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Hitler’s Rise to Power. November 11 1918, Germany agreed to an ARMISTICE or peace agreement. Hitler at this time was in hospital blinded by mustard gas. He was furious that the armistice had been signed.
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November 11 1918, Germany agreed to an ARMISTICE or peace agreement.
Hitler at this time was in hospital blinded by mustard gas. He was furious that the armistice had been signed. • STAB IN THE BACK – idea that the German army had been betrayed by ‘NOVEMBER CRIMINALS’ , the politicians who had signed the Armistice.
TREATY OF VERSAILLES The terms of the TREATY OF VERSAILLES: • taking away 14% of German territory. • placing restrictions on the German armed forces • making them accept the blame for the war (the WAR GUILT clause). • Germany was forced to pay massive REPARATIONS (compensation) for the damage caused during the war
Hitler returned to Germany a bitter man. In 1919 he joined a small right-wing group called the German workers party or DAP. • They later changed the name of the party to National Socialist German Workers Party or NSDAP (NAZIS) • In 1920 they published a 25 point programme which outlined their beliefs.
Germany was finding it difficult to pay the 6600m pounds reparations; in 1922 Germany stopped paying. In 1923 the French entered the RUHR region of Germany to enforce the payment of reparations.
In the early 1920’s Germany suffered serious HYPERINFLATION. This meant that the German currency was worth next to nothing.
The Munich Putsch, 1923 Hitler attempted to seize power by force. He stormed into a beerhall meeting in Munich and declared a national revolution. The putsch failed.
Hitler was arrested and imprisoned. From his prison he wrote ‘Mein Kampf’ meaning ‘my struggle’.
The Golden Years 1925-28 • Under GUSTAV STRESEMAN (German Chancellor and then Foreign Minister) Germany recovered from the hyperinflation. • This was helped by the DAWES PLAN which set reparations payments at a fixed annual rate.
The WALL STREET CRASH of October 1929 hit Germany hard. Streseman had borrowed large sums of money from USA and now Germany had to pay it back. • Germany suffered immensely during the DEPRESSION. By 1932, 6 million people were out of work.
The Nazi party put themselves forward as the party that could get people back into work and restore German pride. They also looked like the party of order and discipline, using the SA (stormtroopers or brownshirts) to parade through the streets and intimidate or beat up opponents. ERNST ROEHM (right) led the SA and was a key figure in the Nazi party.
Success in the elections • In the 1930 election the Nazis won 107 seats in the Reichstag. In July 1932 they won 230 seats. • These successes led Hitler to stand for President but he lost to von Hindenburg who was re-elected by 19 million votes to 13 million
Hitler becomes Chancellor Hitler’s fortunes changed when Franz von Papen persuaded von Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as CHANCELLOR. Hindenburg (left) was assured that Hitler could be kept under control and so appointed him as Chancellor in 1933.
The Reichstag Fire • Hitler immediately called for a general election. Six days before the election, the Reichstag building caught fire. • A communist supporter, Marinus van der Lubbe was arrested and charged. The Nazis used the fire as the perfect propaganda weapon to blame the communists.
At the next election, the Nazis won enough seats to dominate the Reichstag. • Hitler filled the building with Brownshirts and forced through the ENABLING ACT which gave him the power to rule as a dictator for four years.
The Totalitarian State • Hitler then used the Gestapo (the secret police), and concentration camps, run by the SS to get rid of any opposition. • He also made sure that any risk to his own personal power was removed. On the 29 June 1934, Hitler had Roehm and 400 SA members murdered in the NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES
When Hindenburg died soon afterwards, Hitler merged the positions of President and Chancellor and declared himself Fuhrer (leader).