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
4. Hitler was arrested and sentenced to five years but served only nine months in Landsberg Prison - evidence of judicial sympathy
5. In prison, Hitler dictated Mein Kampf, outlining his ideology of racial hierarchy, Lebensraum, and anti-Semitism
6. The key lesson Hitler drew was that power must be seized through legal means - working within the democratic system to destroy it

Reorganisation of the Party (1925-1929)

1. After his release in December 1924, Hitler re-founded the NSDAP and committed to the legal path to power (Legalitaetstaktik)
2. The Fuhrerprinzip was formalised: all authority flowed from Hitler downward, demanding absolute loyalty
3. Germany was divided into Gaue (regions), each led by a Gauleiter who mirrored existing electoral districts
4. Joseph Goebbels was appointed Gauleiter of Berlin in 1926 and later head of party propaganda in 1930
5. Affiliated organisations were created for youth (Hitler Youth), women, teachers, and professionals to broaden the party's appeal
6. Despite reorganisation, the party won only 12 seats in the 1928 Reichstag elections - the Stresemann era of prosperity limited extremist appeal

Impact of the Great Depression

1. The Wall Street Crash of October 1929 triggered the withdrawal of American loans under the Dawes and Young Plans, devastating the German economy
2. Unemployment rose from 1.3 million in 1929 to over 6 million by early 1932, affecting roughly one in three workers
3. The Mittelstand (lower middle class) - shopkeepers, farmers, and white-collar workers - were radicalised by economic collapse
4. Chancellor Bruning's austerity policies (1930-32) deepened the crisis and increased reliance on rule by presidential decree under Article 48
5. Fear of communism grew among industrialists, landowners, and the middle class as the KPD gained support
6. The Depression created the conditions of crisis that made voters receptive to Nazi promises of strong leadership and national renewal

Electoral Breakthrough (1930-1932)

1. In the September 1930 election, the NSDAP surged from 12 to 107 seats, becoming the second-largest party in the Reichstag
2. Nazi propaganda targeted specific groups with tailored messages - farmers heard about land, workers about jobs, nationalists about Versailles
3. In the July 1932 election, the NSDAP won 230 seats (37.3% of the vote), making it the largest party in the Reichstag
4. Hitler's use of modern technology - aircraft (the "Hitler over Germany" campaign), radio, film, and mass rallies - was unprecedented
5. In the November 1932 election, Nazi support declined to 196 seats (33.1%), suggesting the movement may have peaked electorally
6. The NSDAP never won a democratic majority in a free election - Hitler came to power through backroom political deals, not the ballot box alone

Case study

The July 1932 Reichstag Election

• The NSDAP won 230 seats with 37.3% of the vote, their best-ever result in a free election
• Support came disproportionately from Protestant rural areas and the Mittelstand rather than urban industrial workers
• Despite being the largest party, Hitler was denied the Chancellorship by Hindenburg, who offered only the Vice-Chancellorship
• Hitler's refusal to accept anything less than full power demonstrated the all-or-nothing strategy that defined his political approach

Backroom Deals and Political Intrigue

1. After Bruning's fall in May 1932, President Hindenburg appointed Franz von Papen as Chancellor, heading a cabinet of conservative aristocrats
2. Papen lacked Reichstag support and governed by presidential decree, calling elections that only strengthened the Nazis
3. General Kurt von Schleicher replaced Papen in December 1932 but failed to build a coalition or split the Nazi party through Gregor Strasser
4. Papen, seeking revenge on Schleicher, secretly negotiated with Hitler and convinced Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor
5. Conservative elites believed they could control Hitler - Papen reportedly said, "We have hired him"
6. On 30 January 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor in a cabinet with only two other Nazis - a fatal miscalculation by the conservative establishment

Propaganda, Violence, and Legal Methods Combined

1. Nazi success depended on the combination of propaganda, street violence, and participation in elections - the "dual strategy"
2. Goebbels' propaganda machine used simple slogans, scapegoating, and emotional appeals rather than detailed policy
3. The SA numbered over 400,000 by 1932, creating an atmosphere of intimidation and street violence against political opponents
4. Mass rallies and torchlight processions created the image of a disciplined national movement with irresistible momentum
5. The Nazis exploited legal mechanisms - standing in elections, forming coalitions, lobbying Hindenburg - while the SA operated outside the law
6. Nazi messaging offered something to everyone: volksgemeinschaft (people's community) promised national unity transcending class divisions

Role of Key Individuals

1. Hitler's oratory was central to Nazi appeal - he could adapt his tone from emotional rage to messianic calm, holding audiences for hours
2. Goebbels transformed Nazi propaganda into a professional operation, controlling messaging and cultivating the Hitler myth
3. Ernst Rohm led the SA and provided the muscle that intimidated opponents, though his radicalism later threatened Hitler's alliances
4. Gregor Strasser built the party organisation in northern Germany but represented a more socialist strand that Hitler ultimately rejected
5. Hindenburg as President held the constitutional power to appoint the Chancellor - his decision on 30 January 1933 was decisive
6. Papen and Schleicher - their rivalries and miscalculations directly enabled Hitler's appointment as Chancellor