September 1930, hardly one year after the great panic on Wall Street, it jumped to 107 seats, becoming the second largest party in the Reichstag

July 1932 it was the biggest, with 230 seats. It is clear that the internal weakness of the Weimar Republic also paved the way for Nazi rule. This is why we say that Nazism was the product of the Weimar Republic. The rise of Hitler lie in the failures of the Weimar Republic.

1928, Hitler’s party was almost negligible (only 12 seats in parliament → the Nazi party was a marginal phenomenon in a very chaotic situation).

Born out of military defeat and revolution and went through multiple difficult periods between its establishment until its collapse in 1933

Council of workers and soldiers created and founded, after the Russian model, the German communist party whose leader was Karl Liebknecht

Discontent with the war and the regime were the main causes of the revolts ↓

9 November 1918 - Abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II and subsequent proclamation of the Republic by NICOLAS SCHEIDEMANN

11 November 1918 - Signing of the armistice with the victorious powers

Problem: SD wanted new elections to create a social democracy, a social democratic regime. On the other hand, the communist wanted to create a council soviet republic similar to the one established by the Bolsheviks in Russia.

More than 150 dead, including Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg

Jan 1919 elections of new republic, results looked traditional: 163 SD, 94 Liberals, 73 Catholics -> formed coalition government

Republic was constitutional and fully parliamentary, as the cabinet and every single minister depended on the confidence of the Reichstag, which could bring down governments without producing alternative cabinet

President’s position was greatly strengthened by the fact that he was elected by the people and that he appointed both the HOG and other members of the cabinet. The power of the president, the chancellor and the Reichstag was so great all over the republic that one might be justified in speaking of a decentralised unitary state.

Executive power was in the hands of the president, chancellor and cabinet

Legislation belonged to the Reichstag, partly elected by general male suffrage

Main issue: constitution wasn’t created to deal with emergencies and times of crisis + inexperience ↓
The first article of the constitution is paradoxical as it states that the “German Reich was a republic”, the word Reich refers to an empire, not a republic

HOG -> depended on the confidence of the parliament (elected every 4 years by universal suffrage holding legislative powers)

Through ARTICLE 48, parliament gave power to the president - “If public security and order are seriously disturbed or endangered within the German Reich, the President of the Reich may take measures necessary for their restoration, intervening if need be with the assistance of the armed forces. For this purpose he may suspend for a while, in whole or in part, the fundamental rights provided in Articles 114, 115, 117, 118, 123, 124 and 153. If a federal state did not fulfil the duties imposed by the constitution, the president may make use of the armed force to compel the state to do so. (Power to send the national army to a specific federal state to compel it to do something)"

Even before Hitler's rise, many emergency decrees were issued, as Article 48 was considered a necessary, but temporary tool to save the circumstances in times of serious crisis - Article 48 as a stabilising factor

Prior 1933, the Reichstag sometimes gave government full legislative powers by passing enabling acts ENABLING ACTS

Some duties -> unexpected for the time - example: duty of the parents to provide a good physical and spiritual education for the children + duty of every German citizens to dispose its property in view of the common good (can see the socialist influence)

Discrimination based on birth or social position were forbidden

Signed under the threat of renew hostilities, although the conditions were very harsh

Acknowledge exclusive guilt for the war - historically incorrect and unnecessary humiliating clause

Stab in the back legend, VERY SIMILAR TO MUTILATED VICTORY in Italy - Socialist government, the one of Scheidemann and the Jews betrayed the German army signing the treaty - evidence of anti-semitism prior Hitler

January 1923 Ruhr crisis - invasion of industrial part of Germany by Belgian and French soldiers -> point € collapsed -> mark had no value -> barter replaced coinage

Stresemann brought vital economic developments → stabilisation of the currency and agreement on war reparations Dawes Plan 1924 - the German industry was able to recover pre war levels

Benefits in the international arena: foreign political relations treaty with Russia 1922, Locarno Pact with Britain (détente effect), France, Italy, and Belgium 1925 and League of Nations 1926

German dependency on American support -> massive unemployment - 60 million beginning 1932

Executive power: all in hands of AH, who was HOS and HOG. More importantly, he was gov as all ministers and cabinet -> no effective power (met less and less frequently as the dictatorship continued)

CRUCIAL: Hitler’s acts of government didn’t require the countersignature, as he was accountable to no-one

1. Nazi officials -> afraid of taking decisions without Hitler, as he had last word

2. Hitler's pronouncements -> oral -> more difficult to "guess" wish -> scholars believe that the final order to exterminate the Jews was given orally as there is no written document stating such order

If a sentence, despite becoming final, was considered to be contrary to the Nazi ideology, the party officer, could write a claim and bring it to the Führer’s attention, allowing the process to be re-opened. Frequent technique for intervening in court's operation -> complaint of nullity

It was obvious that the concentration of all authority at the centre of the Reich would affect its federal structure: in no time Germany was turned into a unitary centralised state. The separate governments and parliaments of the Lander - with their different political colouring - were abolished.The Lander themselves became provinces of the Reich and were placed under the authority of a lieutenant, usually the highest regional party leader (Gauleiter).

On 30 January 1934 a LAW ON THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE REICH was published transferring the public assignments of the Lander to the Reich, subordinating their governments to that in Berlin and abolishing their parliaments.

CRUCIAL: Citizens' freedoms, human rights and Constitutions were anathema to the Nazis. The very idea of an individual standing up to the state and placing his own interests above those of the nation was monstrous. There was therefore no question of a Constitution that might restrain the Führer: his will was the fundamental law and no other was required. Consequently there was NEVER A CONSTITUTION OF THE THIRD REICH -> such was the inescapable logic of the regime

As the Nazi gospel was expected to transform and inspire the whole 
of German society -> couldn't limit its impact to the organs of the state. Everything was affected, social life, the arts, science, trade unions and, the media. To achieve this HOMOGENEITY ON A MASS SCALE, old social organisations were dissolved and new, compulsory ones founded. Examples: the press was placed under the control of the propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels and all liberal professions were encapsulated in Nazi bodies.

1929, HEINRICH HIMMLER was one of the most powerful man in Germany → appointed head of the SS. He expanded and transformed the government (security and policy). SS focused on the racial emphasis of the Nazi ideology and provided the strongest impetus behind the most radical measures of Nazism

30s is was responsible for the Jews persecution and execution in the concentration camps

Emerged in 1925 as a small bodyguard unit to protect Hitler, and some other Nazi leaders

1933 under HERMANN GÖRING → 1936 under the command of HEINRICH HIMMLER

Investigations of cases of treason, espionage, sabotage and criminal attacks on the Nazi Party → Schutzhaft (power to imprison people without the need of judicial proceeding)

Gestapo could even operate above the law whenever the security of the state was considered at risk (issue of interpretation) -> people could be taken away by the Gestapo also during trial, to be then sent to a concentration camp

Racial cleansing begun as soon as the legal revolution was completed - 1934

1. Legally - Nuremberg laws of 1935 -> Marriages and extramarital sexual relations between Jews and subjects of German or related blood, marriages between Hews and Germans - IMPORTANT: Proclaimed Jews were subject of the state, not citizens. Difference: subjects only had duties and not rights. Jews were also subjected to public abuse, violence and constant discrimination*

9th November 1938 → Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) thousand of Jews owned stores, synagogue, and shops where smashed and burned throughout Germany by soldiers and party mobs. Jews dead and thousands arrested the following day.

BASE: communication was based on the same symbols repeated over and over. These symbols became clear ideological connections for Hitler’s followers and for the Germans

The Germany swastika hooks were pointed anti clockwise to represent death
The original swastika hooks were pointing clockwise to represent the rise of the sun

Eagle -> considered a symbol of the power of the 3rd Reich. Eagle ≠ Nazi symbol (Ancient Rome, Holy Roman Empire, US)

Red flag - Mein Kampf - "As National Socialists, we see our program in our flag. In red -> social idea of the movement; in white -> nationalistic idea; in the swastika -> mission of the struggle for the victory of the Aryan man, and, by the same token, the victory of the idea of creative work”

ARTICLE 20 of the same Constitution called the country a 'democratic and social federal state'

ARTICLE 21 - Parties that combat the 'free democratic basic order' were declared unconstitutional

ARTICLE 100 attributed the review to special constitutional courts