GERMANY

AND THE RISE

OF
NAZISM

HITLER
AND
GERMANY 1919--1933
1914
EUROPE
 THE TREATY OF VERSIALLE
END OF WORLD WAR ONE
1919
CAUSES FOR THE NEXT WAR: (STAB IN THE BACK)
1. THE NEW MAP OF EUROPE
A. LOSS OF GERMAN TERRITORY
2. DEMILITARIZATION OF GERMANY
3. WAR REPARATIONS TO THE VICTORS
4. ADMITION TO THE STARTING OF WAR
5. GERMANY NOT ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE
GERMANY WAS DISGRACED!!
THE NEW GOVERNMENT BLAMED FOR
SELLING GERMANY OUT!!!
SIGNED BY THE WEIMAR GOVERNMENT
 GERMANY 1919-1925
AUGUST 1919-1925-WEIMAR
GOVERNMENT

1. DOOMED FROM THE START:

A. TREATY OF VERSIALLE
B. INFLATION
C. VERY LIBERAL
D. STAB IN BACK THEORY
E. FEAR OF COMMUNISM
F. RISE OF HITLER
UNEMPLOYED
IN MILLIONS
THE BEGINNING
OF
NAZISM
 Overview
 The Nazi Party was formed in 1919
 Hitler joined the party shortly after
it’s inception
 Germany was in a state of disarray
after the First World War
 There were many extremist groups
in Germany at the time

4/18/04 Weimar and Nazi Ger man y 3

ORIGIN OF THE PARTY---DAP MUNICH GERMANY
• OCTOBER 16TH HITLER THE POLITICIAN IS BORN

• HIS FIRST SPEECH (ANTI-SEMITIC--ANTI -VERSIALLE

•RECRUITING FOLLOWERS OF ERNST RHOM

FEBRUARY 25TH 1920 SPEAKS TO A CROWD OF 2000

• OUTLINES 25 POINTS

•HITLER TAKES OVER NSDAP

•ADOPTS THE SWASTIKA AS SYMBOL

•THE MEANING OF THE FLAG

 1919-1923
 Many Germans were disillusioned after the
defeat in the First World war. Ex-soldiers felt that
they had been ‘Stabbed in the back’ and felt that
they had not been defeated on the
battlefield.Many of them joined Right Wing
groups such as the Freikorps or the Nazi party.
 The Spartacist rising, amongst others, led to
many people fearing a Communist revolution in
Germany. People looked to right Wing groups to
act against this: the Freikorps in particular.
 Economic hardship was coupled with humiliation
as a result of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Right Wing groups gained popularity by saying
that they would not adhere to it’s terms.

4/18/04 Weimar and Nazi Ger man y 4

1921--1923 ECONOMIC COLLAPSE OF GERMANY
• NAZI MEMBERSHIP 1923 55,OOO

• NOV. 8 1923 BEER HALL PUTSCH

• HITLER BETRAYED BY KHAR, LOSSOW, SEISSER

HITLER ON TRIAL
• HITLER SPEAKS TO THE NATION

• APRIL 1 SENT TO LANDSBERG PRISON

•MEIN KAMPF

•ARYANS VERSUS JEWS

• NAZI PARTY BANNED

 MY

STRUGGLE
LEBENSRAUM
AND
RETRIBUTION

THROUGHOUT MEIN KAMPF HITLER REFERS

TO JEWS AS:
PARASITES, LIARS, DIRTY, CRAFTY, SLY, WILY, CLEVER,
WITHOUT TRUE CULTURE, A SPONGER, A MIDDLEMAN,
A MAGGOT, ETERNAL BLOOD SUCKERS, REPULSIVE
UNSCRUPULOUS MONSTERS, FOREIGN, MENACE,
BLOOD THIRSTY, AVARICIOUS.

THE DESTROYER OF ARYAN HUMANITY

 How did the Nazi party gain support
in this period?

 Military uniforms demonstrated strength at a time

when the government was weak
 Use of force against communists and Trade
unionists was popular with businesses
 Populist policies and rhetoric were employed to
discredit opponents and develop support.
 References to traditional values and reminders of
‘Who was to blame’ for the economic crisis builds
support.

4/18/04 Weimar and Nazi Ger man y 5

 1923: Violent uprising
 By 1923 the Nazi party had gained much support
in Bavaria. Now firmly under the control of Adolf
Hitler the group attempts to seize control of the
government through use of force.
 Despite having many sympathisers the coup fails
and Hitler is imprisoned.
 The failure of the Beer Hall Putsch demonstrates
that power needs to be taken through legal
means.

4/18/04 Weimar and Nazi Ger man y 6

 1923: Violent uprising
 By 1923 the Nazi party had gained much support
in Bavaria. Now firmly under the control of Adolf
Hitler the group attempts to seize control of the
government through use of force.
 Despite having many sympathisers the coup fails
and Hitler is imprisoned.
 The failure of the Beer Hall Putsch demonstrates
that power needs to be taken through legal
means.

4/18/04 Weimar and Nazi Ger man y 6

 1924-1929
 Focus on traditional values
 Builds fear of Left Wing groups
 Continued use of military imagery
 Lack of electoral support due to
relative prosperity in Germany at
the time

4/18/04 Weimar and Nazi Ger man y 8

A NEW BEGININNG 1924 DECEMBER RELEASE
• NAZI BAN LIFTED
•THE ORGANIZATION OF A REAL PARTY
•HITLER BANNED FROM SPEAKING FOR 2 YEARS

•CREATION OF SHADOW GOVERNMENT

• SA BROWNSHIRTS --ERNST ROHM
• HITLER PRIVATE GUARD THE SS JOSEF BERCHTOLD
•HITLER YOUTH 15--18 YAHRS
• GIRLS JOINED THE BUND DUETSCHER MEADEL

1925 ELECTION OF HINDENBURG --DAWES PLAN

• QUIET YEARS FOR NAZI --MEMBERSHIP DECLINES 17,000
• DISCOVERY OF JOESEPH GOEBBELS
• THE BIRTH OF NAZI PROPAGANDA
• 1927 HITLER ALLOWED TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC ARENA
• HITLER AND GELI RABAUL
• OCTOBER 29TH THE AMERICAN STOCK MARKET CRASHES
 1929-1932 A Change in
Fortunes
 Wall Street Crash leads to end of
effective financial assistance from
USA
 Unemployment rises rapidly
 Hyperinflation recurs
 Threat of Communism increases
 Coalition government fails to
address problems successfully

4/18/04 Weimar and Nazi Ger man y 9

 Into government (1)
 Nazi’s use force to prevent uprisings
 Rhetoric plays on peoples fears
 Big Business won over through radical economic
plans
 Emphasis placed on military power wins support
of many soldiers and traditionalists.
 Weak coalition governments enables Nazi’s to
gain political strength
 Propaganda and shows of might impress the
masses

4/18/04 Weimar and Nazi Ger man y 10

 Into Government (2)
 Electoral support rises: Nazi’s
become largest single party in the
Reichstag
 Continuing economic crisis leads
to break down of coalitions
 Aging and ineffective president
increasingly reliant upon Article 48
 Germany in desperate need of a
strong leader

4/18/04 Weimar and Nazi Ger man y 11

 In Power
 Invited to become chancellor by
politicians who believe that Hitler
can be manipulated easily
 President Hindenburg’s death
allows Hitler to assume
presidential powers
 Nazi Party’s rise to power is
complete

4/18/04 Weimar and Nazi Ger man y 12

 Rise to power: an
overview
 Strong leadership
 Determination
 Popular Rhetoric and Hitler’s capabilities as a
public speaker
 Weakness of Coalition government
 Wall Street Crash and the consequent economic
collapse
 Support of significant businessmen
 Disruption of extremist opponents
 Fear of Communism

4/18/04 Weimar and Nazi Ger man y 13