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Why was Hitler able to dominate Germany by 1934? - Coggle Diagram
Why was Hitler able to dominate Germany by 1934?
How did Hitler consolidate his power in 1933–34?
When Hitler became Chancellor, powers were still limited:
Not Head of State of commander of armed forces - that was Hindenburg
Nazis did not have majority in Reichstag & lost seats in 2nd election of 1932
Only 3/12 in Cabinet of Ministers were Nazis
Reichstag Fire - Feb 1933
Unemployed Dutch bricklayer Van der Lubbe was arrested, Nazis claimed this was communist plot & an intended signal for revolution to begin
Led to Reichstag fire decree:
Permitted regime to arrest and incarceration political opponents with specific charges, dissolve political organisations and suppress publications -> over 10,000 communists were arrested
Gave central gov authority to overrule state laws and overthrow state & local governments
Suspended civil liberties (freedom of speech, privacy of mail)
Election - March 1933
Violence and terror dominated
Meetings of socialists and communists were regularly broken up
Prussia, Goring used his authority to enroll extra 50,000 police (nearly all members of SA or SS)
69 people died in street fighting
Nazis increased their seats to over 1/3, but still needed majority
'Day of Potsdam' 21 March 1933 - Hitler aligns himself with forces of conservatism -> good public opinion
Enabling Act - 23rd March 1933
Nazi gov could pass laws without Reichstag
Took powers away from President and gave them to the Chancellor (4 years)
How?
Communists were refused admittance (or already imprisoned)
Deputies were intimidated by SA
Centre Party voted with Hitler (Concordant deal)
Only SDP deputies voted against
The Night of the Long Knives - June 1934
Context:
SA, led by Ernst Rohm, protected Nazis at rallies and violently disrupted opponents, 4m members by 1942
SS, led by Himmler, Hitler's personal army/body guards, considered elite branch of Police State
As SA became more powerful, other senior Nazis felt threatened (Goering, Himmler, Goebbels) -> persuaded Hitler + SA pressured for a 'second revolution'
Ernst Rohm (arrested):
Hitler saw him as threat, had ambitions to replace Germany's army with SA and him in charge, Hitler did not to alarm the army because:
would need army support if to take over Hindenburg's powers once he died (would be commander of armed forces)
needed army support to invade Europe,SA was too amateurish
Over 1000 arrested + at least 85 killed
Outcome:
Hitler's supremacy confirmed
Elimination of SA as a threat
Strengthening relationship between Hitler and army
Strasser (executed):
Although Nazi, wanted more support for socialist policies that Nazis claimed to stand for
Schleicher (executed):
Tried to split Nazis in 1932
What did the Nazi Party stand for in the 1920s?
Hitler first introduced to Nazi Part when employed by the Army to spy on the German Workers Party -> agreed with many of their ideas
1920
- Hitler wrote 25-point programme that listed their beliefs - appealed to many
Nationalists & militarists:
Uniting with Germans beyond the borders set by ToV
Jews should not be citizens
Socialists
farmers should be given their land
pensions should improve
Fascists
government control of newspapers
focused on creating a strong central government
1920s Nazi Party stood for:
strong Germany
social and ethnic cleansing
lebensraum
social darwinism
Autarky / self-sufficiency
1921 - Hitler became the Party's leader (was charismatic public speaker -> deflected blame for loss of War away from army and towards hatred of Jews, communists and Weimar)
1921-1923 - Strengthening the Party
Armed squads were set up under the leadership of Ernst Rohm to organise planned thuggery by SA
Fortunate to win support of Hermann Girung who joined 1922, was from landowning family, gave party respectability
by 1923 - membership of 20,000
Why did the Nazis have little success before 1930?
1923 Munich "Beer Hall" Putsch
Hitler tries & fails to take over Germany by force (was confident from hyperinflation, Mussolinis success, strong nazi party)
16 Nazis killed & Hitler arrested
Effects:
Publicity, trial got media attention
Hitler went to prison -> other Nazi officials descended into in-fighting -> but suited Hitler since meant no rival to challenge his leadership
Nazi Party temporarily banned & Hitler banned from public speaking -> gave him time to reflect (reorganised structure of Nazi Party, being voted through power + wrote Mein Kampf, main ideas, wanted to train members in public speaking
Economic recovery meant stability returned (voters usually turn to extremism in times of crisis and desperation) -> but underlying weaknesses still existed, Wall Street Crash helped
Many of public also thought Nazis were violent and dangerous since tried to overthrow government and used SA to beat up political opponents
• Why was Hitler able to become Chancellor by 1933?
Depression 1929
US stock market collapsed -> American loans recalled -> people lost savings, debt, bankruptcy -> demand dropped -> reduced profits, falling prices
By 1933, 40% of working population were unemployed, extremists rose in popularity
Weakened Weimar:
Austerity: spending cuts, tax increased, both, trying to reduce budget deficits -> Bruning introduced this by cutting welfare, became known as "Hunger Chancellor", unpopular
1930-1932, Presidential decree laws went from 5-66 & reichstag laws 98-5 -> showed decline in democracy -> Many Germans saw this as system failing, increasing calls for more extreme measures
Rise of extremists (unemployment 6m by 1933), desperation, political violence increased (500 dead on run-up to 1932 elections), communist membership (117,000 1928 -> 360,000 1932), fear of communism drove middle class to support Nazi -> 800,000 voted Nazis in 1928, 13m 1932
Hitler's strategies/actions
1932 - Presidential election: ran against Hindenburg, lost but generated attention and gave credence (13m votes)
Before election, Hitler toured Germany to visit many places to campaign
Propaganda: Newspapers, rallies and parades, "Hitler over Germany", simple message repeated, speeches, good public speaker
& used scapegoats (Jews, November Criminals, ToV)
Timeline / Chancellors
Bruning 1930-1932:
By 1932, Hindenburg had to use article 48 to pass every law (april election, hitler came 2nd, 53% Hind, 36.8% Hitl)
Brunings gov became unpopular & he resigned, Hindenburg appointed Von Papen (conservative)
Von Papen 1932:
July:
Reichstag elections, Nazis become largest single party with 230 but still did not have majority, Hitler demanded to be Chancellor but Papen remained
Nov:
Nazi Party began to lose seats, refused to enter coalition despite being biggest party (so it couldn't be accused of failure + so other parties couldn't get much done)
Dec:
Papen lost confidence in Hindenburg and resigned
Schleicher 1932:
Dec:
Schleicher made Chancellor, tried to split Nazis by asking a leading Nazi (Strasser) to be Vice Chancellor, Hitler forced Strassed to decline
Jan 1933:
Papen agreed a deal with Hitler & persuaded Hindenburg to allow a Hitler/Papen government to form
Hitler 1933:
Jan 30:
Appointed Chancellor after much political scheming with Papen as Vice Chancellor (Papen thought Hitler could be controlled due to cabinet posts 3/11 and Nazis had lost 14 seats + Hind could take away his Chancellorship