NAZI GERMANY: The Rise of Hitler

NAZI GERMANY: The Rise of Hitler

1. The Early Years

   • Hitler used to be a soldier after being rejected from top art school
   • Asked to be a spy for political parties
   • Joined DAP in 1919 - only 40 members
     • Leader: Anton Drexler
       • Later pushed aside by Hitler
     • February 1920 - 25 Point Programme

2. Munich Putsch

   • Hitler's violent attempt to gain power illegally
   • Hitler & 300 SA disrupted meeting at local beer hall
   • Kahr & Lassow
     • Backed out of rebellion at last minute
   • SA took contol over army HQ and offices of local newspapers
     • Gain publicity locally
   • Kahr called army reinforcements when Hitler went to Munich
     • 16 Nazis killed
     • Hitler flees but is captured 2 days later. Prison for 9months
       • Mein Kampf
         • Outlines his beliefs and his future ideas for a new Germany
         • Gain support of the public by different means - not violently

3. Nazi Support

   • Businessmen and agricultural workers
     • Hitler wanted to control big businesses but not take them away
       • This got businessmen to side with him rather than communsits
     • Hitler wanted to run economy so agriculture and industry would flourish
       • A.workers would side with him over communists
   • Nationalists/Soldiers
     • Hitler wanted to break way from the terms of the ToV so Germany could become strong again
       • Supportive of Hitler as he would be able to restore Germany's great name
       • Restriction of army to 100,000 - soldiers would get their jobs back if Hitler was able to break free from this ToV policy
     • Purifying Germany - Aryan race
   • Religious/Old Fashioned family
     • Hitler wanted to return Christian morality and traditional roles among the men/women in the home
   • Hitler's wealthy ties
     • Hitler be friended Germany's most wealthiest businessman who had similar hatred for communism
       • Able to support Nazi party's finances and fun propaganda

4. Lean years

   • Inflation had eased and employment had increased
   • Stresemann was regaining status for Germany in the world
   • Reputation of Hindenburg got more people to support the Weimar Repubic
   • Voters supported moderate parties due to the stabilization of Germany. Extreme parties like Nazis and Communists lost ground

5. Make way for the Nazis

   • Wall Street Crash
     • USA recall their loans leaving Germany in a depression (failure of Dawes Plan)
     • Unemployment increased and public showed unrest