Adolf Hitler Part II:The Rise to Powerand the birth of Nazi Germany (1919-1933)

German Worker’s Party

Founded in Munich in 1919 by Anton Drexler, a railway tool maker

Party was like a union that would fight for the rights of low-level German workers

Other prominent members Gottfried Feder, engineer Dietrich Eckhart, journalist and philosopher Karl Horrer, educator and professor Ernst Roehm, government official Adolf Hitler, propaganda and recruiting chairman

Hitler rises to the top

In a very short time, Hitler would rise to the top of the chain

By 1920, the German Worker’s Party was ended by Drexler, and a new party sprung up to take its place

New party formed by Hitler called: National Socialist German Worker’s Party Party name was shortened by newspaper writers to

N.A.Z.I The ideas put forth by this party strayed away

from the original goal of helping workers

Nazi’s 25-point program

Summary: Nationalistic (only “true” Germans can

join) Anti-capitalism (big businesses become

part of the state) Militaristic (demanded formation of a

national army) Anti-Communist (wanted a strong middle

class and large land ownership)

Summary continued…

Aryanism (German blood is supreme to all others)

Anti-Semitism (No Jew could be a member of the party or citizen of the state)

German Self-Determination (Destroy the Versailles Treaty and everything it stands for)

Sturmabteilung (S.A)

Nazi Party’s Private Army Outfitted with brown shirts, brown

belts, and red Swastika armbands Unarmed Monitored Nazi rallies and disrupted

rallies of enemy parties Organized and led by Captain Ernst

Roehm

Schutzstaffel (S.S)

Formed from within the S.A Personal bodyguard for Adolf Hitler

(now known as “The Fuhrer”) Outfitted with brown shirts and black

ties Organized and led by Heinrich

Himmler Would very soon become more

powerful and dangerous than the S.A

Weimar Republic in 1923

Facing economic crisis because they are trying to fulfill the strict demands of the Versailles Treaty

Recovering from many failed takeovers

The Beer Hall Putsch

Putsch: a revolt led against a government

Began in a beer hall with a powerful speech given by Hitler

Modeled after Mussolini’s March on Rome (We’ll learn about him next week)

Objective: to seize the government headquarters in Bavaria and march toward Berlin, and essentially, take over the German government

Beer Hall Putsch continued… Putsch fails because several men Hitler

counted on turned on him, the main traitor being Otto von Lossow

WWI pilot ace Hermann Goring was involved on the side of the Nazi’s, and is seriously wounded

Result: Hitler is arrested and sentenced to five years

Trial is public and Hitler’s defense inspires sympathy

“Mein Kampf”

Hitler’s autobiography and political plan written while in prison

Title is German for “My Struggle” Considered his prison sentence to be

a very important part of his development in life

His time in prison gave party officials the chance to reorganize and come back stronger when he is released

Highlights of “Mein Kampf” “The great masses of the people will more easily fall victim to a

big lie than to a small one.”

“The personification of the devil as the symbol of all evil assumes the living shape of the Jew.”

“Any alliance whose purpose is not the intention to wage war is senseless and useless.”

“Armies for the preservation of peace do not exist; they exist only for the triumphant exertion of war.”

“Was there any form of filth , particularly in cultural life, without at least one Jew involved in it? If you cut even cautiously into such an abscess, you found, like a maggot in a rotting body, often dazzled by the sudden light - a Jew!”

“Mein Kampf” Continued “There must be no majority decisions, but only

responsible persons, and the word 'council' must be restored to its original meaning. Surely every man will have advisers by his side, but the decision will be made by one man.”

“Their sword will become our plow, and from the tears of war the daily bread of future generations will grow.”

“By the skillful and sustained use of propaganda, one can make a people see even heaven as hell or an extremely wretched life as paradise.”

“Mein Kampf” Continued

“Demoralize the enemy from within by surprise, terror, sabotage, assassination. This is the war of the future.”

“The winner will never be asked if he told the truth. ”

“To conquer a nation, first disarm its citizens.”

“He alone who owns the youth, gains the future.”

Weimar Republic in 1932

Nazi Party is now largest in the German government (building called Reichstag)

Wealthy people fear a Communist Revolution, and the Nazis are seen as a good party

The value of German money (the mark) is worthless

Economy is struggling because of a worldwide great depression

President of Republic, Paul Von Hindenberg, appoints Hitler to the position of Chancellor of Germany

Hitler’s Release

Release from prison transformed the party, which now had new goals and aims Reorganized: party would have groups

all over Germany, with new youth movements

Reenergized: Hitler back in charge Refocused: Mein Kampf would become

their bible New slogan: “Germany Awake!”

The Enabling Act (1933)

Allows the government to “remove the distress of the people” Anyone see a problem with the wording

of this law? Hitler uses this to take over (or

subvert) the Weimar Republic

The End of the Weimar Republic

Gets rid of all political parties except Nazis Puts anti-Jewish laws in place Places political opponents in concentration

camps Begins to terrorize the people with the Gestapo

(or S.S) Controls public information through propaganda Intimidates the Catholic Church Gets rid of the S.A and murders Ernst Roehm Rearms Germany by giving weapons to the

soldiers and allowing factories to go back into production