debts. The President noted that the United States was resuming diplomatic relations with nations that had been cut off during World War I. The Russians, however, presented a problem for Coolidge because their communist form of government opposed democracy. * Italy Italy was a democracy when World War I began in 1914. The country's army fought alongside Allied forces. Unfortunately, the war left the government and economy of Italy unstable and a fertile ground for revolutionaries. Decisions made at the Paris Peace Conference denied the large territorial gains the Italian government expected after the war. In 1921, Benito Mussolini founded the National Fascist Party and rose up as a revolutionary leader. * Fascism was based on a foundation of authoritarianism and nationalism. For Mussolini, the most important aspect of a nation or state was the unity and survival of that state. Mussolini rejected democracy because he thought different political views and political parties weakened the unity of the state. * Taking Fascism on the Road Fascists disagreed with the communist belief that private property and businesses should belong to the state. The Fascists also believed that the nationalism of a state must be aggressively exported to other countries. In other words, the Fascists maintained that a nation had a right to invade and conquer a weaker nation...
Words: 2821 - Pages: 12
...Part 1 - Weimar Germany 1918-1929 1) The Treaty of Versailles ▪ Kaiser abdicates November 9th 1918, Armistice (cease-fire) signed November 11th ▪ Treaty of Versailles signed June 1919 ▪ It is a DIKTAT – something forced on to Germany. Allies say that they will carry on the war if Germans do not sign. ▪ For many Germans the defeat in WW1, national humiliation, the Treaty of Versailles, the Weimar constitution & democracy are all linked – helps explain why democracy is weak in Germany ▪ Terms of the Treaty – ▪ Germany has to pay REPARATIONS (fixed in 1921 as £6600 million) ▪ Germany loses all its COLONIES (overseas parts of their empire) ▪ German army limited to 100,000 men with no air force & a small navy with only 6 battleships and no submarines ▪ 13% of Germany is now transferred to neighbouring countries as the map is redrawn ▪ Germany loses land to France (Alsace-Lorraine), Belgium, Poland (Posen & West Prussia) & Denmark ▪ 15% of German coal mines are lost in map changes ▪ Many Germans blame the defeat in the war on “the stab in the back” (DOLCHSTOSS) – i.e. the Socialists / Communists / Jews betrayed Germany & the army was never defeated. This myth makes it harder to accept the Treaty ▪ Treaty weakened democracy in Germany and the German economy ▪ Friedrich Ebert appointed Chancellor in October 1918 2) The Weimar Constitution ▪ A National Assembly was elected to write this new constitution ▪ It met in Weimar because Berlin was...
Words: 5018 - Pages: 21
...SECTION 1: THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF THE WEIMAR GOVERNMENT 1918-OCTOBER 1933 |9 November 1918 |Abdication of the Kaiser | |January 1919 |Spartacist Uprising | |February 1919 |First Weimar elections | |28 June 1919 |Treaty of Versailles signed | |July 1919 |Weimar Constitution announced | |March 1920 |Kapp Putsch signed | |January 1923 |Occupation of the Ruhr | |January-November 1923 |Hyperinflation | |8-9 November 1923 |Munich Putsch ...
Words: 13280 - Pages: 54
...American History Timeline Part III Tricia Bilbrey Grand Canyon University HIS 221 June 10, 2012 American History Timeline Part III Timeline Part III Instructions: Complete the matrix by providing the Time Period/Date(s) in column B, and the Description and Significance of the People/Event(s) to American History in column C. See complete instructions in the Syllabus for the Module 5 assignment entitled, “Timeline Part III.” NOTE: The timeline project does not need to be submitted to turnitin. NOTE: Please write your answers in a clear and concise manner. Limit your submission of the Timeline Part III to a maximum of 13 pages (not including a reference page). Be sure to cite all sources. Major Event/Epoch in American History Time Period/Date(s) Description and Significance of the People/Event(s) to American History 1) The evolution of the causes of World War I. 1914-1918 Serbians protested the Austrians in Bosnia thus causing the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. This event set off the war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia. Mutual defense alliances caused an explosion in several countries supporting the others. Russian as an ally of Serbia mobilized causing Germany to react through Belgium, pulling Britain into the war. The governments of Germany and Austria-Hungary were very militaristic and aggressive when...
Words: 1827 - Pages: 8
...Essay Topic: “Up to 1939, why did many Germans support Hitler and his Nazi dictatorship? “ In modern day history, Hitler is widely viewed as one of the world’s worst political leaders as his racial, fascist and totalitarian actions directly contributed to the outbreak of World War II which posed detrimental consequences on the entire world. From a second-hand analytical view, Hitler is perceived as an epitome of evil and the world still continues to battle the effects of the election of such a monstrous leader by German citizens. However, it is evident that the reasons why Germans supported Hitler and his Nazi dictatorship up to 1939 can be justified. Thus, as a result of his many favorable leadership qualities and characteristics (his excellent oratorical skills together with his promises to the German people, organization of the Nazi party and his intense propaganda), the Great Economic Depression of 1929 after the Collapse of Wall Street, the ineptitude of the Weimar Constitution, and ultimately the fear of communism, Germans continued to support Hitler up to 1939. By 1939, Adolf Hitler had become a very inspirational and charismatic leader as his great skill in public speaking had won over the loyalty and support of many German nationals. Hitler filled German people with a sense of hope that had been long lost for a very long time. Hitler attempted to please all aspects of life as he promised exactly what each group wanted. He promised to pay farmers higher prices for...
Words: 1607 - Pages: 7
...Adolf Hitler is a well known Nazi that wanted to rule the world. What he is not well known for is his past. Adolf Hitler born on April 20, 1889 was baptized as Catholic. He was born in Braunau, Austria and lived there for around eight years. His family then moved to Linz, Austria, seeking work in visual arts. After his father died in 1903, Hitler convinced his mother to let him become an artist. When his mother died in 1907, Hitler applied to an art school and failed to be accepted. Later on Hitler moved to Vienna hoping to get into an art school. After a year of moving to Vienna he became impoverished and in homeless shelters after using all of his generous inheritance left by his parents. He rejected going into the civil service recommended...
Words: 483 - Pages: 2
...In the midst of the economic hardship of the Great Depression, between 1929 and 1933 millions of Germans willingly turned their back on previous party allegiances and decided to support Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party. This was done despite knowing that Hitler intended to destroy the German democratic system and openly supported acts of violence. The reason for this was that the Nazi message found new appeal in the German people with the Nazi message, which was mostly ignored before 1929 despite being founded in 1919, with the Nazi message promising to fix the people’s problems. The Nazis promised a strong stable government in opposition to the “weak” Weimar democracy which seemed unable to handle the economic crisis, and they promised to remove...
Words: 1225 - Pages: 5
...HIST 1304/AN01/ World Civilization Since 1500 | History Research Paper | The effects of the Great Depression were huge across the world. Not only did it lead to the New Deal in America but more significantly, it was a direct cause of the rise of extremism in Germany leading to World War II. | Charles Sodman1/30/2014 | Introduction According to Christine Romer the Great Depression commenced in the year 1929 till the year 1939, the longest in the history of the world. The origin of the Great Depression from the year 1929 to the year 1939 has been the worry of many researchers. However, the root cause of this unfortunate happening was hard to crack. Therefore, the search was abandoned and many speculations and assumptions were made as to what really caused the Depression. (Romer) Till present, the cause of this sad event has not been found. More so, the effects of the Great Depression lead to many broke and unemployed individuals who could hardly feed themselves daily. Additionally, goods and services were priced at 10 times less their original price. (Romer) As a result, there was a practice of extremities in Germany by individuals who took advantage of the situation for personal gain leading to the World War II. (de Bromhead, Eichengreen and O’Rourke) Countries were greatly affected as the Great Depression brought about alterations in macroeconomic policies, significant changes in economic institutions, and economic theories. (Romer) The effects of the Great Depression ...
Words: 1579 - Pages: 7
...1 GCSE HISTORY GERMANY 1918-1939 REVISION This awesome booklet has been designed to help you get exam-ready. It contains the ‘essential’, need-to-know points for the Germany unit, plus useful revision boosters and guidance on answering exam questions. Remember, getting your exam technique sorted is a must if you’re going to succeed in the exam - it’s just as important as knowing your stuff! CONTENTS....There are 4 sections to this booklet. 3 Hitler overcomes his opposition 1 The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic 1918 1929 1933 1934 2 The rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis 1939 4 The Nazi dictatorship 1 The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic 1918-33 Introduction If, just for fun, we were to make a graph showing the fortunes of the Weimar Republic, it would probably look like this…. B A Phase A 1918-23: The WR suffers from a few major teething problems, and struggles to survive. C Phase B 1924-28: ‘The Golden Twenties’. Things are on the up for the WR, as it recovers from its earlier problems. But beneath the surface, there are still weaknesses. Phase C 1929-1933: With the Wall St. Crash and the Great Depression, the WR comes ‘crashing’ down! Of course, during each phase, the Nazis were experiencing their own political rollercoaster ride. Broadly speaking, whenever the WR was enjoying success, the Nazis were not, and vice versa. More about that later. What was the Weimar Republic and why was it set up? A lot...
Words: 13770 - Pages: 56
...A Critical Analysis: Slump! A Study of Stricken Europe Today by H. Hessell Tiltman HIST * 1500 Bailey Young 0718718 Germany, a country that once thrived, was bombarded with a decline so extreme it may have actually led to the most devastating genocide in the history of mankind. The desperation of the German people left no room for the critical analyses of a radical political movement, for the extreme hunger and horrifying living conditions left everyone striving for a change. The effects of the depression in Germany were instrumental in helping Hitler and his political movement gain power. Because the impoverished German people were so desperate for a change, they were convinced that Hitler represented hope for a better future. The Great Depression that hit Germany in 1929 is said to be the most disastrous and sever depression in modern world history.[1]It devastated the lives of the German public and caused the economy to turn upside down. It is often argued that the stock market crash on Wall Street that took place on October 29,1929 is the cause of the national upheaval that in turn led to the depression.[2] In the early 20’s, the stock market provided people with the false promise of guaranteed wealth. Countless stories of common teachers, chauffeurs and maids becoming millionaires because of the stock market surfaced, and reinforced this belief.[3] The profits seemed so assured that large banks invested their clients capital without their...
Words: 1988 - Pages: 8
...Michelle Vargas Noy Sparks HUM 1020 March 31, 2013 The Third Reich – The Rise Growing up, whether it was in history class, social studies or simply just English, the topic of the Holocaust has been discussed. Our initial teachings of the Holocaust may involve the story of victim Anne Frank. We were taught that the Nazi’s were a very malicious group of German men that were leaded by the infamous Adolf Hitler. Eventually we come to think, how can one man convince numerous amount of men, women and children that these innocent groups of people were so evil, so evil that they had to be exterminated? One word, Propaganda. "Propaganda tries to force a doctrine on the whole people... Propaganda works on the general public from the standpoint of an idea and makes them ripe for the victory of this idea." Adolf Hitler wrote these words in his book Mein Kamp. The propaganda used was all just a matter of media control, the lie that Jews were the cause of all things wrong with the German business world. Then, racial purity, as if they’re such animals for having their certain beliefs. One of the main tools of the Nazi’s was the production of films. Their effectiveness with the use of films that looked like documentaries were carefully edited and presented exactly what and only what they wanted. Having the power to do that, these films helped them raise the support for the movement by brainwashing Germans to believe that the Jews were the cause of all corruption. Nazi propaganda...
Words: 554 - Pages: 3
...Silverberg 10.23.13 Huron University College Fall 2013 History 1801E Section 553 Instructor: Dr. J. Fang Sydnee Silverberg 10.23.13 After its defeat in World War I, Germany, a once frightening and intimidating force, was disgraced by the Versailles Treaty which lessened its prewar territory, drastically reduced it’s armed forces, demanded that Germany acknowledge its guilt for the war and forced it to pay reparations to the allied powers. Once the German Empire was destroyed, a new parliamentary government known as the Weimar Republic was formed. The German people suffered from economic instability, massive inflation and a very high unemployment rate which had worsened during the depression following the New York stock market crash in 1929. The Nazi party had made its mark and taken advantage of the political unrest in Germany, gaining an electoral foothold. The Holocaust, also know as the Shoah, was the heinous and despicable genocide of approximately six million Jews during World War II led by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party between 1939 and 1945 throughout German occupied territory. Although there are a number of parallels between Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, their personal political views became known to the public at very different times; Hitler published his views well before he came in to power, where Mussolini waited until he was the dictator of France. Following World War I, Hitler struggled with his disbelief in Germany’s defeat and was ...
Words: 1249 - Pages: 5
...How Hitler became Chancellor in 1933 Hitler, the very name of the man is no more than a whisper in the new Germany that was born out of the fires and humiliation of WW2 and foreign occupation. Historians such as Ian Kershaw even dare to ask; “Has this been Hitler’s century?” .The very fact that one could even consider a century to be defined by one man is testimony to this man’s lasting effect on not just Germany or Europe, but the world. The common view of history is that Hitler forcibly took power by means of extreme violence, fear and propaganda. There is some truth to this assertion, but the reality is that Adolf Hitler actually came to power by democratic means. The question I am going to answer is how and why a man like Hitler was able to make a mockery of the democratic system we uphold as the pinnacle of government, by getting himself appointed as chancellor of Germany in January of 1933. In understanding how Hitler was able to become chancellor, it is impervious to bring to light the conditions present in 1920s and 1930s Germany. To begin with Germans were deeply bitter about the humiliation they suffered as a result of losing the First World War. The perceived truth believed by most Germans was that they had not started the First World War, or lost it! The resulting blame for this deep embarrassment fell on the shoulders of communists, capitalists, weak politicians and Jews. Finding the NSDAP’s intentions to target these groups with the help of their vicious Sturmabteilung...
Words: 1052 - Pages: 5
...TITLE Although Adolf Hitler is often credited as the Twentieth Centuries most evil man, there are others who could easily be seen as equally sharing this assumption. Undoubtedly, Hitler was an extremely evil man and was responsible for the deaths of millions of people during his time in power in World War Two, however there are other past world leaders who were responsible for the deaths of many more people. Through examining Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from 1929-1953, and Mao Zedong, the chairman of the Communist Party of China from 1945-1976, it is clear that Hitler cannot accurately hold the title of being the most evil man in history. Adolf Hitler was born on April 20 in the small Austrian town of Braunau. In his early years Hitler excelled at school and was admired for his leadership qualities (history.com), however when he reached high school he found the work to be much more difficult. When Hitler was fifteen years old he failed his exams and was informed he would need to repeat that school year. Stubbornly, Hitler refused to continue with his education and dropped out of school. When he was eighteen years old his father, Alois Hitler, passed away. Hitler used the money he Logan 2 inherited from his later father to move to Vienna in hopes of pursuing a career in the arts. He applied to the Vienna Academy of Art and the School of Architecture, to which he was both rejected from. After this rejection Hitler turned his attention...
Words: 1966 - Pages: 8
