IB History Emergence: Methods Used to Achieve Hitler's Power Notes

Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic

1. The Weimar Republic was established in 1919, but its constitution contained critical flaws that undermined political stability from the start
2. Article 48 granted the President emergency powers to rule by decree, bypassing the Reichstag entirely
3. Proportional representation meant that many small parties entered the Reichstag, making it nearly impossible to form stable majorities
4. Coalition governments were fragile and short-lived - there were 20 different cabinets between 1919 and 1933
5. Many Germans saw the Republic as a product of defeat, lacking legitimacy in the eyes of conservatives, the military, and the judiciary
6. The judiciary and civil service were often sympathetic to right-wing nationalism, giving lenient sentences to extremists

Impact of WWI and the Treaty of Versailles

1. Germany's defeat in 1918 shocked a population told they were winning, giving rise to the stab-in-the-back myth (Dolchstosslegende)
2. The myth blamed November Criminals - politicians who signed the armistice - for betraying an undefeated army
3. The Treaty of Versailles (1919) imposed harsh terms: loss of 13% of territory, 10% of population, and all overseas colonies
4. Reparations of 132 billion gold marks crippled the economy and fuelled resentment against the Allies and Weimar politicians
5. The War Guilt Clause (Article 231) was seen as a national humiliation, which Hitler exploited relentlessly in propaganda
6. The 1923 hyperinflation crisis wiped out middle-class savings and deepened distrust in democratic governance

The Early Nazi Party

1. Hitler joined the German Workers' Party (DAP) in September 1919 as an army intelligence agent and quickly became its most effective speaker
2. In 1920, the party was renamed the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers' Party) and adopted the 25-Point Programme
3. The 25-Point Programme demanded abolition of Versailles, union of all Germans, land reform, and exclusion of Jews from citizenship
4. The SA (Sturmabteilung) was formed in 1921 as a paramilitary wing to protect meetings and intimidate opponents
5. Hitler became party chairman in July 1921, establishing an early form of the Fuhrerprinzip (leadership principle)
6. By 1923 the NSDAP had around 55,000 members, concentrated mainly in Bavaria

The Beer Hall Putsch (November 1923)

1. On 8-9 November 1923, Hitler attempted a coup in Munich, inspired by Mussolini's March on Rome (1922)
2. Hitler and 600 SA men stormed the Burgerbraukeller where Bavarian leaders Kahr, Lossow, and Seisser were meeting
3. The putsch failed when police opened fire on the marchers the next day, killing 16 Nazis and 4 police officers