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Why Was Hitler Able To Dominate Germany by 1934

By 1934, Hitler was able to dominate Germany through a combination of political maneuvering, propaganda, and exploiting economic turmoil during the Great Depression. The Nazi Party, originally founded as the DAP in 1919, evolved into a powerful political force by promoting nationalist and anti-communist ideologies, culminating in the Enabling Act that granted Hitler dictatorial powers. Key events such as the Reichstag Fire and the Night of the Long Knives further consolidated his control, leading to the establishment of a totalitarian regime.

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41 views17 pages

Why Was Hitler Able To Dominate Germany by 1934

By 1934, Hitler was able to dominate Germany through a combination of political maneuvering, propaganda, and exploiting economic turmoil during the Great Depression. The Nazi Party, originally founded as the DAP in 1919, evolved into a powerful political force by promoting nationalist and anti-communist ideologies, culminating in the Enabling Act that granted Hitler dictatorial powers. Key events such as the Reichstag Fire and the Night of the Long Knives further consolidated his control, leading to the establishment of a totalitarian regime.

Uploaded by

alejandrovm
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Why was

Hitler able to
dominate
Germany by
1934?
What did the Nazi Party stand
for in the 1920s?
 Anton Drexler found the DAP (Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, German
Worker’s Party) in 1919.
 Hitler joins the party as a spy for the Military, but ends up liking
the ideas and stays, he is appointed as head of Propaganda.
 The party name changes to NSDAP (Nationalsozialistische
Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, National Socialist German Worker’s
Party) in 1920
 The party adopts the Swastika and publishes the 25-Point
Programme.
 Hitler becomes the leader of the party in 1921.
 Creates the S.A. (Sturmabteilung, Storm Division, aka the
Browncoats) as a nazi paramilitary group, many ex-Freikorps
members join.
25 Point Programme.

The most important points were:


 The abolition of the Treaty of Versailles
 Union of Germany and Austria
 Only ‘true’ Germans to be allowed to live in Germany.
Jewish people in particular were to be excluded
 Large industries and businesses to be nationalised.
 Generous old-age pension
 A strong central government.
Were the Nazis “Socialists”?

 The name says National Socialist Worker’s Party.


 The words “socialist” and “worker’s” seem to point towards that direction.
 The 25 Point Programme also mentions “Nationalization of big industries”,
however, in practice the Nazis did not Nationalize, but rather privatize many
companies when they got to power, creating good relationships with powerful
industrialists.
 The Nazis also openly opposed and later persecuted Marxist groups.
 With the liberal Weimar Republic being unpopular for much of the country, Hitler
tried to atract worker’s votes with a “pseudo socialists” rethoric.

 In the classical definition of “Socialism”, no. But Hitler created the term National-
Socialism to refer to his economic ideology, not Marxist-Socialism and not Free-
Market Liberal Capitalism.
 His ideas are usually considered far-right, due to its ultra-conservative ideas.
Münich Putsch – Nov 1923

 Hyperinflation is still a problem in Germany. The Weimar


Government is really unpopular at the moment.
 Hitler thought he could overtake the Government by force and
that the German People and the German Army would support
him. (He had the support of an Army General called
Ludendorff.)
 On November 8, Hitler and 600 members of the S.A.
(Browncoats) enter the Münich Beerhall and force Gustav Khar,
the head of the Bavarian Government to declare support for
the Revolution.
 The next day, Khar sends the army to arrest Hitler. 16 Nazis
are killed and Hitler and Ludendorff are arrested.
Münich Putsch, a win for Hitler?
 The Münich Putsch was a failure, however it ended
up benefiting Hitler.
 The Weimar Government wanted to make an
example out of Hitler, so they televised the trail.
 Hitler was unknown in most of Germany at the time,
so this was an opportunity to broadcast his ideas.
 Most Judges were sympathetic to conservative ideas.
(During the Kapp Putsch, most members of the
Freikorps were given amnesty for their crimes, only
one member was sentenced.)
 Hitler was only given a sentence of 5 years, but he
got out in 9 months for “good behaviour”.
 During his time in jail, he wrote Mein Kampf, it
became a Best Seller.
 Members of the NSDAP went from 3.000 before the
Putsch, to 100.000 by 1928.
Why did the Nazis have little
success before 1930?
 Stresseman was improving the economy and diplomatic ties.
 The Weimar Government became more popular

 Nazis were reorganizing the party.


 Führerprinzip (The leader ins unquestionable)
 SA (Sturm Abteilung) – Loyal to the Nazi Party.
 SS (Schutzstaffel) – Loyal to Hitler.¡

 Low results in elections. 2.6% in 1928.


Leading Nazis
 Ernst Röhm, leader of the SA. After the Kapp Putsch he
became a Lieutenant Colonel in the Bolivian Army, but
returned to Germany to lead the SA after an invitation from
Hitler.

 Joseph Goebbels, Head of Propaganda. Röhm


Goebbels
 Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS. Led the Concentration
and Extermination camps.

 Herman Göring, an Aristocrat with powerful business ties,


secured funds for the party.

Himmler
Göring
Why was Hitler able to become
Chancellor by 1933?
 1929, The Great Depression. Banks collapsed. Unemployment went
from 1.4 Million to 6 Million between 1929-1933.
 Goebbels used propaganda to criticize the government with posters,
radio, and cinema.
 “Negative cohesion”. Many people supported the Nazis not because
they shared the same ideas, but the same fears.
 Disillusionment with democracy. Politicians couldn’t fix issues, and
parties could not form coalitions that agreed on policies, so the
government couldn’t work properly. Nazis offered a “Strong
Leadership”.
 “Communist threat”. The communist party was also growing as a result
of the failures of the Weimar Government. Many feared a communist
revolution and saw Hitler as the opposite.
 Decadence. Conservative people saw the new art as decadent. Nazis
offered going back to “old-fashioned values”.
Chancellor or President?
 In the Weimar Republic (and in modern Germany too)
you have two positions of power, the President and the
Chancellor.
 The Chancellor is the executive power (like the Bolivian
President)
 The German President does not have executive power,
but is the “guardian of the constitution”.
 The People vote for the President.
 The People vote for the Reichstag (Parliament).
 The President chooses the Chancellor and the Ministers,
signs the laws, and makes sure they don’t contradict the
Constitution, but has no Executive Authority.
 The Chancellor manages the country.
 In case of Emergency, the President can use Article 48 of President Hindenburg.
the Constitution to give himself or the Chancellor
absolute power.
Elections.
 In the elections in July,
1932, Nazis become the
largest party.
 In the Weimar Republic, the
President appoints the
Chancellor, President
Hindemburg disliked Hitler,
calling him “the vulgar little
corporal”.
 President Hindenburg
appoints Von Papen from
the Center Party to become
Chancellor, but can not form
a Government without Nazi
support.
 In January 1933 Von Papen
convinces Hindenburg to
appoint Hitler as Chancellor,
believing they could control
him.
How did Hitler Consolidate his
Power in 1933-1934?
 First months as Chancellor, Hitler does not have all the power.
 Hindemburg can sack him.
 Hitler does not control the army.
 His ministers were appointed by Hindenburg, most are not Nazis.
 The Economy is still a mess…
 Needs to keep his Alliance with other parties to have a majority in
the Reichstag.
Reichstag Fire

 A month into Hitler becoming Chancellor, the


Reichstag catches fire.
 Marinus van der Lubbe, a Dutch Communist is
accused, convicted and executed for the fire.
 Hitler blames the Communists for the attack.
 Hitler persuades Hindenburg to use Article 48 to
give Hitler emergency powers.
 Arrests members of the Communist Party and
many of the SPD. majority.
Enabling Act
 Under the “threat” of a Communist
Revolution, calls the Congress to vote to
give him Dictatorial Powers for 4 years
(Enabling Act)
 The Communists don’t vote (they are in
jail), the SPD votes no (those who are
not in jail), and everyone else votes
yes. The vote passes with a
 Now Hitler is officially the Dictator of
Germany.
 All other political parties are now
forbidden in Germany.  Who do you think burned the Reichstag?
 What does the poem
make you feel?

 Is this a good
representation of the
common view of most
German people at the
time?
Night of the Long Knives

 There are no other Political Parties. Only the NSDAP


(Nazis) is allowed.
 Trade Unions are banned. There is only the Nazi-led
German Labour Front.
 But there was opposition to Hitler inside the Nazi
party itself.
 The SA, led by Röhm, believed Hitler was “too soft”,
and “too slow” to do the things he had promised.
 Hitler will not stand for disloyalty, so he sends the SS
to arrest and kill the leaders of the SA. Around 200 SA
members died, along Röhm.
The Presidency
 During all of this, Hitler is still being
“allowed” to do this under the
presidency of Hindenburg, who is still
the head of the army.
 Hitler gets a stroke of good luck and
during his time as Chancellor,
Hindenburg turns ill and senile and dies
of Lung Cancer in 1934.
 Hitler is now both Chancellor and
President of Germany and mixes both
positions into one: The Führer (The
Leader).

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