Hitler’s Rise to Power

 In September 1919, the New German Government appointed Adolf Hitler to the position
of investigative officer of the Army
 On September 14th 1919, Hitler joined the Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (The German
Workers Party)
 The DAP was later re-named on February 20th 1920 to the Nationalsozialistische
Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (the NSDAP, or the Nazi Party for short)
 After the re-naming of the party (on the 24th of February), its 25-point program was
released by Hitler, in collaboration with a Dr. Gottfried Feder.
 Some important points of the program were :
o 1- The demanding of unification of all German speaking states.
o 2- Germany is to have Military, Political, and Economic equality to all other nations
in Europe (denouncing the importance of the Treaty of Versailles, and St. Germain).
o 3- The demanding that Germany should be given the right to colonize, for the
“sustenance” of the German people, and so that they can export their
overpopulated peoples elsewhere.
o 4- Only a member of the German race (Aryan) can be a citizen of Germany. This
meant that no immigrant would ever be considered a citizen; it also specifies that
Jews are not to be considered as citizens. All other points in the program refer
Aryans as citizens of Germany; all other races are not considered equal.
o 5- Everyone without German citizenship should be considered a guest, and should
fall under and be governed by a specific foreign legislation and set of laws.
o 6- That all political positions and political rights should only be held by citizens.
This meant voting or running of any government position is to be prohibited for
immigrants and Jews.
o 7- Citizens should be the first people of concern for the government, and if certain
necessities cannot be provided to everyone in the country, any immigrant or Jew is
to be expelled from the country, and all of their rights given to the German people.
o 8- Any further immigration of non-citizens is to be prevented. “We demand that all
non-Germans, who have immigrated to Germany since the [2 August 1914], be
forced immediately to leave the Reich.”
o 9- All citizens are to have equal rights and obligations.
o 11- “Abolition of unearned (work and labour) incomes. Breaking of rent-slavery.”
o 13- “We demand the nationalisation of all (previous) associated industries (trusts).”
o 15-“We demand an expansion on a large scale of old age welfare.”
o 18- “We demand struggle without consideration against those whose activity is
injurious to the general interest. Common national criminals, usurers, Schieber and
so forth are to be punished with death, without consideration of confession or
race.”
o 20- The state is to reconcile and re-establish an educational system that teaches the
beliefs and the ideology of the Nazi Party.
o *21- “The State is to care for the elevating national health by protecting the mother
and child, by outlawing child-labor, by the encouragement of physical fitness, by
  Political tensions in 1930 resulted in an increase of deaths, more than the previous two years
combined.
 These occurrences lead to several prohibitions, including the wearing of the SA brown shirts,
and the holding of Nazi Party memberships in Prussia and Bavaria.
 All this publicity and attention resulted in the party winning 107 seats (a total of 18.3%) in
the 1930 election, becoming the second largest party.
 Although the great depression did not affect Germany as much as the United States until
September of 1930, it did play a major role in the popularity of the socialist party.
 With unemployment rising, and unemployment insurance in heavy deficit, Nazi policies
began to appeal to the people of Germany.
 At this time, Germany was ruled by a grand coalition ranging from Social Democrats to the
Peoples Party.
 The April 1932 election showed even more support for the Nazi party, receiving 36.8% of
the vote, shortly after the 40% won by Paul von Hindenburg.
 At the end of July 1932, the Nazi party obtained approximately 140,000,000 votes, securing
230 seats in the Reichstag.
 After increasing support for the Socialist movement amongst the German people, Hitler
asked Chancellor Franz von Papen for the position of Chancellor, Papen then offered the
position of vice-chancellor, but Hitler refused.
 As an attempt to abolish the violence and civil fighting on German streets, the government
implemented a law to which all ‘acts of political violence’ were to be punished by ‘lifetime
imprisonment, 20 years hard labour or death’. This was later put into effect and tried by
special courts. Hitler used this then newly-created law to eliminate his opponents during his
years as German chancellor.
 Until January of 1932, Germany was in a state of chaos, financial despair and domestic
violence escalated, and the NSDAP was continuously banned and reinstated. A civil war
seemed imminent.
 In the 1932 election, the Nazi party lost 14 seats in government, but still maintained their
second largest party position.
 In November of 1932, Hindenburg (Chancellor by popular vote) offered Hitler the position
of Chancellor, only if he could remain in parliament as vice-chancellor.
 Hitler agreed, and on January 30th 1933, Adolf Hitler became the newly-appointed German
Chancellor.

Gleichschaltung
 Gleichschaltung- meaning "equal switching", "synchronization"; meaning
"coordination", "making the same", "bringing into line" was the term used by the Nazi
government to describe their process in which they gained total power over Germany.
 This involved abolishing the Weimar constitution.
 On the following day of the Reichstag fires (the fires that burned down the German
parliament buildings, set ablaze by a Jewish immigrant, and member of the German
communist party. This incident was later used by Hitler to put blame on Jews and
  British opposition leader Winston Churchill saw it as a “total and unmitigated
defeat” for British.
 Hitler despised Chamberlain for promoting the agreement as a success for peace.
 Stalin was angry since the USSR was not included in the conference and that Britain
and France colluded with Germany. Stalin feared that this collusion would lead to
the partition of the Soviet Union between western and fascist powersÆ his response
was to sign the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (non-aggression treaty)
 The Czechoslovakians were angry that the decision had been forced upon them.
 In March 1939, Nazi forces invaded the Czech area around the Sudetenland
(Bohemia and Moravia). Slovakia was established as a Nazi puppet state.
 Chamberlain consequently felt betrayed by Hitler and decided to take a tougher
stand against Germany. The British and French armies were mobilized.
 Italy felt like a second-rate member of the Axis and sent Italian troops into Albania
and succeeded in making an Italian protectorate.

The Abandonment of Appeasement

 As Franco won the Spanish Civil War in Feb 1939 and Mussolini conquers
Albania in April 1939, it seemed that fascism was on the rise everywhere.
 Chamberlain promised to defend PolandÆ this made war inevitable if Hitler
attacked Poland
 The signing of the Pact of Steel (May 1939) that obliged both Germany and Italy
to support one another in the event of a war. This showed that Hitler was building
up for a war.
 Anglo-Soviet talks fail in Aug 1939 because:
o Suspicion: Chamberlain and Stalin did not trust eachother and Poland did
not trust USSR.
o Choice: If Stalin sided with Britain, the USSR would be fighting in
Poland on Britain’s behalf- but if he sided with Hitler the USSR would get
have of Poland practically free.
o Appeasement: Stalin thought Britain would leave him to fight Hitler
alone.
o Britain Delayed: the official made it to the USSR too late.
 But instead German Soviet Pact occurred.

Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (Treaty of Non-Aggression)

Timeline
 As part of the renewal of friendly relations between the USSR and Nazi Germany,
Stalin replaced his Jewish foreign minister with Molotov, who was more open to
peace with Germany.
 The German foreign minister was Joachim von Ribbentrop
 First a German-Soviet trade agreement was signed.

 

 

  

 
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