Revision

-Rise of Power
-Consolidate Power
-Maintainenc Power
Authoritarian states
Hitler & Castro-Emergence of authoritarian states
What conditions and methods led to the rise of Hitler and Castro?

Conditions Hitler Castro

Economic Conditions
- Rise of power for Hitler until January 1933
when he becomes the chancellor and till 1959 for
Castro when he enters Havana.
-Treaty of Versailles resulted in reparation of £6.6
billion, crippling Germany’s economy
- Industry operated at 47% of pre-war
performance
- First economic crisis of 1923: Weimar printing
money=hyperinflation
- Second economic crisis 1930-1933 Great
Depression: Policy errors by Henrich Brüning
lead to growth of KPD and NSDAP in September
1930 and July 1932 election
-1. Discredited parliament:
Despite the overwhelmingly need for a financial
program to help the German people during the
Great Depression, Chancellor Brüning ended up
-Monoculture economy, highly depended on one
crop, sugar
-Unemployment was periodically high: 8%
during the sugar harvest, 30% rest of the year
-The US was the main purchaser of Cuban sugar,
and offered a higher price than the global market,
in return US goods were dominant in the Cuban
market
-As Cuba was not an industrialized nation, it
depended on the revenues from exported sugar to
buy the necessary manufactured goods and oils
-Hence the development Cuba utility industries,
including communications, electricity, was
largely relied upon US investments
-The ownership of land and of the sugar mill was
largely concentrated in the hands of the upper
class and foreign companies
with a policy errors such as increasing taxation,
reducing welfare benefits, and also advising the
president to invoke Article 48.
-NSDAP: 107 seats in September 1930 election to
230 seats in July 1932 election
-Weimar Republic experienced a shift of power
from the elected representatives to a presidential
cabinet
Interpretation: Peakurt: The democratic elements
of Weimar Republic disappeared after the
economic crisis
*However it should be noted that although
economic crisis aroused authoritarian elements, it
did not lead to authoritarian state yet
2. Nazis gained massive popularity by promising
economic recovery.
-Nazis lost the number of votes from 230 July
1932 to 196 in November 1932 election when the
economy started to recover
-Interpretation: Frank McDonough: “Hitler’s
utopian dream could only have prospered in the
dark age of a very black night.”
-From 1952 the economy took a downturn. As
the price of sugar dropped internationally, it
became much more expensive to purchase import
goods. However because of the international
obligations with the USA, Cuba was not able to
successfully develop industry and diversify the
economy.
-Inflation and unemployment grew to 17% in the
1950s.
Result: Intensified opposition against Batista.
-The middle classes and wealthy elites started to
become disillusioned with the regime.
-Their savings were negatively impacted by
inflation and their business profits suffered under
economic downturn and economic uncertainty.
*However it should be noted that opposition was
not yet organized and one of the key factors that
contributed to the rise of Castro was the fact that
the Cuban political parties did not seem to offer a
genuine alternative to the existing problem.
 - Interpretation: AJP Taylor agrees with the
argument that the Great Depression served an
undeniable role in Hitler’s rapid rise to power.
The historian argues that the Depression was the
largest condition that allowed Hitler to employ
opportunism as a method to seize ultimate
control over Germany while in its crisis state.

- Nazis under Goebbels was effective in using

modern mass communications such as film and
radio to whip up public enthusiasm. (Sensation
appeal, rising the idea revanchism against the
Treaty of Versailles)

-Nazis lost the number of votes from 230 July

1932 to 196 in November 1932 election when the
economy started to recover

*The fact that economic recovery coincided with

a slight decline in the popularity indicates that
their message was most effective only when
people were in an economic crisis, highlighting
the economic situation as being an essential
condition.

Social Conditions Impact of War Geographical and Ethnic division

-Treaty of Versailles humiliate Germany
-Army was reduced from 4.5 million to 100,000
-Germany accept war guilt (Article 231)
-German territory was ceded (Alsace Lorraine,
Saar)
-Conservative elite still held power in Weimar
Republic, whom were supportive of Hitler’s fight
for German strength
-European immigration had been primarily to the
western part of the island, while the eastern
provinces, separated by the Sierra Maestra
mountain, was a more lawless, politically
neglected and economically undeveloped frontier
land
-Poor living conditions
:Wages were low, housing was limited and access
to health and education not available to all.
-Illiteracy was widespread, reaching 50 percent
in certain parts of the countryside
-Sugar workers were seasonal, meaning that there
were months when they did not have steady
employment
-The ownership of land and of the sugar mills
was largely concentrated in the hands of the
upper class and foreign companies
The 26th of July movement promised peasants an
end to the ownership of large estates by a small
sector of society or companies. ---Agrarian
reform
Political Conditions -Feeling that the Weimar were “November
Criminals” (for accepting ToV terms)
-Instability and lack of military support: the
military declined to suppress Kapp Putsch 1929
-Political instability: Proportional representation,
Article 48, Presidential degree 1930
-Interpretation: Bracher: “Hitler made his way of
government through the authoritarian gap in a
Weimar Constitution”
-Failure of the Left to unite (KPD & SPD)
-Vested Interests
-Industrial leaders: ex) Hugenberg
-Many wealthy businessmen started to
financially support other non-socialist states
- Hugenberg, who was both the leader of DVNP
and a successful businessman, granted the Nazis
with access to Hugenberg’s communication
empire.
-His support provided a vehicle for Nazis
propaganda and a link to conservative and other
right-wing movements, as seen in the meeting of
NSDAP, military leaders, and industrialists in
Herzberg in October 1931.
-No effective democratic system
-Between 1944 and 1952 a limited democracy
developed, however there was widespread
corruption.
-resident Grau had abandoned socio-economic
reforms in favor of ensuring the support of
wealthy businessmen, plantation owners, and US
corporation.
-Batista returned as President in March 1952
taking power in a coup; he suspended the
constitution and ruled as a dictator
-Historian Hugh Thomas suggests that Batista’s
lack of reforms was a key cause of civil war as he
“spend a lot of time dealing with his private
affairs and his foreign fortunes leaving himself
too little time for affairs of state.”
-In 1954, in an attempt to legitimize his rule,
Batista held elections and ran as a presidential
candidate
Result:
-The M-26-7 movement’s promising of reducing
corruption appealed to the working classes, the
peasants
-By mid-1958 the local population was
supportive of Castro and his men, providing them
with intelligence about troop movements, and
lead it to a successful guerilla warfare tactic
-By 1958, under the Pact of Caracas, the vast
majority of the opposition recognized the
 -Semi-legal assumption of power
-Appointment of Hitler as chancellor by Von
Papen: perfectly legal according to the provision
of the constitution
-Given his position as chancellor and Goring as
the ministry of the interior, the election of March
1933 resulted in a leap of votes for the NSDAP
occupying 43.9% of vote-but still not a majority.
The role of leaders -Recalled for many Germans as a golden age of
strong rule
-Brilliant speaker, good organizer and politician
-Skillful manipulation of situations
:Demanded to be chancellor and refused to work
in a coalition and support Von Paper or
Schleicher
-Interpretation: Albert Speer (joined the NSDAP
in 1931 and later rose to become Minister of
Armaments): “Goebbels and Hitler knew how to
penetrate through the instincts of their
audiences”
leadership of Fidel Castro in the struggle against
Batista. The Pact included all the main political
parties, including the Communist Party, PSP.
- Rise of opposition against the government
The wide range of Batista’s opponents-students in
March 1957, the Auténtico-ex president Prío and
his supporters in May 1957, and some officers
and sailors in Cienfuegos in September all failed
-Speech, “History will absorb me,”
-Moncada program. His desire for a more open,
fair society and an end to the corruption that
plagued struck a chord with the working classes.
-In short, his eloquence and courage at the trial
won him many supporters, including Frank Paìs,
a young teacher from Santiago de Cuba who
would go on the play a crucial role in Castro’s
future success
Historian interpretation:
Eric Selbin: Charismatic leaders promote and
make the revolutionary process possible by their
ability to represent the people’s needs and
aspirations of vision in future.
Ideology -Hitler’s ability to remain consistent in policy
• Revisionism
• Volksgemeinschaft (Folk)
• Palingenesis (Rebirth of nation)
• Social Darwinist
• Totalitarianism
• Rejection of egalitarianism (against
democracy and communism)
• Lebensraum
-Flexibility in using his ideology to further gain
power
• Mein Kampf
-unshakable belief in Germany’s destiny
as a great Aryan nation to destroy Jewry
and seize the Slav lands of the east
-a passionate hatred of communism
-belief in the power of the state as the
central social organization
-the conviction that women were
subordinate to men and should not
engage in politics.
- Castro was less committed to Marxist or
communist ideals and he was more interested in
Cuban nationalism.
-In 1956, flatly refused Batista’s claims that he
was a communist, and further denouncing the
Cuban dictator’s former links to the communists
(PSP) party. The fact that Castro had openly
declared more than once occasion that he was not
communist but a Cuban nationalist, helped
secure his support
▪ Castro had often been critical of the
communists
o Wary of aligning himself too closely with
them due to the level of control exercised by
the USSR over their actions
o The fact that Castro had openly declared
more than once occasion that he was not
communist but a Cuban nationalist, helped
secure his support
The use of force -Hitler trying to legitimize their party after the
Munich Putsch
:When Hitler came out of prison in 1924, he
resolved upon new strategy.
-While still relying on violent tactics in the
streets to silence opposition, he would present
the Nazi movement to the voters as a
constitutional party, thus, winning power
democratically.
-Allowed SA to parade the streets, attack political
opponents, force people to vote for Nazi Party in
1930, 1932 elections
-Intimidation of SPD deputies: Hitler used
intimidation to gain the two-thirds majority to
pass the Enabling Bill in March 1933.
-Used Article 48 & Emergency decree to purge an
estimated 4000 political opponents
- Castro still trying to overthrow the Batista’s
regime
- In Mexico in 1955, Castro organized the M-26-7
group in preparation for their return to Cuba
(commemorates his Moncada Barracks)
M-26-7 members in Cuba formed secret
underground cells to help support Castro’s return
o Stockpiling weapons & ammunition
o Printing anti-regime newsletters and posters
o Spreading the promises of the Moncada
Program throughout the country
Sierra Maestra Campaign 1956-1959
- Planned to wage a hit-and-run campaign
against Batista forces in Oriente province with
the help from peasants and M-26-7 activities
- The army’s brutal methods of interrogation
played into Castro’s hands by increasing still
further the peasants’ support for his rebels
In contrast, the Fidelistas were under strict
instructions to avoid brutality with civilians or
captured enemy soldiers
The torture or murder of prisoners was forbidden
 Far fairer than the corrupt police and legal
system

Propaganda -Hitler flew across the country visiting villages
and towns and meeting people
-People’s receiver- cheap radios, newspapers, TV
advertisements
-Cult of personality was developed-portrayed as a
strong savior of Germany.
-Aid from Hugenberg-entertainment business all
containing messages of Hitler’s strength and
denounce Weimar Republic
- His support provided a vehicle for Nazis
propaganda and a link to conservative and other
right-wing movements, as seen in the meeting of
NSDAP, military leaders, and industrialists in
Herzberg in October 1931
-Mein Kamph
-More accessible for Hitler to use domestic media
David Welch
propaganda played an important role in Hitler’s
rise to power as he claims that Hitler’s growth in
support was due to the successful manipulation of
a “well-functioning propaganda machine”.
Russel J Hampsey-“Was able to implement in
gaining support for revolution.”
Castro’s use of radio
-In 1957, the rebels establish Rebel Radio to
broadcast their propaganda and to counteract the
government propaganda
- Herbert L Matthews’ interview with Castro in
1956 in Sierra Maestra
-Cult of personality was developed-projected the
image as the patriotic freedom fighter struggling
to defend a poor and oppressed people against the
corrupted regime
-Helped convince the US government to
withdraw their military support for the Batista’s
regime
Why? Growing international awareness of the
brutality of Batista’s regime contrasted with
noble, charismatic Fidelistas
-Castro constantly advertised his plans for
recovering the Cuban economy, thus, business
leaders began to give their support to the rebels
-Batista controlled the media hence the Castro
had to underground channel and foreign media
Adolf Hitler – Rise to Power Historiography

Name of Topic of discussion What they said/ analysis

Historian:
Alan Bullock Helping Hitler’s The Republic was the reason for Germany’s surrender to the citizens so they were guilty of shame, treachery,
rise-radicalism and betrayal.

David Welch Rise to power and Agrees that propaganda played an important role in Hitler’s rise to power as he claims that Hitler’s growth in
propaganda support was due to the successful manipulation of a “well-functioning propaganda machine”. The parades,
symbols, uniforms and banners, the bands, and the marching columns of the SA “captured the imagination of
the masses”.
Jerabek Origins of Nazi rise Jerabek states that support for the Nazi party derived strictly from societal problems such as “ war, revolution,
in power as social hyperinflation, and the economic crisis” instigated by the Weimar Republic. Likewise, Jerabek views the
condition “weakening” of traditional political beliefs as a catalyst for Hitler’s growing power.

Laurence Rees Hitler’s rise to Rees believes that Hitler's ability to appeal to citizens through passionate speech and skillfully placed
power through messages provided Germany with a sense of hope and drive which led Hitler to rise in popularity and power.
personal appeal
Ian Kershaw Hitler’s rise to Historian Ian Kershaw argues that it was not Hitler's mere personality that gained him such massive support,
power by but it was the strategic use of monopolized media after 1929.
propaganda
Ian Kershaw Hitler rise to power Despite the anti-democratic consensus, the selfishness and conflicts among the elites caused themselves to be
by traditional elites “too fragmented” and “too diverse.” Therefore the risk of appointing Hitler a chancellor in 1933 was “the
bankruptcy of their strategies” ; the last chance stay in power.

Despina Hitler’s rise to Canadian historian Despina Stratigakos and author of Hitler at Home also argued that Hitler’s rise to power
Stratigakos power by personal was largely due to his personal appeal to the public. She says "He's being presented as a good man, a moral
appeal man, and the evidence for that comes from his private life. It’s fabricated, but it’s very effective."
AJP Taylor Rise to power- AJP Taylor agrees with the argument that the Great Depression served an undeniable role in Hitler’s rapid
economic rise to power. The historian argues that the Depression was the largest condition that allowed Hitler to
conditions employ opportunism as a method to seize ultimate control over Germany while in its crisis state.

Historian Roger Rise to power due Historian Roger B. Myerson author of Political Economics and the Weimar Disaster describes the weak
B. Myerson to previously weak political system in the Weimar Republic. In his essay, Myerson describes the faults with the Proportional
political system Representation system. His perspective is important because it reinforces that due to the conditions created by
a weak political system, it made it easier for Hitler to rise to power.
 Konrad Heiden Rise to power due A German-American journalist and historian of the Weimar Republic and Nazi eras, most noted for the first
to socioeconomic influential biographies of Adolf Hitler.
conditions
favourable to any
authoritarian
leader
Bruce Loebs Rise to power due Teacher of a class called the Rhetoric of Hitler and Churchill for the past 46 years at Idaho State University,
to charisma credits the Führer's oratory success to his charisma. "He (Hitler) learned how to become a charismatic
speaker, and people, for whatever reason, became enamoured with him," He had ways of solving the German
problems that instilled a need for Germany to once again regain its former glory.
Amanda Macias Rise to power due Historian Amanda Macias agrees that Hitler was an exceptional public speaker that captivated his audience
to oratory skills with his words. She says that “In more than 5,000 persuasive speeches, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler bewitched his
audiences and promised them that his empire would reign for a thousand years.” His enthusiasm and charisma
created excitement and hope in the German people that helped him get elected and later want to fight for
Germany.
William Shirer Propaganda- Mein Historian William Shirer agrees that Mein Kampf aided in the spread of Hitler’s anti-Communist and anti-
Kampf Jewish economic policies, which helped capture the support of German voters, allowing Hitler to rise to
power.
Karl Dietrich Vested interests Criticizes Papen-Hugenberg-Hindenburg group from “helping the National Socialist leadership into positions
Bracher from political elites of power they had not been able to achieve of their own accord.”

Fidel Castro– Rise to Power Historiography

Name of Topic of What they said/analysis

Historian: discussion
 Fidel Castro: Rise to Power

Thomas Carlyle Personality The Civic Resistance Movement (Movimiento 26 de Julio) played a significant role in Castro’s rise as he was able to gain
and Herbert as a means of support by comparing himself and his successful plans for his leadership to Batista’s failed policies
Spencer gaining
support

Russell J. Castro’s use Sierra Maestra campaign ultimately set the conditions in Cuba and internationally, meaning that it greatly helped
Hampsey of force in Castro in his rise to power as he was able to implement force as a means of gaining support for the revolution and
rising to expand his influence as well as control international reaction to the revolution
power

Richard Gott Importance Nationalism was much more important to Castro’s ideology than Socialism. When Castro came into power, he was all
of ideology about improving the living conditions and healthcare for the Cuban people, which helped promote a strong sense of
pride in their country and its leadership. By modernizing Cuba and helping other third world countries start to
revolutionize, Castro promoted nationalism as his main ideology, and through this, was able to achieve the support of
the Cuban people and rise to power.

Sebastian Balfour Castro’s Historian Sebastian Balfour claims that before 1959, Castro had no clear direction for his revolution. He only had a
Economic series of radical reforms which didn’t align with any one economic standard, such as socialism. This supports the
Path argument that Castro didn’t possess a clear economic path, and therefore didn’t have very influential economic
ideologies.

Sebastian Balfour Rise to According to Balfour, the main reason for the Batista regime’s collapse was “because it was corrupt and barbarous.”
power due to -The M-26-7 movement’s promises of reducing corruption appealed to the working classes, especially the peasants in
fall of Batista eastern and central Cuba.
regime
 Thomas Carlyle Rise to Great Man Theory-Castro success was a result of his personal qualities as well as the social conditions at the time.
and Herbert power due to
Spencer role of
individual

Consolidation and Maintenance of power

-Use of legal methods
-Use of force
-Charismatic leadership
-Dissemination of propaganda
Consolidation of Power-This took place for Hitler from 1933 to 1934, during the time where he was a chancellor before he became a
Führer.
Prescribed content Hitler
Use of legal methods • Hitler used legal means as one of this main means of consolidating
his power. Now that he had been appointed as Chancellor in
1933, he was able to enact laws that would safeguard his position
of power and for the Nazi regime. He used legal methods to
dissolve the democratic system of the government, to eradicate all
political opponents, and to assume total control of Germany.
 He enacted the
 “Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of the
Nation and State” to suspend people’s personal freedoms after
the outbreak of Reichstag Fire in February 1933. Hitler
persuaded Hindenburg to issue an emergency decree under
Article 48.
 Enabling Act-“Law for Terminating the Suffering of the
People and the Nation.” The law gave Hitler right to pass the
laws and decrees without the President’s or Reichstag
consent, and also gave the government an emergency power
for 4 years. This law was key in allowing Hitler to consolidate
his position as now he was able to pass laws that were
favorable to Nazi party, and laws that would safeguard his
position, thus, undermining democracy
 Law Against the Formation of New Parties (June 1933) and
the Law for Restructuring of the state (Jan 1934) turned
Germany into a one-party state by forcing the Reichstag to
dissolve, and by forcing Socialist Party (SPD), and the
Communist Party (KPD) to dissolve
Castro
• 1959-a provisional government was appointed by Fidel
Castro and the M-26-7 leadership
• President:
-Manuel Urrutia Lleó, Prime minister: José Miró Cardona -
why? Not wanting to be blamed publicly, and create an
illusion of democracy
VS
• While Castro promised to hold fair and free elections, one of
his first acts was to ban all political parties for at least four
year
• A Fundamental Law of the Republic decreed that authority
now rested in a council of ministers, Led by Castro as Prime
minister
• 1959-suspended the election as a temporary measure to allow
him to consolidate the gains of the revolution before the
inevitable revolutionary attempts by the USA and their allies
• Although it appears to be a dictatorial, his reasoning was
sound
o The traditionally chaotic, violent, corrupt nature of Cuban
politics→ could not allow political parties and their armed
gangs to wander freely when he was restructuring the
weakened police and armed forces to maintain the
security of the nation
o US corporate can easily buy the political parties
Use of force Hitler used violence to consolidate his rule within the party, and to Both leaders used this to different extents in order to unify and
ensure to eliminate any rivals of the party consolidate their rule.
 Passed the Enabling Act by eliminating 12 percent of the
KPD, intimidating SPD deputies, and by offering the
Hitler used violence in the form of political violence to
Zentrum/BVP guarantees for the rights of the protection of
consolidate rule within his own party rather than for the
the Catholic Church
country. On the other hand, although Castro used intimidation
 He conducted the Night of the Long Knives (30th June 1934)
to arrest former political members from the Batista Regime, he
as a purge against the SA
used military violence to consolidate rule throughout the
 The leader, Rohm, had been thought to unite the SA and the
country, and in the case of potential counterrevolution from
German Army under his rule, which posed a significant threat
inside and outside of Cuba
to Hitler’s consolidation of power
 On 3 July 1934, the government passed the Law Relating to
• Reform of judiciary and police
National Emergency Defense Measures justifying the murder
• Arrest, trial and punishment of members of the Batista
of the victims of 30 June as having been necessary to
regime
“suppress attempts at treason and high treason.”
• Televising the trials and execution of the most notorious
 This not only put SA under control, but also instilled fear in
criminals from Batista’s regime
the Nazi Party and reinstated Hitler’s position as an
• Formation of people’s milita
undeniable leader of the party
• counterbalance to the whose loyalty remains dubious and
 Historian interpretation: Jeremey Noakes: The resistance
against the potential counter-revolution outside Cuba
groups were organizationally weak because it was the essence
• Establishment of people’s milita was justifiable
of the Nazi regime to suppress them to work collectively
Ex) 1959-The Dominican coup attempt
-According to Rudolf Diels, head of the Gestapo in Prussia, 500-
700 political murders of Nazi opponents were carried out between 1961-Defeat of the Bay of Pigs invasion
March and October 1933, many by the SA forces appointed as
auxiliary police after Hitler’s appointment as chancellor in
January 1933

The role of leaders/Charismatic • Power of Oratory • Power of Oratory

leadership • Pragmatic leadership -Speech after the Escambrary Rebels
-Anti US message

Dissemination of propaganda
The impact of success and
failure in foreign policy on the
maintenance of power
-His willingness to adapt to situation and to play down and drop parts
of the original Nazi program
-Historian Interpretation Ian Kershaw: Hitler himself was flexible,
and even indifferent to ideological issues which could obsess his
followers.
- Ex) While the original 25-point program contained anti-capitalist
elements, to gain financial and political support from the
industrialists, he emphasized the concepts of private property and
production of small business in February 1933.
• Führer Cult
• Portrayed the themes of Führer worship and monolithic and all-
seeing secret police
• Media and Arts controlled
• March 1933 ministry for popular enlightenment and propaganda
set up by Goebbels
• The Reich Radio Company brought all broadcasting under Nazi
control
• Cheap radios was mass produced in 1932 fewer than 25% of
households had a radio by 1939 70% did
• 1933 there were 4700 daily papers in Germany but by 1944 it was
1000
-Eher Verlag (Nazi publishing house) controlled 66% of 1939
• Nazis also ensured literature and Drama reflected their ideas
-May 1933: Burning of the books in Berlin
• Between 1933 and the outbreak of war in Europe in 1939, Nazi
foreign policy successes on righting the wrongs of 1919 ensured
• Similar to Hitler, Castro was also pragmatic in his decision,
but that was partly due to his lack of strong alliance to
ideology
• Interpretation: The Great Man Theory states that a history
can be explained by the impact of great men who due their
natural attributes have a decisive historical effect.
• Mythologize the revolution and to create the cult of
Castro
• Ever since the founding of Radio Rebelde, Castro used
Cuban radio and television to make the revolution
permanent presence in Cuban homes
• Magazines such as Bohemia and newspapers like Granma
were used to raise awareness of the ideals and actions of
the government and increase commitment to its policies
• As in a Cuba, educational levels had increased so much,
written propaganda was a very effective tool
• Interpretation:
His nationalistic speech, his appeal to the idea that Cuba’s
integrity was threatened by imperialism, and that it was
essential for Cubans to remain united and follow the
directives of the government were fundamental in
shaping the political system with which Castro has
remained in power since 1959
*Negotiation with Soviet Union (Economic aids)
*Throwing away the chance of easing of relation with USA by
giving help to Angola

Nature, extent, and treatment
of opposition
that when war did occur, the population accepted conflict with *International Tension
resignation. -Cuban Missile Crisis
• Also, a successful revisionist attack on the “Diktat,” allied to -Cuba’s relation with United States
Bays of Pigs
domestic policies such as economic recovery and full
-While in April 1960, Kennedy sent Cuban exiles to spark on
employment.
popular uprising among Cuban people, its failure to stir Cuban's
• Hence, German citizens gave their support to the regime in the active support, and Castro's victorious counterrevolution
war effort-not because of belief in Hitler’s racist or anti-Semitic consolidated both international and domestic power.
beliefs but because he had restored German pride.
• Next, from 1936 to early 1939, with the growth of German -Internationally, the United States was humiliated as captured
military power and in conjunction with great powers including CIA trained soldiers were shown in front of social media,
indicating that Castro had been correct about the possible
Britain to resist breaches of the Treaty of Versailles, it is known
military intervention against Cuba
that Hitler achieved “triumphs without bloodshed.” By 1938, he
restored the rich industrial Saarland to Germany, restored
military sovereignty, recovered the Rhineland, had Anschluss
with Austria, and incorporated the Sudetenland in the Reich.
• However, in the long term from 1939 to 1945, the errors in
foreign policy made from March 1939 ultimately led to the
breaking of “the chain of success.” For example, Hitler’s failed
foreign policy on invading USSR in the late 1941 and Japan’s
attack on Pearl Harbor ensured Allied victory.
• Political Opponents: KPD and SPD The Escambrary Rebellion 1960-1965
• Military (Right)
• Youth (White Rose, Edelweiss Pirates, Swing kids) Who was involved?
-After Castro’s victory in January 1959, some soldiers still loyal to
• Religion (Protestant, Catholic, Jehovah’s witness: minority)
Batista decided to continue the fight from the Escambray
Mountains.
Given that Nazi's destruction in 1945 was the result of external forces -Soon joined by others (including William Alexander Morgan)
rather than an internal opposition, during its reign from 1933 to 1945, who disliked the pro-communist leaning of the new government
the Nazis were quite successful in oppressing its resistance groups. +Peasant farmers disenchanted with the land reforms.

How serious were those challenges?

-Enjoyed far less popular support than the M-26-7 rebels but
were given the same US military aid, via CIA and Mafia agents,
that the previous regime had enjoyed
Causes for the failure:
-After the debacle of the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the USA cut off
funding and supplies to the rebels.

• Bays of Pigs
• Cuban Missile Crisis
• Mass Exile

Peruvian Embassy
:Economic problems in Cuba made 1980 a year of political
challenge for Castro’s leadership.
:April 1980, a bus full of Cubans crashed the gates outside the
Peruvian embassy in Havana, the occupants seeking asylum

-Despite demonstrations in support of Castro, it put into question

the level of commitment of the people towards the revolution
and its very legitimacy

-In the early days of the revolution, thousands of Cubans, mostly

middle class and professionals, left the island as the early
manifestations of what would become a communist state
appeared. But unlike these previous migration waves, the people
leaving in 1980 were more economic than political emigrants
The Use of force to repress opposition
-The Unidiad Militar de Ayuda a la Producción (UMAP; Military
Units to Aid Production)
-Between 1965 and 1968, about 25,000 young men were sent to
UMAP labor camps
-The camps closed in 1960 as a result of domestic and
international pressure

-One of the distinguishing features of Fidel Castro in his

treatment of opposition is that he has, at different times, allowed
the exodus of Cubans from the island

Emigres
By 1968, 350, 000 Cubans nearly 5 percent of the population had
left the island. It was the existence of such exiles abroad and
their contacts with groups remaining in Cuba that gave Castro
his justification ofr using surveillance and controls of people.

*Opposition groups were never as serious threat, it was only the

US-backed exiles who represented real resistance. (Bays of pigs)

Opposition weakness
-Opposition was never united, organized body
-Castro’s status as the embodiment of Cuban aspirations meant
that opposition to him seemed unpatriotic and rarely gathered
popular support
-The DGI, an organization which operated under Fidel Castro’s
direct control was a highly effective means of detecting his
enemies in Cuba and outside
Nature, extent, and treatment of opposition

Opposition Political opponents Right (Military) Youth (White Rose, Religion ( Protestant, Catholic)
groups (KPD, SPD) Edelweiss Pirates,
Swing-kids)
Type Passive Active in the end Passive Passive
Methods Leaflets, Underground June Bomb Plot Leaflets, social Did not formally challenge the Nazi regime
resistance (1944) nonconformits,
Ex) Die Rote Fahne, industrial sabotage Signed Concordat in June 1933
Red Shock troop
Extent of Crushed harshly by the Small extent as Had no distinctive Resistance to the Nazi-sponsored Reich Church
success Nazis they were loosely political ideology, • 400 German Catholic priests were imprisoned in Dachau
-Incapable of connected and and their principal
concentration camp
organizing the lacked support motive was
opposition primarily a desire
(KPD banned after the for personal liberty
Reichstag Fire, SPD and independence
officially banned in
June 1933) Arrested and
-1938: Exiled SPD executed publicly
leadership concluded
that the underground
resistance too
dangerous, so ended
-Use of legal methods
-Charismatic leadership
-Dissemination of propaganda
-Nature and impact of opposition
-The impact of success and failures of foreign policy on the maintenance of power
 Adolf Hitler - Maintenance and Consolidation of Power

Name of Historian: Topic of discussion What they said/ analysis

Dick Geary Night of the long Night of the Long Knives increased Hitler’s popularity as he was able to show that the Nazi state
knives/violence would “brook no Opposition.” Hitler was able to use mass murder to come off as an effective and
powerful leader and gain popularity through his use of violent treatment.

Ian Kershaw Consolidation due Historian Ian Kershaw believed that the “Hitler myth” or the idea that Hitler was the ultimate savior
to public view of Germany being public perceptions was essential to Hitler’s maintenance of power. Kershaw
noticed that Hitler stood for many things the German people looked up to which he convinced the
people were the pillars of the Reich. The Fuhrer myth along with the cult of Hitler allowed Hitler to
convince Germans that he was the best to be the supreme leader of all people.

Frank McDonough Opposition to Hitler Historian Frank McDonough found that “less than 1% of Germans engaged in active opposition”
against Hitler. Mcdonough’s perspective confirms that Hitler’s violent methods of eliminating
opposition were successful in helping him maintain power since Germans had a constant fear of
being punished if they opposed the Third Reich. Germany’s state of fear allowed Hitler to stay in
control.

Robert Waite Hitler’s charisma/ Historian Robert Waite believes that seldom in the history of western civilization has so much
role in maintenance depended on one man's personality. He maintained that Hitler created his own political theory and a
power government that could not exist without him. Waite portrays how he believes that if Hitler were not
the head of Germany at the time, perhaps the Nazi party would not have been able to aggrandize to
the extent that it did because of the lack of charisma needed in a leader to unite such a vast number
of people.
Ian Kershaw Hitler’s ruthlessness Historian Ian Kershaw sees a pattern of Hitler primarily making decisions only when he had to, but
in consolidating when his hand was forced, he acted ruthlessly. Additionally, he frequently acted on false
power information given to him by his Nazi colleagues, especially as seen during the executions of the SA.
Here, Hitler was convinced that they were conspiring against him when in actuality they weren’t.
Kershaw places emphasis on this repetition of Hitler being influenced by outside forces and then
acting ruthlessly as a result. Essentially, Kershaw asserts that Hitler acted reactively, rather than
proactively. He failed to take into consideration others’ feelings; however, this lack of empathy
allowed Hitler to further consolidate his power. Kershaw believes that it was one of the key factors
that allowed Hitler to get rid of his enemies with the speed that he did.

Andreas Hillgruber Foreign Policy argues Hitler wished to make Germany the strongest power in Europe through his foreign policy
and reinforcement of German security and military.

Karl Schleunes Hitler’s Karl Schleunes argues that Hitler was not an interesting person behind closed doors, but when he
charisma/role in
stepped in front of a crowd, he became electric. His persuasive public speaking transformed Hitler
maintenance of
power from a normal man into the destined savior for Germany. This drew the German people towards
him, creating the aforementioned “cult of Hitler” and cementing Germany as Hitler’s country. His
speaking skills allowed him to be a leader despite his brutal force and awful tactics.

Klaus Fischer Anschluss Hitler’s fulfilment of Austrian conquest had far-reaching consequences, including validating the
success of his aggressive tactics and promoting the friendship between Hitler and Mussolini. Fischer
argues that Hitler’s Anschluss was a large factor in increasing German strategy and power,
enhancing his position in international affairs.
 Fidel Castro: Maintenance and Consolidation of Power

Name of Topic of discussion What they said/analysis

Historian:
 Max Azicri Historian Max Azicri Azicri’s statement affirms the idea that the bilateral partnership between Castro and Chavez helped
stresses that Castro's Castro maintain his power. He even puts a large amount of focus on the relationships that developed
bilateral partnership was afterwards thus proving further the impact that the agreements had on Castro's stable rule
critical in his maintenance
of power in Latin America
as it created strong allies for
Cuba and provided Cuba
with oil and the added
benefit of oil not sourced
from their enemy.

Michael Castro’s self-promotion Historian Balfour argues that Castro had an extreme sense of self-confidence based on the belief of the
Balfour through propaganda people that he embodied the struggle of all Cubans. While this does not necessarily imply a worshipful
cult of personality, it does highlight Castro’s use of propaganda as a means of self-promotion, therefore
rendering his motivations similar to those of Hitler.

Aims and results of policies

-Aims and impact of domestic, economic, political and social policies
-The impact of policies on women and minorities
-Authoritarian control and the extent to which it was achieved

Prescribed content Hitler Castro

Aims and results of Aims: Reduce unemployment, rearmament Aims: Reduce unemployment and reduce its economic
economic policies reliance on USA and USSR
-Historian Interpretation: Bracher-“At no time Hitler had - Interpretation from Calvocoressi: “The economic measures
*Both Hitler and Castro consistent economic policy.” taken by Castro’s government had, by its own admission,
failed to achieve their Methods: been ill conceived.
economic policies, Unemployment
however they were -RAD: Reich labor Service Act 1935→mandatory 6 months of
both able to main in military training for men aged 18-25 Success:
power. Hitler is due to -Robert Ley’s DAF (German Labor Front): To appease workers • The Agrarian Reform Laws of 1959-1963
political policies that after abolishing trade unions, subsidized holidays, sporting, -Nationalization
restricted opposition cinemas, Volkswagen installation payment scheme -Drastically reducing rents, breaking up large landholdings
and put citizens in total - The introduction of a labor service for young, unemployed men into smaller units except sugar plantations
control, Castro social and compulsory military conscription by 1935-Disincentives for -Land was confiscated from large companies and then
policies that enabled married women to remain in employment -The offering of redistributed to the peasants
him to gain popular incentives for single women to give up employment to qualify  Overall successful
support. for marriage loans -Although the nationalization of large plantations annoyed
the US corporations and the large landowners, the majority
-Göring’s For year Plan (1936-1939): major expansion in war of Cuban business and banking sectors were supportive of
related industrial production Castro’s agrarian reforms
→Castro succeeded in dividing his opposition and buying
Rearmament himself time to consolidate his position
-“Guns no butter” motto→Economy focused on rearmament at
expense of other industries
-Aimed to construct 2 battleships and 21,000 aircraft
Failure:
Self-Sufficiency:
-Hitler blamed Germany’s dependence on foreign imports on
good
Food
-The National Good corporation, targets were set for every stage
of food production from farmers to shop keepers
Industrial Raw Material
-Home produced of iron, steel, and coal was increased
Four Year Plan (1936-1939)
-Aimed to achieve Autarchy
-Increase agricultural production
-Achieve self-sufficiency in raw materials
-Aluminum production, explosives, coal, and mineral oil increase
was impressive
Reality: Failed to produce strong war economy
1. The revival of the economy in war production took place at
the expense of consumer good
2. Real wages of German workers were less impressive than the
regime publicized
3. Shortages of consumer products and wages frozen at 1933
levels, however were compensated for by the fact that there was
employment
Results
Unemployment
-Unemployment fell from 6 million in 1932 to 1 million in 1939
• 1968-The Revolutionary Offensive
:Stressed the moral incentives to increase productivity
Failure: Rather than increasing productivity, increased
rate of absenteeism
• 1970-The Year of ten million
Aim: Cuba would beat previous records by harvesting 10
million tons of sugars in 1970
• Result: Reached 8.5 million tons
To get as much as they harvested (8.5 million tons) the
sugar industry was damaged making subsequent harvests
generally poor
-Caused disruption as addition resources + labor were taken
from other sectors
-Blow to Castro’s political credibility as the campaign had
failed to raise morale and revolutionary fervor
-Accept greater dependence on Soviet Union
-However even after the failure of economic policy, Castro
was able to politically survive by taking a personal blame
 -Some historians believe that Hitler’s success with
unemployment was more due to removing people from the count
(no Jews, women, and men aged 18-25 was sent in the military
training)

Rearmament
-100,000 (1933) to 1,400,000 men in the army
-Had little to export to get materials for rearmament → national
debt almost tripled between 1928 and 1933

Self-sufficiency
-Food production increased by 20%
-This conflicted with the aim of rearmament as Germany needed
high amounts of iron ore
→By 1939, Germany was still reliant for around one-third of its
raw materials

Aims and results of Aims: Aims

political policies -Nazification of politics Use legal means and force to maintain his position
-Establishing totalitarian control of Hitler as Führer
-Elimination of opposition and establishment of support Method

Methods: The 1976 constitution

-Gleichschaltung: literally “coordination”: the means whereby
Hitler intended to Nazi power consolidate over Germany.
Described by Sir Horace Rumbold as the attempt to “press
forward with the greatest energy the creation of uniformity
throughout every department of German life”, the process aimed
to identify and eliminate all anti-Nazi elements
-While Castro promised free-elections, it was until the year
1976 that a new constitution was given to the people of and
elections were held for the first time
-Establish the importance of the PCC in the administrative
structure of the country by stating that it is highest leading
force of society and of the state
-Sondergericht-were special courts where Jews, Slaves,
Communists were tried
-1934-People’s court were used to put enemies on trial, with
judges only being from the Nazi Party
-Nuremberg laws 1935 allowed to fire someone from their
occupation because they were Jewish
-“First Gleichschaltung Law” in March 1933 passed by the
Enabling Act dissolved Germany’s state parliaments.
- "Second Gleichschaltung Law" on 7 April put a Reich Governor
in nearly complete control of each state, apart from Prussia.
Hitler reserved control of Prussia to himself through Hermann
Göring.
-The Law concerning the reconstruction of the Reich on 20
January 1934 abandoned the formal concept of a federal republic,
converting Germany into a high centralized state.
Results:
-Hitler able to establish control over Germany, and declare
himself Führer
Intimidation
Methods: Reichstag Fire Decree, suspended the provisions of the
German constitution that protected individual rights, including
freedom of press, freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly.
Permitted increased state and police intervention into private
life, allowing officials to censor mail, listen conversation, and
search private homes without a warrant
-Elections in 1976 were the first ones to take place since
the revolution, but the only party allowed to campaign was
the PCC and all nominees to elections at any level were
chosen by the party
-Result: Under the new constitution, Fidel Castro became
head of state, replacing Dorticós.
He was also Head of the Government, President of the
Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers, First
Secretary of the Central Committee of the PCC and
Commander in chief of the Armed Forces
-While the National Assembly was created and elected
provincial and municipal authorities established, the 1976
constitution brought little change in practice
-After 1976, while there was some room to discuss issues
such as crime-related problems, and family legislation at a
local level, the freedom to protest against government does
not exist
Aims and results of Aim: Aim
cultural policies -Promote the German nation as the supreme form of social and
cultural organization To eliminate foreign influence and re-establish and
-Oblige the media always to present the Führer and the Nazi emphasize nationalist and revolutionary values
Party in the positive light
-Develop the Führer principle
-Get rid of Jewish’s influence in the nation - The Padilla affair 1971
-Encourage pride in the Aryan race as the highest form of human -Padilla a famous poet was imprisoned for criticizing the
development government. His criticisms was prompted by the changing
-22 September 1933, Hitler created the Reich Chamber of role of writers and hostilities between the Cuban authorities
Culture headed by Joseph Goebbels and writers.
-Publicly arrested (Example of open trial)
The Press -Indication of protests from the intellectuals and any
-To prevent an independent press that could be possible source of writers that were critical to Castro and revolution became
opposition to the Nazi regime, Goebbels systematically brought the threat
newspaper under control
-Eher Verlag, the NSDAP’s own publishing firm, used it financial
resources to negotiate the purchase of a wide range of
newspapers and journals
-By 1939, only a third of German newspapers remained
independent.
-Brought all new agencies where the newspapers depended for
the information into one Nazi dominated DNB organization.
-Editor’s law passed on 1933 made editors be responsible for
what appeared in their paper
→Effective mean for the inculcation of Nazi ideas to general
public

Paintings
-Reject abstract works; Dada and cubism
-Popular themes
: The Volk at work in the fields, a return to the simple virtues of
Heimat (love of homeland), manly virtues of the National
Socialist struggle, the lauding of the female activities of child
bearing and raising, “children, kitchen, church.”

Music
-Rejected Jazz
-Regime made concentrated effort to forbid modern music,
which was considered Jewish and the product of African-
American sub culture
-Promoted the works of German composers such as Johann
Sebastian Bach, and Richard Wagner, while banning
performances of pieces by “non-Aryan”

Literature
-The most widely-read or displayed book of the period was
Hitler’s Mein Kampf
-Themes of War as a Spiritual Experience, and historical
ethnicity
-1933 Book burning (25,000 books burnt)
-Rather than put on political control, 2,500 artists and scientists
went into voluntary exile

Radios
-By 1933, Goebbels had established the Reich Radio Company
(RRC) to spread Nazi propaganda
-Between 1932 and 1937 the number of Germans with access to
broadcasting rose from 22 to 70 percent of the population

Results
-Extensive control of German people
 -Book burnings meant many essential texts were destroyed and
lost information

Aims and results of Aims Aims

social policies on youth -Indoctrinate Nazi ideology -Reduce illiteracy among the peasant
+ workers for Hitler -Envisage Thousand Year Reich -Make the middle class literature youth familiarize
and in general for -1933: Government takes over and expands its influence and in themselves with the living conditions and hardships of the
Castro 1936 ban other youth organizations poor and act in response to the values of revolution
Interpretation:
Ian Kershaw-“large population of people did not passively Method
support the regime.”
Method Education
-1933: Established Hitler Youth and BDM 1961: “The year of education” & “Literacy brigades” sent out
-1934: Education indoctrinated by Reich into the countryside to construct schools, train new
Race consciousness of the movement and absolute loyalty to the educators
regime : Volksgemeinschaft
• Success: National literacy rate to 96%, socialized Cubans
-ex) The teaching of history; to promote the greatness of in the cities and the countryside into the new values of
Germany’s past, the struggles of the NSDAP in its efforts to revolution
destroy “evil legacy” of incompetent Weimar republic, and the
dangers of Bolshevism. Health
-ex) The teaching of biology; emphasis on race and eugenics, • The Rural medical service: enlisted 750 physicians and
-ex) The teaching of sports; capable of physical contribution to medical students to work in the mountains and the
the nation whether in the field of reproduction or military coastal communities
service -1976: Healthcare program enshrined in Article 50 of
the revised Cuban constitution

Results:
-Successful: Infant mortality rate dropped, lower ratio
Success
of patients that one doctor had, higher life expectancy
 :Weaken parental control
:Rapid membership increase, especially after 1934 when it
became compulsory

Failures
:Retrospective accounts by members of youth organizations vary
widely
-some look back fondly to the comradeship experienced
-others highly critical
-Rising opposition against the Hitler Youth

Workers (After the prohibition of trade unions in 1933)

-Strength through Joy movement under DAF

Impact of social Women Aims: To subjugate women to limit their participation in
policies on women Kinder, Küche, Kirche (children, kitchen, church)
• Promote nuclear family
• Housewife
• Hitler’s concern of birth rate drop
• Fewer women allowed in universities
• No women allowed in civil service
• Abortion was made illegal
Methods: Pro-natalist policies
• Law for the Reduction of Unemployment (June 1933)
Aim: Largely response to Cuba’s economic needs
To achieve modernization, to become active part of the
workforce
• In the 1970s, a new Family Code was put in place. It
stipulated equality of sexes both at home and at work.
• Men were to share in the household duties and the
education of children.
• However, while Castro's policies in women promoted
the revolutionary value of social justice and equality,
the defense of women's rights at work was primarily a
response to Cuba's economic needs.
 -Received marriage loans of 1000 Reichsmarks
• Cross of Honor of German Mother (May 1939)
• Women banned from professional posts (1933) and judicial
roles (1936) Hitler reduced amount of women at
universities to 10%
• -Women’s role in the political system
-Although the Party established organizations to promote Nazi
approved values among the female population, such as the DFW
(German Worker’s Enterprise), NSF (National Socialist
Womanhood) and the RMD (Reich Mothers’ Service), their role
was to funnel the decisions and policies of the male dominated
regime rather than to actively help in the formation and
articulation of such policies.
• Indeed, the policies aimed towards encouraging
women's equality seem to have been more geared
towards increasing the size of the Cuban workforce
than towards gender equality
FMC
-Trained women to take up new jobs in farming,
construction and teaching
-Joined Sanitary Brigades
-Worked with ministry of Education in the design of new
textbooks to be used

Impact of social Minorities:

policies on minorities • - Jews
• - Gypsies / Romani
• - Black people
• - Disabled people
• - Homosexuals
• - Anyone that was not pure “Aryan”
Methods:
• - 1933-1934: Exclusion of Jews from public life (banned
from being civil servants, public positions,
practicing law)
• - 1935: Legal segregation - Nuremberg Laws
 Impacts:
• - Hitler used the Jews as scapegoats and blamed the loss
of the war on them
• - Similarly blamed them for the post-war economic
deprivation
• - Jews were stereotyped as frugal and unpleasant
individuals - I.e. films such as the Eternal Jew would
stereotype Jews - played in cinemas to spread anti-Jew
propaganda

Adolf Hitler - Nazi Policies

Name of Historian: Topic of discussion What they said/ analysis

Hans-Ulrich Thamer Nazi aims in Economic Historian Thamer demonstrates and emphasizes through this quote part of my assertion
policy. since it says one of the main assets of Nazi Germany economic policy was to focus on the
reduction of unemployment, which overall helps the aim of economic recovery for the
country.

Overy Hitler economic aims and
plans before war
“Hitler was preparing for war but wasn’t ready in 1939 – he planned to absorb Poland
peacefully, and use Polish resources for economic build up before launching into full scale
war in 1942.” This indicates that Hitler was not prepared for the total war that the Nazi
economy supposedly focused on, but was only prepared to expand one step at a time.
Through his intention of absorbing Poland peacefully, Hitler demonstrates that he did not
desire to put strain on the economic resources of Germany by going into war earlier, as
they were not achieving self-sufficiency.

Claudia Koontz Nazi efforts to increase the Koontz argues that these efforts were only ever really successful with the German middle
German birth rate class; the birth rate of working class families did not grow due to a lack of non-birth-
 related social welfare policies that would further induce these families to have more
children.

Thomas Mann Hitler’s educational Historian Thomas Mann claimed that Nazi education had ‘sole reference, often enough
policies with implication of violence, to the fixed idea of national pre-eminence and warlike
preparedness”. Hitler created these youth groups specifically to create more soldiers for the
Reich and prepare the youth for war.

Ian Kershaw Hitler’s educational Historian Ian Kershaw states “Large proportions of the population did not even passively
policies support the resistance”. This includes much of the youth and young adults within the
German population, despite Hitler’s attempt to control them through his use of education.

E.H. Carr Nazi economic policies claims that the Four-Year Plan had nothing to do with rearmament and it did not focus on
switching to rearmament in depth.

Burton Klein Nazi economic policies said that the economic policy enacted under Nazi rule ensured at the very least that
Germany was prepared for Blitzkrieg

Bracher Nazi economic policies Bracher said that “at no time did National Socialism develop a consistent economic or
social theory”.
This is significant as it indicates that Hitler did not have a clear economic policy, therefore
ideology was not involved in Nazi policies.

Christopher Hutton Nazi social policy- Race Hutton argued that Darwinism was a crucial element of Nazi racial ideology. Being that
Hutton argued that Darwinism as an scientific concept was a crucial element of Nazi racial
ideology, it can be argued that policies regarding Social Darwinism resulted in the
Holocaust, and the cleansing of opposing races apart from the aryan race can be linked
back once more to the belief in survival of the fittest; being an Aryan race.
Michael Kater Nazi Education/Youth Claims that the Hitler youth program was a potent tool for molding the youth of Germany
Programs Policies to the Nazi agenda, drawing them in with the promise of social activities and status, and
then using military training and indoctrination to instill Nazi ideals.

Michael Burleigh Nazi treatment of women Claims there was an identifiable effort to domesticate the Nazi woman under the Third
Reich; however, these efforts were
undermined by the rearmament process in the late 1930s.