Nicolas

Sawicky Paper 1 Professor Bakhmetyeva The death and destruction that Nazi-controlled Germany laid down will stand

out in the history books for many centuries. What is equally important for archival is the how the National Socialist German Workers Party worked its way to the top of the German political scene. Some of the main variables involved in this rise to power were: the conditions of Germany after WWI, difficulties of the Weimar Republic, Hitlers target audience, Hitlers program, and Hitlers propaganda tactics. World War I was a devastating war that left much of Europe in ruins. As the

Allied powers closed in on a weakened Germany, both sides signed the Treaty of Versailles. This document placed full blame of the war on the shoulders of the German people. Not only had the German people lost a war that Kaiser Wilhelm was solely responsible for, but were also ordered to pay reparations to all the countries that were hurt by the war. The treaty also called for a downgrade of the German military from an offensive force, demilitarization of the Rhineland, and loss of all German colonies (IHG, 48). Many Germans equated this time period directly after the Kaisers War to slavery (Notes, 3/16). Discontent spread through the masses and many Germans started to believe the rumor that the loss in WWI was due to a stab in the back at home by Jews and Communists (Notes, 3/16). Things began to get worse as these conditions from World War I began to

transform Germany into a 3rd world country. The Weimar Republic was already

unpopular after it signed the infamous Treaty of Versailles, but things somehow got worse. This new and weak government that was in command of the once great Germany began to face other issues that would later be used to discredit the Republic. As quality of life decreased among most Germans, Chancellor Heinrich Brning decided that the best course of action was to cut spending and raise taxes. This caused 6 million Germans to join the ranks of the Unemployed and Heinrich to receive the nickname, The Hunger Chancellor (IHG, 57). The biggest hit that Germany encountered during the Weimar Republic was the seemingly limitless inflation of the German Mark. At one point, it took four trillion two hundred billion marks ($4,200,000,000,000) to equal one U.S. Dollar (IHG, 53). This complete failure of the German currency was also blamed on the Weimar Republic. It was during these troubling times of the Weimar Republic that Hitlers

National Socialist German Workers Party began to gain members and influence throughout Germany. At first, the supporters of the Nazis were only zealous patriots, fanatical anti-Semites, and social misfits (IHG, 65). He goals aligned perfectly with the goals of those types of German citizens. Hitler realized that he needed a lot more support if he was going to take control of Germany through political means. Unfortunately midway through the life of the Weimar Republic, the German economy stabilizes and most Germans become content with the status quo. Hitler patiently waits until the German economy takes another steep dive, which it does after the Great Depression. The Nazi party now appealed to a larger audience, which now included unemployed workers, agricultural laborers, small farmers who have been hit by the fall of prices, to industrialists whose markets disappeared, and 2

to other economic groups (IHG, 65). This increase in support helped Hitlers movement spread and then quickly dominate the German political scene. Another reason for the success of the Nazi party was its eventual

commitment to a legal revolution. Hitler did once try a coup, called the Beer Hall Putsch, but it failed miserably and resulted in Hitlers jailing for treason (Notes, 3/16). He learned from this mistake and instead concentrated his time on building political support so that his party would gain control in the Reichstag and he would be appointed chancellor of Germany. Both of which eventually happened. Even with these legal aspirations, Hitler still condoned the use of violence with his Storm Troopers to control his own rallies and destroy rival political parties. He used the fear that resulted from the SA to demonstrate his value to the incumbent German government, making him a one-in-a-kind figure that could control the violence in return for political office. The final rationale behind the success of Hitlers National Socialist German Workers Party was its use of propaganda. First off, message and goals that the Nazis portrayed aligned with what many Germans believed at the time. Hitler reminded the German people of the backstabbing that had occurred within Germany by the Jews and Communists (Notes, 3/16). That injustice caused their defeat in WWI and the resulting Treaty of Versailles. With a common enemy, it was easier to convince mass amounts of German citizens that the Nazi party should be the one- and-only political party in Germany. Video propaganda was also a great tool that Hitler used to get the masses behind him and the Nazi party. A great example of this

is the film Triumph of the Will. The film starts off with Hitler descending from the clouds above as if he is the savior of the German people (Notes, on Triumph). The film also shows the might and power of the Nazi party. Each Soldier is dressed clean, showing that it is worth it to be a member (Notes, on Triumph). All these images together show a bright future for a better Germany, lead by its fearless leader, Adolf Hitler. The rise of Hitler and his National Socialist German Workers Party is something to be amazed at. Hitler was able to rally support and attempt a coup, only to be thrown in prison. Learning his lesson, he tried taking power the more civil way and with his keen sense of propaganda, listening to his audience, and finding a common enemy. Hitler eventually became chancellor of Germany and after the death of the President he became fhrer. What followed his rise to power would shake the entire world.

Works Cited Sax, Benjamin C., and Dieter Kuntz. Inside Hitler's Germany: a Documentary History of Life in the Third Reich. Lexington, Mass.: D.C. Heath, 1992. Print.