Zusammenfassung der Ressource
AQA GCSE History Unit 2 B Hitler's
Germany, 1929-1945
- Chancellor 1933
- As a result of the Wall street crash there was an economic collapse in Ger, which meant unemployment rocketed
- In turn this meant that Hitlers ideas had a special relevance
and his 25 point programme was v attractive to the most
vulnerable people
- He offered them someone to blame for Germany's problems ~ the allie's, nov criminals, and the jews.
- In the 1930's election Nazis got 107 seats, in
nov 1932 nearly 200 ~ now the single biggest
party
- Nazi campaign methods were modern and effective,
talked about uniting people
- Hitler was a v powerful speaker.
- Ran for president in 1932 but lost by 6 million votes to Hindenburg
- Despite his defeat it raised his profile hugely
- Nazi support rocketed
- Historian Gordon Craig said some support for the Nazis came from negative cohesion meaning that people
supported them not ebcause they shared nazi views but because they shared nazi likes and dislikes
- Communism was also rising
- Some people feared communism so turned to the Nazis
- As unemployment rose more people felt let down by the Weimar republic and so turned to extreme parties.
- In 1932 Hitler demanded the role of chancellor from president Hindenburg but as he was suspicious of Hitler he said no.
- Von Papen carried on as chancellor but when he had no support Hindenburg appointed Von Scleicher instead.
- Within a month however, Von Schleicher was forced to resign.
- By this time it was clear that the Weimar system was not working.
- 30th Jan Hindenburg offered Hitler chancellor as Hitler would get support in the
Reichstag for policies and be able to control communists but they could also limit
his influence and resist his extremist demands
- Hindenburg thought he could control him but he was v wrong
- Once he was chancellor Hitler took steps to completely take over Germany .
- He called another election in March 1933 to try and get an overall nazi majority in the Reichstag .
- On Feb 27th 1933 the Reichstag building burnt down.
- Hitler blamed the communists and declared that it was the start of an uprising.
- He demanded special powers to deal with the situation and was granted them - he used them to arrest
communists, break up meetings and scare voters
- Many Germans at the time thought that the Nazis could have started the fire themselves
- In the election Nazis won largest ever share of votes and had the majority.
- Using the SS and the SA Hitler intimidated the Reichstag into passing the enabling act which
allowed him to make laws without consulting the Reichstag
- Following the election communists were banned
- The enabling act made Hitler a virtual dictator
- There was nothing even Hindenburg could do
- Within a year any opponents or potential opponents of the Nazis had
either left Germany or been taken to a special concentration camp run by
the ss.
- All other parties were banned
- However Hitler was still not entirely secure.
- Leading officers in the army were not impressed by him and were particularly suspicious of Hitler's SA.
- SA was badly disciplined and Hitler was also suspcious of the leader
- Hitler had to choose between army or SA
- On the 29-30th June 1934 squads of SS men broke into
homes of the leader and other figures in the SA and arrested
them
- Over the weekend 400 people were executed
- Became known as the Night of the Long Knives
- Army was satisfied with the events
- Soon after this hindenburg died and Hitler took over as supreme leader (Furher) of Germany.
- On 2nd Aug 1934 the entire army swore a personal oath of loyalty to Hitler.
- Propaganda & censorship
- Propaganda by Goebbels
- Newspapers, radio, film industry all censored and used for propaganda
- Goebbels organised mass rallies (e.g nuremburg)
- 1936 Berlin games used to showcase Aryan Superiority
- In july 1933 Germany became a one party state
- Used SS and Gestapo to intimidate, arrest and kill any opponents
- Took control of education
- Had to follow a Nazi curriculum, school textbooks rewritten etc
- 1933 Catholic Church signed the concordat with Hitler -
both sides promising not to interfere with the other
- Nazi set up the Reich church
- Persecution
- 1933 Nazis boycotted all Jewish Businesses,
doctors, dentists etc
- Jew shops marked with the star of David
- In 1935 Nuremburg laws introduced : Jews could no longer be German citizens,
marriages between jews and aryans were forbidden, jews had to wear a yellow
star on their clothing
- 9-10th Nov 1938 thousands of Jewish businesses attacked and
200 synagogues burnt down. Hitler had ordered an attack
on the jews after a polish jew shot a german diplomat in
Paris. It became known as Kristallnacht.
- July 1944 some army officers came v close to removing Hitler, Stauffenberg hid a
bomb in Hitler's conference room. The army knew they were loosing the war and so
wanted to get rid of Hitler. The plan failed and killed 5000 people but not Hitler.