Topic 2: Hitler and the Growth of the Nazi Party 1918 - 33

• Hitler was born and both his parents died when he was young, he got rejectd from the Academy of Art and painted postcards for a living
• In 1914 he volunteerd to serve in the German army in WW1, here he won the Iron Cross First Class and was promoted to Lance-Corporal.  He says it was the happiest time of his life
• Hitler spent the last weeks of the war in hospital and didn't understand why the war ended. He believed in a Jewish conspiracy and accused the November criminals of betraying Germany
• Hitler remained in the army as a spy but in September 1919 he was ordered to join the DAP
• Hitler joined the party committee and was appointed to be in charge of propaganda
• In 1921 Hitler became leader of the DAP
• Hitler changed the name to NSDAP so that he could attract as many supporters as possible
• The party becam nick-named the nazis by opponents
• The main appeal of the party was through the speeches of Hitler
• Hitler set up his own private army named the Sturm Abteilung (SA) led by Ernst Rohm to attack his oponents in the streets
• Hitler tried to pose as a strong man who could solve Germany's problems

The main aims:

• We demand the unon of all Germany in a Greater Germany on the basis of the right of national self-determination
• We demand land and territory (colonies) to feed our people and to settle our surplus population
• Only members of the nation may be citizens of the state.  Only those of German blood, whatever their creed, may be members of the nation.  Accordingly, no Jew may be a member of the nation
• Non-citizens may live in Germany only as guests and mst be subject to laws for aliens
• All non-German immigration must be prevented.  We demand that all non-Germans who entered Germany after 2 August 1914 shall be required to leave the Reich forthwith
• We demand controls on the press to prevent deliberate lies being spread about political parties.  The publishing of papers which do not support the national welfare must be forbidden
• To put the whole of this programme into effect, we demand the creation of a strong central state power for the Reich

The 8th of November 1932

• Hitler used the chaos in 1932 due to the hyperinflation as an opportunity to seize power
• He had already staged a coup in May that had been broken up by the authorities
• He decided to act when he heard that three Bavarian ministers would be present at a meeting in Bergerbraukeller in Munich on the 8th of November
• At 8;30 PM Hitler stormed into the meeting fired a gun at the ceiling and announced that he would try to take over the government the following morning
• The ministers agreed to help him but they managed to escape and warn the authorities

The 9th of November 1932

• At 8:30 AM Ernst Rohm and the SA seized the post office in Munich and waited for Hitler to march his support
• Hitler had got up late and did not begin the march until 11:00
• Hitler and war-hero Ludendorff led the march into Munich with around 2,000 supporters
• The police killed 16 Nazis including Hitler's body guard, the Nazis had hoped they wouldn't fire

What happened to Hitler?

• Hitler fled but was arrested two days later
• He was tried for high treason and was found guilty
• He was sentenced to five years in prison
• While in prison Hitler wrote 'Mein Kampf'
• Hitler was let out only 11 months after

Mein Kampf ideas:

• Germans were the master race, 'Herrenvolk', all others were inferior
• Germany should be re-united to seize the east
• To make Germany great they needed a strong leader
• They needed a dictatorship, as democracy was weak and communism was evil

What changes were made?

• They should gain power in legal ways and therefore had to set up a proper political party
• He appointed Josef Geobbels as head propaganda, so he could put across the Nazi message as clear as possible
• The Schutz Staffel (**) was formed in 1926 and was loyal to Hitler
• He founded the Hitler youth\

Why were these changes made?

• He knew that he couldn't use violence again
• At his trial he gained the attention of Alfred Hugenberg who offered to finance the Nazis, Hegenberg owned 53 newspapers which he used to publicize the Nazis
• In 1929 Hugenberg bought the largest cinema chain which helped the Nazis even more
• At the end of 1926 the Nazi Party had 50,000 members but seats in the Reichstag had fallen to 32 in 1924 to 12 in 1928
• During the 'Golden Years' they only had 800,000 votes in the generak election

• Hitler told the people that the Depresion was not their fault and he blamed the Jews and the Weimar politians, they were his scapegoat
• Hitler flew to 5 cities in one day to spread the Nazi message and he was the first politian to do so
• Goebbels organised rallies, radio broadcasts, torchlight processions, films.  This was far beyond their rivals
• Hitler said he would get rid of the ToV which had damaged Germany
• Hitler promised different things to different people to businessmen he promised protection from the communists and to workers he promised that he would provide jobs
• The violence of the SA increased,  this gave people the idea of action and that things were happening

• In 1932 Hitler stood in the presendential elections agains Hindenburg
• Hindenburg had 17 million votes and Hitler had 11 million votes
• Hindenburg didn't like that Hitler had stood up against him
• In the elections of July 1932 the Nazis were the biggest party but Hindenburg refused to appoint Hitler as chancellor so Franz von Papen became chancellor
• Von Papen was a political nobody and in November there was another general election
• In the November 1932 elections the Nazis were still the biggest and Kurt von Schleicher became president
• Schleicher had even less support than von Papen and only lasted a mont
• Von Papen was furious that von Schleicher had taken his place and wanted to get rid of him
• In January 1933 he suggested that Hindenburg should appoint Hitler as chancellor and von Papen as vice-chancellor, so Von Papen could control Hitler
• Hindenburg agreed and on the 31st of January 1933 Hitler became chancellor of Germany