- What did the Nazi Party stand for in the 1920s?
The Nazi Party - National Socialist Germany Worker’s Party (NAZI)
To make Germany strong again
To recover all the power and lands lost during World War I.
Aimed to spread wealth more evenly across different classes.
As a nationalist party that was also socialist, it hoped to win the support of the ordinary people. In 1920, the Nazis put out a 25-point programme. The main beliefs were:
By 1921 Hitler's influence was being felt, due to Hitler’s belief in force, the Party started a private army called the Sturmabteilung (SA) meaning Storm Unit. They were called the Brown Shirts due to the colour of their uniforms. By 1923, the party had a following of 35,000, but it was still weak. It had no real support outside Bavaria and was only one among many extreme right-wing groups in Bavaria.
- National
To make Germany strong again
To recover all the power and lands lost during World War I.
- Socialist?
Aimed to spread wealth more evenly across different classes.
As a nationalist party that was also socialist, it hoped to win the support of the ordinary people. In 1920, the Nazis put out a 25-point programme. The main beliefs were:
- Nationalism The Creation of a ‘Greater Germany’ (Gross Deutschland) which would unite all German-speaking peoples and would work towards the destruction of the Versailles Treaty (this attracted German right-wing extremists).
- Anti-Semitism Jews were to be denied German citizenship. Jews not allowed to hold public office or to publish newspapers. Those who had entered Germany after World War I to be expelled. Jews viewed as inferior.
- Anti-Capitalism The Nationalisation of big industries and department stores (mainly owned by Jews) and confiscation of profits earned during the war and land. Socialist aspects appealed to working class and small traders. However, Hitler showed little interest in this point. In fact, after 1933, he got help from leading industrialists and land-owners for Germany’s economic recovery.
By 1921 Hitler's influence was being felt, due to Hitler’s belief in force, the Party started a private army called the Sturmabteilung (SA) meaning Storm Unit. They were called the Brown Shirts due to the colour of their uniforms. By 1923, the party had a following of 35,000, but it was still weak. It had no real support outside Bavaria and was only one among many extreme right-wing groups in Bavaria.
- Why did the Nazis have little success before 1930?
The Nazi Party (1924-1928)
When Hitler changed the focus of the party he realised that the Nazi Party had to be well-organised with branches all over Germany to win support through legal means. Between 1924-28, Hitler concentrated on organising his party better. He expanded the SA and set up a second party military group, the black-shirted SS (Protection Squad). He formed new branches in different parts of Germany, set up a youth movement called ‘The Hitler Youth’ to attract support from young people and got financial support with money coming from businessmen. The Nazis began to rely on propaganda to win people’s support. Hitler organised large public meetings where he gave fiery speeches and made a lot of promises:
However in the 1928 elections, the Nazis only won 12 seats in the Reichstag. |
Between 1929 and 1932, the National Socialist Party changed from being one of the smallest parties in the German parliament to one of the largest. Extremist parties such as the Communists and National Socialists (Nazis) won support while moderate parties like the Centre Party and Social Democrats lost support.
- Why was Hitler able to become Chancellor by 1933?
Adolf Hitler until 1929
Was born in 1889 in Austria. He was not a German, but considered himself as part of the German race. His father was a customs official and was known to be a difficult and unstable man. Hitler shared his father’s stormy character; poor relationship with his father. He left school at 16 and was described as ‘lacking self-control, proud, stubborn, bad-tempered and lazy’ by his teachers. He moved to Vienna at the age of 18 his ambition was to become an artist, however, he was turned down by the Academy of Fine Arts. This failure led to a five-year period of aimless drifting without a job and qualifications. During this time Hitler’s ideas began to develop more fully. He was exposed to two ideas in particular:
Was born in 1889 in Austria. He was not a German, but considered himself as part of the German race. His father was a customs official and was known to be a difficult and unstable man. Hitler shared his father’s stormy character; poor relationship with his father. He left school at 16 and was described as ‘lacking self-control, proud, stubborn, bad-tempered and lazy’ by his teachers. He moved to Vienna at the age of 18 his ambition was to become an artist, however, he was turned down by the Academy of Fine Arts. This failure led to a five-year period of aimless drifting without a job and qualifications. During this time Hitler’s ideas began to develop more fully. He was exposed to two ideas in particular:
- Anti-Semitism – hatred of Jews. In Vienna, Jews were skillful, wealthy and successful in medicine, law and science. Hitler felt that his failure to succeed was caused by Jewish forces working against him.
- Social Darwinism – if a race is to survive, it must struggle for existence. Hitler became convinced that all German-speaking peoples were a master race. As a master race, they must be powerful, united and in possession of whatever land and materials they need. He also developed his ideas about Aryans as superior race. He saw the Aryan race as the superior race and the Jews as the inferior race and dangerous to the health of the Aryans. Hitler also disliked democracy.
Hitler and the Nazis rise to power
The Economy was in Ruins: It was the Great Depression that created the conditions for Hitler’s rise to power. The 1929 Wall Street Crash hit Germany the worst because she was the most dependent on US loans. By 1932, nearly one in every three German workers were unemployed. The Depression helped Hitler by making large number of Germans dissatisfied with the Weimar Republic. For example:
The Economy was in Ruins: It was the Great Depression that created the conditions for Hitler’s rise to power. The 1929 Wall Street Crash hit Germany the worst because she was the most dependent on US loans. By 1932, nearly one in every three German workers were unemployed. The Depression helped Hitler by making large number of Germans dissatisfied with the Weimar Republic. For example:
- Male factory workers – 40% unemployment in 1932.
- Shopkeepers and traders lost profits.
- Germany’s two million farmers were heavily in debt as prices of food dropped sharply.
- Property-owners and middle-class Germans were terrified that the communists would come and seize whatever they owned.
Hitler played on their fears and made PROMISES to all:
The Weimar Republic, on the other hand, had no viable answer to the economic crisis, besides raising taxes and reducing expenditure. Hitler persuaded the 13 million voters that he was the man who could save Germany. Many Germans wanted a strong and dynamic leader during the Depression Years. By 1930, the Nazis, who secured only 12 seats in the Reichstag in 1928, now had 107 seats. |
The Versailles Treaty deeply angered many Germans. Germans felt bitter and cheated, and called the treaty a diktat. The Weimar politicians who signed the peace treaty were branded by right-wing politicians as the November criminals. They were accused of stabbing Germany in the back. Hitler took advantage of the resentment felt for the terms of the Versailles Treaty. In his speeches, he repeatedly talked about ignoring the Versailles Treaty, thus making Germany a strong European power once again.
Power of Oratory: Hitler’s own remarkable talents were crucial to his success. He was a spellbinding public speaker. He kept his message simple and always targeted at the enemies of Germany – the Weimar politicians, the Versailles Treaty, the Communists and the Jews. He always appealed for unity to save the German Fatherland. Nazi public meetings were carefully staged and managed with floodlights, military music and marches by Nazi supporters in uniform.
Power of Intimidation: Hitler depended on the SA (Stormtroopers) to carry out his promises. Hitler argued that it was the SA that was saving Germany from the communists. The SA would:
Nazi Propaganda: A brilliant master of propaganda, it was Hitler who managed to turn the small Nazi party into a mass party. The Nazi chief propagandist was Joseph Goebbels. He
Support from wealthy German industrialists: The German industrialists supported Hitler because they thought that a National Socialist Germany would be strong and solve Germany’s economic problems. Businesses were worried by the growth in support for communism (state control of economy). They saw Hitler as the answer to preventing the rise of the communists. They provided Hitler with money to start newspapers to spread Nazi ideas and set up party branches all over the country.
Weakness of the Weimar Republic: In the 1930s, democratic government collapsed. The political parties, instead of working together to solve the economic crisis, argued even more fiercely. No one party had a majority in the Reichstag because of proportional representation. It was now impossible to hold the coalition together. 5 elections in 1932 produced a succession of Chancellors who failed to rule effectively. Government passed from the Reichstag to the President, von Hindenburg, who ruled by presidential decree (a form of dictatorship). By 1932, as the economic crisis in the country deepened, and since Hitler’s party was the biggest party in the Reichstag, Hinderburg’s advisor, von Papen, suggested that Hitler be appointed Chancellor. Von Papen would be vice-chancellor and the cabinet rigged – with only two other Nazis – so that Hitler could be controlled. Hindenburg agreed and on 30 Jan 1933 Hitler was sworn in as Germany’s 15th Chancellor. Hitler had no intention of being used by von Papen. Hitler’s aim was to win an overall majority for the Nazis in the Reichstag. In February 1933, he called for new elections. With ruthless determination, he outmanoeuvred the politicians around the President. Two months later, the whole of Germany was under his control.
Power of Oratory: Hitler’s own remarkable talents were crucial to his success. He was a spellbinding public speaker. He kept his message simple and always targeted at the enemies of Germany – the Weimar politicians, the Versailles Treaty, the Communists and the Jews. He always appealed for unity to save the German Fatherland. Nazi public meetings were carefully staged and managed with floodlights, military music and marches by Nazi supporters in uniform.
Power of Intimidation: Hitler depended on the SA (Stormtroopers) to carry out his promises. Hitler argued that it was the SA that was saving Germany from the communists. The SA would:
- Beat up the communists;
- Smash their meetings, and;
- Make it difficult for them to campaign freely in the elections.
Nazi Propaganda: A brilliant master of propaganda, it was Hitler who managed to turn the small Nazi party into a mass party. The Nazi chief propagandist was Joseph Goebbels. He
- Arranged mass rallies;
- Made records and films of Hitler’s speeches
- Used the radio, and
- Suggested that Hitler travel by plane to convey his ideas. The campaign was called ‘Hitler over Germany’.
Support from wealthy German industrialists: The German industrialists supported Hitler because they thought that a National Socialist Germany would be strong and solve Germany’s economic problems. Businesses were worried by the growth in support for communism (state control of economy). They saw Hitler as the answer to preventing the rise of the communists. They provided Hitler with money to start newspapers to spread Nazi ideas and set up party branches all over the country.
Weakness of the Weimar Republic: In the 1930s, democratic government collapsed. The political parties, instead of working together to solve the economic crisis, argued even more fiercely. No one party had a majority in the Reichstag because of proportional representation. It was now impossible to hold the coalition together. 5 elections in 1932 produced a succession of Chancellors who failed to rule effectively. Government passed from the Reichstag to the President, von Hindenburg, who ruled by presidential decree (a form of dictatorship). By 1932, as the economic crisis in the country deepened, and since Hitler’s party was the biggest party in the Reichstag, Hinderburg’s advisor, von Papen, suggested that Hitler be appointed Chancellor. Von Papen would be vice-chancellor and the cabinet rigged – with only two other Nazis – so that Hitler could be controlled. Hindenburg agreed and on 30 Jan 1933 Hitler was sworn in as Germany’s 15th Chancellor. Hitler had no intention of being used by von Papen. Hitler’s aim was to win an overall majority for the Nazis in the Reichstag. In February 1933, he called for new elections. With ruthless determination, he outmanoeuvred the politicians around the President. Two months later, the whole of Germany was under his control.
- How did Hitler consolidate his power in 1933–34?
The Reichstag Fire, February 1933
On the night of 27 February 1933, something happened which made sure the Nazis would win the elections. The Reichstag building in Berlin was sent up in flames. Hitler used this as an excuse to crush anyone who disagreed with Nazi policies. Hitler blamed the fire on the communists for a young half-witted Dutch Communist anarchist, Marianus van der Lubbe, had been caught inside the Reichstag with matches and firelighters in his pockets. The story about a communist plot to take over the country was quite untrue. But most people believed it. Nobody knew for sure what actually happened. This was not surprising. Van der Lubbe later told the police that he had started the fire and that he did so alone. What people did not realize that van der Lubbe was mentally ill. He was arrested, tried and executed.
On the night of 27 February 1933, something happened which made sure the Nazis would win the elections. The Reichstag building in Berlin was sent up in flames. Hitler used this as an excuse to crush anyone who disagreed with Nazi policies. Hitler blamed the fire on the communists for a young half-witted Dutch Communist anarchist, Marianus van der Lubbe, had been caught inside the Reichstag with matches and firelighters in his pockets. The story about a communist plot to take over the country was quite untrue. But most people believed it. Nobody knew for sure what actually happened. This was not surprising. Van der Lubbe later told the police that he had started the fire and that he did so alone. What people did not realize that van der Lubbe was mentally ill. He was arrested, tried and executed.
There is also evidence that Goering himself ordered the SA to do it, and that van der Lubbe was in the Reichstag building by coincidence. It has been suggested that the SA knew about van der Lubbe’s plans but allowed him to go ahead and even started fires of their own elsewhere in the building with the intention of blaming it on the communists. There is no conclusive evidence of this but what is certain is that Hitler used the fire to stir up fear of communism as a pretext for banning the party. The fire was the excuse that Hitler needed to smash the Communists. He went to President Hindenburg and persuaded him to sign an emergency Law for the Protection of the People and State. The President had the power to make new laws in an emergency. He made the law that Hitler wanted, not realizing that it would help Hitler become a dictator. Hitler used it as an excuse to issue an emergency law taking away the freedoms people had been promised by the Weimar Republic, such as the right to a fair trial and to a free press. The new law banned communists and socialists from taking part in the election campaign. The German people had very few rights left.
The Reichstag fire led to the start of a ‘brown terror’ carried out by the SA. 4000 communists were arrested and flung into prison on the same night as the fire. So were many others the Nazis had grudges against. Communist newspapers were shut down and their meetings were broken up. Truck loads of the SA roared through the streets, stopping only to beat up anti-Nazis or to break into homes.Meanwhile, giant swastikas, torch-light parades, mass rallies, radio flashes, all hammered home the message – ‘Vote Nazi’. |
March 1933 Reichstag Elections
Hitler’s first steps on the road to dictatorship were the most difficult. Germany was a democracy, so Hitler could only make laws if the Reichstag agreed to them. But more than half the seats in the Reichstag belonged to parties which opposed him. He saw the socialists and communists in the Reichstag as his main opponents and wanted to get rid of them. However, he had to do this very carefully. Just as Hindenburg had made Hitler Chancellor, so he could make him resign if he thought Hitler was not governing the country properly.
The Nazis were already the largest single party in the Reichstag, but Hitler wanted them to have an overall majority. Hitler thus persuaded the parliament that they should be yet another election: he wanted to get a majority of Nazis into the Reichstag so that he could govern Germany democratically.
The Nazis set out to make sure of a big win in the elections. So once again out came the flags and banners and posters. There were monster rallies and radio broadcasts. In the streets, the SA fought with the Communists once more they stopped the newspapers from writing hostile things about the Nazis, dismissed those officials who were opposed to Hitler,Used his uniformed followers to break up the meetings of other parties and beat up his opponents. (Note: there was extreme Nazi violence throughout the election campaign especially against the communists)
The election campaign was an extremely violent one. The Nazis, now in power, were able to use all the apparatus of state, including press and radio to try and whip up a majority. Senior police officers were replaced with reliable Nazis, and 50,000 auxiliary policemen were called up, most of them from the SA and the SS. They had orders to avoid hostility with the SA but to show no mercy to communists and other ‘enemies of the state’. Meetings of all parties except the Nazis’ were wrecked and speakers beaten up, while the police looked the other way.
Hitler’s first steps on the road to dictatorship were the most difficult. Germany was a democracy, so Hitler could only make laws if the Reichstag agreed to them. But more than half the seats in the Reichstag belonged to parties which opposed him. He saw the socialists and communists in the Reichstag as his main opponents and wanted to get rid of them. However, he had to do this very carefully. Just as Hindenburg had made Hitler Chancellor, so he could make him resign if he thought Hitler was not governing the country properly.
The Nazis were already the largest single party in the Reichstag, but Hitler wanted them to have an overall majority. Hitler thus persuaded the parliament that they should be yet another election: he wanted to get a majority of Nazis into the Reichstag so that he could govern Germany democratically.
The Nazis set out to make sure of a big win in the elections. So once again out came the flags and banners and posters. There were monster rallies and radio broadcasts. In the streets, the SA fought with the Communists once more they stopped the newspapers from writing hostile things about the Nazis, dismissed those officials who were opposed to Hitler,Used his uniformed followers to break up the meetings of other parties and beat up his opponents. (Note: there was extreme Nazi violence throughout the election campaign especially against the communists)
The election campaign was an extremely violent one. The Nazis, now in power, were able to use all the apparatus of state, including press and radio to try and whip up a majority. Senior police officers were replaced with reliable Nazis, and 50,000 auxiliary policemen were called up, most of them from the SA and the SS. They had orders to avoid hostility with the SA but to show no mercy to communists and other ‘enemies of the state’. Meetings of all parties except the Nazis’ were wrecked and speakers beaten up, while the police looked the other way.
The results of the election looked great for the party. The Nazis were the biggest party in the Reichstag. The results of the election looked like a great Nazi victory. Although the Nazis had won more seats in the Reichstag than ever before, over half of Germany’s electorate gave their votes to other parties. The Nazis still did not have a majority.
In spite of their efforts, they obtained only 43% of the votes and failed to win an overall majority. They were saved by one of the smaller parties. The Nationalist Party decided to join forces with the Nazis to have an overall majority of 51%. In other words, the German people had not all been fooled. Seventeen million voted for Hitler’s men – but 20 million voted AGAINST. As it turned out, this was the Nazis’ best performance in a ‘free’ election: they never won an overall majority. It is worth remembering that even at the height of their electoral triumph, the Nazis were supported by only 44% of the voting electorate. |
The Enabling Act, 1933
What Hitler wanted was total power. The legal basis of his power was the Enabling Act. He put an Enabling Law before the Reichstag on 23 March 1933 and asked the members to vote for it. Hitler’s aim was to persuade the Reichstag to give up its powers and allow him to rule as a dictator. The Enabling Law said that Hitler would have the power to make laws for the next four years without having to ask the Reichstag for approval during this four year period, ignore the constitution and sign agreements with foreign countries.
Due to the Enabling Act, democracy in Germany ended. Hitler used the power of the Enabling Act to get rid of everything or anyone that limited his authority. Since he was the virtual dictator, his will was law and he obviously was able to extend the four-year period indefinitely. He no longer needed the support of his Vice-Chancellor von Papen and President Hindenburg: the Weimar Constitution had been abandoned.
Such a major constitutional change needed approval by a two-thirds majority in the Reichstag. He achieved this in three ways:
What Hitler wanted was total power. The legal basis of his power was the Enabling Act. He put an Enabling Law before the Reichstag on 23 March 1933 and asked the members to vote for it. Hitler’s aim was to persuade the Reichstag to give up its powers and allow him to rule as a dictator. The Enabling Law said that Hitler would have the power to make laws for the next four years without having to ask the Reichstag for approval during this four year period, ignore the constitution and sign agreements with foreign countries.
Due to the Enabling Act, democracy in Germany ended. Hitler used the power of the Enabling Act to get rid of everything or anyone that limited his authority. Since he was the virtual dictator, his will was law and he obviously was able to extend the four-year period indefinitely. He no longer needed the support of his Vice-Chancellor von Papen and President Hindenburg: the Weimar Constitution had been abandoned.
Such a major constitutional change needed approval by a two-thirds majority in the Reichstag. He achieved this in three ways:
- Banning the communist deputies from coming to the Reichstag, so that they could not use their votes;
- Persuading the Catholic Centre Party to vote for the Act by vague promise of things he would do for them in the future; and
- Using the votes of his allies, the Nationalists.
The Night of the Long Knives, 1934
Hitler banned all rival political parties and threw their leaders into prison. He closed down newspapers which had dared to criticize him, did away with trade unions and forbade workers to strike. Then he turned on some of his own men. SA had played a vital part in bringing Hitler to power. But he decided that they were getting too big for their shoes. Hitler wanted to ensure he had complete power within his party.
The leader of the brownshirts, SA, Ernst Rohm, began to cause trouble. Rohm was disappointed that he was not playing a more important part in the new government, and that Hitler was not keeping his promise to introduce new reforms. He also wanted to make the SA part of the German army. This alarmed Hitler for it would make Rohm the most powerful man in Germany. The army generals did not like the idea either. Hitler wanted the continued support of the old Germany army. He was afraid that Rohm’s plan for an SA take-over of the army would turn its officers against him.
Hitler got rid of Rohm and many other leaders of the SA on the ‘Night of the Long Knives’ on 30 June 1934. He had them dragged from their beds and murdered. On the same night, many other opponents all over Germany were dealt with in the same way. Over the next few days, some 400 people were executed in this way. The killings were done by Hitler’s own black-shirted guards, the SS, or Protection Squads. The fact that there were no public protests about what had happened showed how powerful Hitler had become. The ‘Night of the Long Knives’ left nobody to challenge Hitler. His rivals were now dead or safely locked up. He set up a secret police force called the Gestapo to make sure things stayed this way.
Two months later, President von Hindenburg died at age 87. To complete his power, Hitler decided to combine the jobs of Chancellor and President. At the same time, he became the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Hitler was now the supreme dictator of Germany. He gave himself the title ‘Fuhrer and Reich Chancellor’. On the same day, 2 August 1934, the officers and men of the army swore the following oath: I will render unconditional obedience to the Fuhrer of the German Reich and people, Adolf Hitler, the supreme commander of the armed forces, and will be ready as a brave soldier to stake my life at any time for this oath. The only Germans with the power to oppose Hitler, soldiers with guns, had sworn their lives away to him.
Hitler banned all rival political parties and threw their leaders into prison. He closed down newspapers which had dared to criticize him, did away with trade unions and forbade workers to strike. Then he turned on some of his own men. SA had played a vital part in bringing Hitler to power. But he decided that they were getting too big for their shoes. Hitler wanted to ensure he had complete power within his party.
The leader of the brownshirts, SA, Ernst Rohm, began to cause trouble. Rohm was disappointed that he was not playing a more important part in the new government, and that Hitler was not keeping his promise to introduce new reforms. He also wanted to make the SA part of the German army. This alarmed Hitler for it would make Rohm the most powerful man in Germany. The army generals did not like the idea either. Hitler wanted the continued support of the old Germany army. He was afraid that Rohm’s plan for an SA take-over of the army would turn its officers against him.
Hitler got rid of Rohm and many other leaders of the SA on the ‘Night of the Long Knives’ on 30 June 1934. He had them dragged from their beds and murdered. On the same night, many other opponents all over Germany were dealt with in the same way. Over the next few days, some 400 people were executed in this way. The killings were done by Hitler’s own black-shirted guards, the SS, or Protection Squads. The fact that there were no public protests about what had happened showed how powerful Hitler had become. The ‘Night of the Long Knives’ left nobody to challenge Hitler. His rivals were now dead or safely locked up. He set up a secret police force called the Gestapo to make sure things stayed this way.
Two months later, President von Hindenburg died at age 87. To complete his power, Hitler decided to combine the jobs of Chancellor and President. At the same time, he became the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Hitler was now the supreme dictator of Germany. He gave himself the title ‘Fuhrer and Reich Chancellor’. On the same day, 2 August 1934, the officers and men of the army swore the following oath: I will render unconditional obedience to the Fuhrer of the German Reich and people, Adolf Hitler, the supreme commander of the armed forces, and will be ready as a brave soldier to stake my life at any time for this oath. The only Germans with the power to oppose Hitler, soldiers with guns, had sworn their lives away to him.