...27th of February, 1933, the Reichstag building in Berlin burned down in an act declared by the Nazi Party to be the inception of a widespread communist uprising. The Reichstag Fire, as it was called, can be observed as one of the most significant events in the formation of Nazi Germany through its pivotal role in the reduction of civil liberties of Germany’s citizens and the emergence of a near dictatorial regime within the Weimar Republic. The significance of the fire lies in its role as a catalyst towards effecting the power that the Nazi Party would hold throughout the 1930’s as a result of the various decrees and laws passed in response to it. There is little doubt that the party would have come to similar power with time, but by utilising the fire as part of a communist plot to overthrow the German government, Adolf Hitler created a political and social environment susceptible to his control. The direct consequences of the fire were great, both in terms of political gain and the restriction of rights for the Nazi party’s adversaries, which at that point was predominantly the communist community. These greater holds on power were provided chiefly through the instigation of the Reichstag Decree and the Enabling Act along with the utilisation of political alliances between the police force and the Nazi Party. To understand the resounding effect of the fire, the general political environment in Germany before the fire must be examined. On the 30th of January, 1933 Adolf Hitler...
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...The initial consolidation of the Nazi power in 1933The initial consolidation of the Nazi power in 1933-34 The initial consolidation of the Nazi power in 1933-34 takes form in three points: the German situation, the Nazi rootlessness, and the political acts and people that made it all possible. The German situation helped account for the initial consolidation of Nazi power in 1933-34. Due to the Wall Street Crash in 1929 the economy crashed all over the world, but none worse than in Germany. Due to the World War 1 payback, Germany was already suffering economically and they were only keeping afloat with the funds from US investors, but with the Wall Street Crash the investors withdrew their money from Germany resulting in businesses all over Germany collapsing; bankruptcy becoming nationwide and unemployment levels leapt upwards. The economic impact of this led many counties to move to protect their own domestic industries, resulting in high tariffs. In March 1930 and May 1932, the German Chancellor, Heinrich Bruning, pursued an orthodox economic policy of ridge deflation. The deflation involved increasing taxation and decreasing government expenditure. Then in July 1931, Germany suffered a major banking crisis. The country’s biggest banks, the Danat, went bankrupt. The impact this had for families meant that they were forced into poverty, Living on the streets, Health levels deteriorated, Children were forced to leave school early, Families broke up as men left to seek work...
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...The Nazis became Germany’s largest party by 1932 due to their excellent use of propaganda. How far do you agree with this view? Nazi propaganda was very successful due to two main reasons; it was simple and direct, and it appealed to the majority of Germans. Unlike the other parties, the Nazi’s didn’t appeal to just one type of political group. One of the clearest signs of this is in their name, the Nationalist Socialist German Worker’s Party, appealing to the spectrum of political opinions. Many political parties fail at this because it is quite difficult to please everyone as many of the policies clash, but due to certain events, the Nazis succeeded in this. Their propaganda was important, especially during the Great Depression, when the German people were eager to listen to anyone who showed they could bring prosperity back to their nation. Propaganda included media devices such as cinema and theatre, as well as posters and street slogans to ensure people were aware of Adolf Hitler’s message that he was able to restore Germany to the world power they once were. Nazi propaganda was lead by Josef Goebbels. However, there were many other factors that contributed to the Nazi party domination in the Reichstag. Between 1924 and 1929, the Nazi party was losing votes, from a miserable 7% in 1924 to a pathetic 2.6% in 1928. The main reasons for this were that Germany was engaging in a period of prosperity, economically, politically and socially. American banks were loaning millions...
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...Joshua Painter 27/11/13 Nazi Support ‘To what extent did support for the Nazi party change between the years of 1923-33?’ Between the years of 1923 to 1933 support for the Nazi Party grew 37% from 7% share of the votes in 1924 to a much larger 44% in the elections of 1933. The success that the Nazi Party gained over these years was due to many changes and promises that Hitler and the Nazi Party made to the public. As the Nazi party had done so poorly in the 1924 elections, gaining just a 5% share of the votes, Hitler knew that he would have to make some drastic changes in order to gain power. The failure of the Munich Putsch also led Hitler to realise that the only way that he would be able to gain this power was through democratic, legal means. After the Putsch Hitler set about making the changes to the Nazi Party that were required to turn around the parties fortunes. The Nazi Party used propaganda very effectively to gain support. They played on Historic fears and complaints with great effect. Hitler was well aware that the people of Germany felt great animosity towards the Treaty of Versailles. He used this for the Nazi Party’s own political gain by using the Jews as a scapegoat for Germany’s problems during the 1920’s and by promising to the people that if he was in power he would tear up the Treaty of Versailles. By doing...
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...The creation of a nazi mass movement In july 1932 the nazi gained 13,745,000 votes and their voters represented 37.3% of the electorate, making hitlers party the largest in the Reichstag. The results of the elections 1928-32 showed the changes in political parties. It was clear that the Nazis made gains from parties with a middle class/protestant identity. Catholic, communist and social democrat parties were able to withstand the Nazi advances. Geography and denomination Nazi support was higher in the North and east of the country and lower in the south and west. Across the North German plain from east Prussia to Schleswig Holstein, the Nazis gained their best results and reflects the significance of religion and degree of urbanisation. The areas with significant numbers of catholics, was were the Nazis gained the less support but the more protestant regions was were they gained more support, and didn’t do so well in large industrial areas but did well in rural areas. The Nazis did the worst in the west catholic areas such as Cologne. And it was at its highest in areas such as Pomerania. Class Nazi voters reflected the rural/urban division in terms of their social groupings. They gained the most support from peasants and farmers, the mittlestand (lower and middle class shop keepers), established ,idle class- teachers and white collar workers. High proportion of the middle class supported the party, but although the working class did join the Nazis in smaller proportions...
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...this era of political and economical dishevelment the state provided an ideal setting for the rise of extremist ideologies and firebrand political leaders that worsened the state as a whole but at the time appeared to be the best choice – These leaders came in the form of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. It seemed that the German residents residing within the state were forced to relinquish their earnings for the reparation fee that was set after the First World War by the victors themselves, and with the threat of hyperinflation looming, the political chaos and disablement, and the possible Communist takeover certain parities and leaders such as Hitler offered them scapegoats and quick solutions....
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...the Reichstag against the opposition deputies. If outvoting them takes longer than out shooting them, at least the results will be guaranteed by their own constitution. Sooner or later we shall have a majority, and after that- Germany. (Heiden, 142)' Adolf Hitler spoke these words in 1920, soon after becoming leader of the newly named National Socialist German Workers' Party, commonly known as the Nazi Party. There are many contributing factors, which lead to Hitler's gain in power over the next thirteen years. The recent history of post-war Germany, and the events that would follow were of perfect conditions for the rise of an extremist party such as the Nazis. World War One had left Germany in defeat. Germany was put under immense pressure by the treaty of Versailles, which contributed to the disastrous and politically unstable early twenties. Hitler was a strong and manipulating character, with extraordinary leadership skills and his party was very tactical. He was very much underestimated by opposing political parties. All of these factors lead to Hitler and his Nazis' becoming the sole political party in the Reichstag in 1933. The German Empire was formed in 1871 and soon became one of Europe?s most influential countries. It dominated in industrial and military power, and the German people were proud of their achievements. Up until the end of World War One, a Kaiser ruled Germany. From 1888 the Kaiser was Wilhelm II. He was very ambitious and militaristic and a threat...
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...would argue that it was a political system where the state, usually under one organisation, recognises no limits to its authority and strives to control every aspect of public and private life. This was what Hitler wanted for Germany under the control of the Nazi party. From 1933 to 1939 Hitler tried to control every aspect of Germany and its people. To create a totalitarian state Hitler would have to insure that one party and one party only controlled Germany. He would also have to ensure that he could keep the economy, the opposition, the media, the army and the police fully under his control. This essay will closely examine if he achieved this or not. Carl Freidrichs, a German historian believes that to have a totalitarian state all of these features are needed. In other words for a country to be a totalitarian state then the following features were essential. These included: suppression of all sources of opposition, total control of the media, total control of all groups in society, the total control of education, total control of the economy and finally total control of all civil life. If these things could be controlled then Hitler would have indeed created a totalitarian state. Firstly Hitler would have to crush all opposition to ensure that he could create his totalitarian state. Although Hitler had quickly established a one party state and silenced his political opponents, even though their use of threats and violence the Nazi party could never fully silence their...
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...In between wars the Nazi regime emerged as a counter-force to a combination of national grievances and economic crises, alongside the promise of strength and unity. Did this occur because the desire for strength and unity was strong enough that the people were willing to surrender their civil liberties? Civil liberties, “...are personal guarantees and freedoms that the government cannot abridge, either by law or by judicial interpretation, without due process.” (Hugh Starkey, undated.) How was the Nazi party promising strength and unity, what did they say, and how did they grow at such a fast rate. What were the national grievances that the german people were facing post war and how did the Nazi regime profit off it. And what were the civil...
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...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 not safe – so we call this whole period in German history the WEIMAR REPUBLIC, or WEIMAR GERMANY (or just WEIMAR!) ▪ Constitution ready by August 1919 ▪ Very democratic = everyone over the age of 20 gets the vote (men and women) ▪ Proportional representation is used in elections – so small, extremist parties find it easier to get into the Reichstag ▪ The President is the Head of State...
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... |Single Party Communist Dictatorship under the leadership|Single Party Fascist Dictatorship under the leadership of Hitler. | | |of Stalin. |Hitler had a close knit group of Nazi officials to carry out his | |Style |Council of 7 people led by Stalin who had a close knit |plans for Germany for him. | |of Government |group of supporters carrying out his ideas without |Hitler was a charismatic and persuasive figure who ‘charmed’ the | | |questioning. |people into supporting him and his ideas for a better life. | | |Stalin was a domineering and threatening person who | | | |wielded power through fear. | | | | | | | |The USSR was a one party system but there were members |Once Hitler assumed power Germany became a one party system. Hitler | | |of his own Bolshevik Party who did not like the policies|particularly disliked the Communist Party in Germany....
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...Michael Bergin Professor Patricia Chappine GSS 2248 February 17, 2016 Nazi Rise to Power The Nazi party’s rapid rise to power did not go off without a hitch. After the hangover from WW1, the mood surrounding Germany was grim. Germany was slapped with international sanctions and forced to pay reparations to France and Britain for the huge costs of the war. The German people were looking for hope and a leader that could generate some real positive changes. In 1919, Adolf Hitler joined a small political party where he quickly rose to leadership through a number of emotional and captivating speeches. He “promoted a national sense of pride, militarism, and a concept of a radically “pure” Germany” (1). By the end of that year Hitler became the official Fuhrer of this small political party called the Nazi party which consisted of about 3,000 members. Hitler used the Jews as a scapegoat for Germany’s economic issues while encouraging anti-Semitic views and behaviors. In 1923, any momentum the Nazi party possessed came to a halt in Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch. In an attempt to overthrow local authorities in Munich, Hitler was sentenced to jail and charged with high treason. As things were looking bleak for the Nazi’s Hitler utilized the courtroom as a platform for his greatest attribute, propaganda. He would rant for hours and hours against the Weimar government demanding change. Throughout his trail Hitler actually gained support for his cause. At the end of the day the right-wing...
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...itself. When focusing on the Nazi legacy the allies faced the issues of the political vacuum of power now that the leading party of the nation for the last 12 years, also the systems and culture created by this. Their main ways of tackling the Nazi legacy boiled down to several major areas; denazification, democratisation and the Nuremberg trials. The success of dealing with the Nazi legacy was fairly limited especially with the division of germany, also in such a short time period the ally powers struggled to find their feet. The Nuremberg trials which took place from the 20 november1945 -1 october 1946, were the trials of the leading Nazi war criminals or what was left of them. There were 13 trials in total over this time period and was the most tangible form of dealing with the Nazi legacy and holding those who were responsible. The prisoners were tried for; crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity and conspiracy, most of the evidence only came to light at the trials and are now what we consider most of the Nazi plans and actions. By the end of the trials 3 were acquitted and 12 were sentenced to death including Goring. The trials were able to sentence the remaining Nazis but aren’t the major way of dealing with the legacy they left. The trials set a president for what would happen to the Nazis and were rather symbolic of destroying the legacy, also by killing or sentencing the leading Nazis it prevented the reoccurrence of the Nazi party forming with any major...
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...and cruel party in the world, was under the role of Adolf Hitler, their violence remained a deep gash in the western world history. National socialism (common English short form Nazism) was the ideology of the Nazi Party and Nazi Germany. Many of their beliefs included biological racism and antisemitism. Nazism has been described as far-sighted, because it was designed to allow domination of society by people considered racially superior, while ”cleaning” society up by killing off people who were declared inferior which were said to be a threat to national survival. Their philosophy claimed that the so-called Aryan master race was superior to all other races. To maintain what it regarded as the purity and strength of the Aryan race, the Nazis sought to ethnically cleanse Jews and Romani, and exterminate the physically and mentally disabled. Other groups considered targets included the homosexual, black people, Jehovahʼs witnesses and other political groups. During the 1930s, the Nazi Regime attempted to construct what it believed to be a utopian society. The Nazis’ rise to power can be viewed as a modern revolution, in which their objective to create an ideal Nazi Volksgemeinschaft (community of people) was achieved by highly regulating all areas of German life. From the arts and literature to sexual activity and race relations, the Nazi Party implemented legislation that restricted what the German public could see, hear, read, do and even think! The Nazis were able...
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...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 ...
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