Springtime for Hitler: The Rise of the Nazi Party in the 1920s

Who is Adolph Hitler?

Was born in Austria in 1889,

Came from a parents each with multiple marriages; most of his half-brothers and sisters died in childhood,

Was smart, but did not apply himself in school and failed out as a teenager,

Moved to Vienna, and was rejected by art schools,

Joined the German army at the outbreak of World War I

Was almost killed in a poison gas attack…

A terrific biography of Hitler can be found at:http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERhitler.htm

Hitler is believed to have three “heroes” who shaped his worldview:

“The only teacher Hitler appeared to like at secondary school was Leopold Potsch, his history master. Potsch, like many people living in Upper Austria, was a German Nationalist. Potsch told Hitler and his fellow pupils of the German victories over France in 1870 and 1871 and attacked the Austrians for not becoming involved in these triumphs. Otto von Bismarck, the first chancellor of the German Empire, was one of Hitler's early historical heroes.” (http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERhitler.htm)

In Vienna Hitler became interested in the “Pan-German Movement” that stressed the superiority of the Germans, inferiority and fear of the Jews, and the need for all Germans to combine into one super-state…all ideas Hitler would adopt as a Nazi.

Hitler was also an admirer of Vienna’s popular mayor Karl Leuger, who rose to popularity by stirring up Anti-Semitism (the hatred of Jews).

Hitler’s Influences

After World War I

After World War I, Hitler stuck around in Berlin, Germany and became disgusted with the new “Weimar Republic” that had overthrown Kaiser Wilhelm II, signed the humiliating Treaty of Versailles, and failed to improve Germany.

Like many other Germans, Hitler believed in the “Stabbed in the Back” theory that the Jews and Social Democrats (Socialists) in the new government had sold it out to achieve power just as it was on the verge of an (imaginary) military victory in WWI.

Heil Kitty!

Hey! How did this get on here?!?

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Problems of the Weimar Republic 1:

The Communist Threat During the war and inspired by the successful 1917

Communist Revolution in Russia, Communism seemed like a good option to many. German Communists were led by Karl Leibknecht and Rosa Luxemburg (who was Jewish…as were many German Communists.)

In early 1919 three German cities including Munich were taken over by Communists. They were overthrown by armed groups of WWI veterans called the Free Corps.

The Free Corps thugs used violence to break up large Communist rallies in Berlin, and murdered Luxemburg and Leibknecht. After that, the threat of a German Communist Revolution lessened…but the fear of such a revolution by the upper classes remained.

Problems of the Weimar Republic 2:

The Right-Wing Threat

The “Free Corps”—note their symbol

The Free Corps refused to disband once the Communist threat had ended, and they become a second, unofficial military of Germany using weapons taken during the chaos at the end of WWI.

In March, 1920 they marched into Berlin and declared themselves the official government. The “real” army initially refused to fire on the Free Corps. Only a wave of workers’ strikes saved the Republic.

This episode showed how unpopular the Weimar government was, and how willing the German people were to see it fall and be replaced with anything else. If only the “right wing” had a popular leader….

In the 1920s…even before the Great Depression made everything worse…the German economy had little hope of prospering.

Britain and France insisted on reparation payments from the Treaty of Versailles even when it was clear Germany could not pay.

Germany still owed its war debts to foreign banks.

Hyperinflation came about when the German government kept printing more money to cover its debts.

The Treaty of Versailles closed German arms factories, and forced Germany to greatly downsize its military. This double-whammy caused massive unemployment even with so many dead from the war.

The price of coal skyrocketed with France controlling German coal mines.

The United States helped stabilize Germany’s economy…mostly by loaning it money and getting Britain and France to lower reparation payments, but that stopped after the Great Depression began.

Problems of the Weimar Republic 3: The Economic Crisis

Results of the Economic Crisis

In the crisis’ worst days, it took a wheelbarrow full of bills to buy the groceries.

Unemployment soared, and the once-proud country was on its knees.

If only someone would come up with some new ideas…

Problems of the Weimar Republic 4: The Moral Crisis

Bread line, Munich

Germany was clearly a country that had lost its way.

The once-proud champion of Europe under Bismarck had turned into an economic basket-case full of beggars.

Many children were fatherless from the war, and did not have a parent with a job.

If only someone could restore their greatness…

Seriously! Stop messing

with the PowerPoint!

A House that Looks Like Hitler

Rise of Hitler 1: The Nazis

In 1919 Hitler joined a small political party called the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (called the Nazis as a nickname).

Hitler quickly assumed leadership of the struggling party, and began putting out a lot of mass propaganda.

Hitler’s amazing ability to stir a crowd in a speech made him a person of interest and entertainment, but few at the time took him seriously let alone voted for the Nazis.

In the early 1920s, Hitler and his Nazis did not say much about what they would do if they ever took power, but he spread the hatred of the following “enemies” of Germans:

1. The countries that made Germany sign the Treaty of Versailles. He vowed revenge.

2. The “November Criminals”, meaning the Weimar government that overthrew Kaiser Wilhelm II, signed the Treaty of Versailles, and presided over Germany’s ruin.

3. Marxists and Communists, which Hitler saw as a Jewish plot for world domination since so many Communists were Jews.

4. Rich bankers who Hitler blamed for ruining the economy, many of whom were Jews.

5. Jews.

Rise of Hitler 2: The Hate List

Rise of Hitler 3: The 1923 Beer Hall Putsch

In 1923 Hitler and his Nazis jumped the gun. They came up with a plan…organized in a beer hall in Munich…to take over the city government building, which would serve as a signal for others fed up with the existing Weimar Government. They falsely believed others would rush to support them both in Munich and throughout Germany.

The Beer Hall Putsch failed, and Hitler and his Nazis were put on trial. Amazingly, it would not be the last of him….

Rise of Hitler 4: Hitler on Trial

Hitler’s trial was a sensation in Germany, and gave publicity. He used the trial to publically rail against the government and the Treaty of Versailles, and to express the importance of racial nationalism.

His speeches in court became public sensations, and made Hitler a household name. Frightened by Hitler’s new-found popularity, he received only a five-year jail sentence and was released in fewer than two.

The failed Beer Hall Putsch also taught Hitler that armed overthrow of the government would not work, so the Nazis would have to gain power through the ballot box. It would take them less than a decade to succeed.

Even a tea kettle…

Going to Sears next time…

Rise of Hitler 5: Hitler in Jail

Hitler used his months in jail to write his book “Mein Kampf”, meaning “My Struggle”, or “My Mind”. In this rambling tome he outlined his four main points with which he would rule.

1. The importance of racial purity,2. Anti-Semitism,3. Propaganda,4. “Lebensraum”, or “living space”

In other words, almost 15 years before World War II, Hitler wrote a book telling the world he would brainwash the Germans, racially cleanse Germany, get rid of the Jews, tear up the Treaty of Versailles, and expand Germany’s borders.

Far too few took these as serious threats.

Five Years of Nothing

Even with the fame brought by Hitler’s trial and the popularity of Mein Kampf, he was still viewed by most Germans as an entertaining sideshow. Despite five years of propaganda efforts, the Nazis received only 2.6% of the vote in the 1928 elections. Germany seemed stable and was on the rebound.

And then the Great Depression hit….

The DepressionWith the Great Depression, unemployment returned, as did hyperinflation as Germany printed more money to pay reparations.

Suddenly, Hitler’s propaganda started finding an audience, and in two years the Nazi Party increased its membership and vote total by 700% .

Nazi Support: The Lower Classes

The lower classes liked Hitler’s promise of jobs, protection from a Communist revolution or a wave of economy-harming strikes.

Being less educated, they were easy prey for Hitler’s simple propaganda and scapegoating non-German “enemies” for their problems.

People wanted order, authority, and leadership. Hitler oozed these qualities.

Nazi Support: The Violent

With the likelihood of violence in the near future against international enemies, Jews, Communists, or Trade Unions, fatherless young poor people, the Free Corps, the unemployed, racists, and those just angry at the world were quick to join Hitler’s “Brownshirts”, or street thugs.

Good thing we’ve evolved…

Nazi Support: The Rich

Richer Germans believed the Nazis could fulfill their promises of getting the economy under control providing more business-friendly banking. The rich were terrified of a Communist Revolution or Socialist party being elected which would take away their property and privilege. Secretly, many large businesses helped finance the Nazis because they were intimidating the real enemies of the rich: communists and socialists.

Democracy Fails

In 1931, the elderly President Von Hindenburg used a clause in the German constitution to grant himself “Emergency Powers” since elected political parties in the German Parliament (the Reichstag) were squabbling accomplishing nothing. This gave near-total power to the President and his assistant (the Chancellor) who was chosen by the Reichstag.

The 1932 Elections

In July, 1932 Hitler’s Nazis won 37.3% of the vote and became the largest party in the Reichstag. Hitler was named Chancellor with the lesser parties believing they could control him, just like the Directory had believed it could control Napoleon.

With no majority in the Reichstag, Hitler could not net do as he wished and had to gain approval from other parties before acting.

Hitler’s Plan for Full Power

Without the power to make laws at will, Hitler developed a plan to undermine German democracy.

First, he called almost immediately for new elections scheduled for March, 1933 hoping to ride the Nazis’ wave of popularity to new heights.

If only somehow other parties could be discredited and the Nazis could be seen as saviors…

The Reichstag FireWhat luck! Less than a month before the new elections, a mentally-challenged Dutch man with his pockets stuffed full of Communist pamphlets tried to burn down the Reichstag!

In the chaos, Hitler persuaded the elderly President to give him special emergency powers to save the country from “Communist subversion”.

With these new powers, Hitler ordered the arrest without trial of Communist and Social Democratic members of the Parliament, and flooded the media with “proof” that he was right all along and these rival parties were enemies of Germany.

Form Chancellor to Dictator:The 1933 Elections

With the Brownshirts patrolling the streets to threaten violence against non-Nazis, and Communist meetings broken up by Brownshirt thugs, under an avalanche of Nazi Propaganda the Nazis still received only 44.5% of the vote.

But with the support of a smaller party and the absence of Communists who were arrested after the elections, the Nazis got their >50% majority and could do what they wanted.

The Enabling Act

With his majority, and political opponents to scared of being arrested to protest, Hitler’s Nazis passed the Enabling Act in March 1933 that allowed Hitler to make laws independently of the Reichstag.

Hitler was now a dictator with no one able to oppose him.