Post -Prison

2. Post -Prison • Hitler continued to rise to the top of the Nazi Party. • Others were simultaneously vying to be top dog. • General Ludendorff and Ernst Rohm were threats to Hitlers power although they held similar extremist views

4. Created a Party Structure to correspond with the 34 Reichstag Electoral Districts headed by a Gauleiter 7 Gaue for Austria, Danzig, Saar and Sudetenland Gaue divided into Kreise (circles) Local groups call Ortsgruppe Nazi’s Expansion

6. Sports Clubs were founded Flying Clubs introduced (helped prepare future pilots without violation requirements of Versailles Treaty Mass Banners Light Shows at Rally’s Torch Parades at Night Banner Parades during the day All designed to attract young males to the party Expansion

8. Hitler Youth League established Pre-Hitler Youth (10-15) Girls enrolled in Bund Deutscher Maedel Women had program called Frauenschaften …in preadolescence they were conditioned to hate and kill Jews. Given daggers with engraving “Blood and Honour” taught to sing: “When the Jew blood squirts from our knives we can stab twice as well – with Jew blood –with Jew blood” Nazi Expansion

9. Industrialists like Hitler’s Economic ideas and gave huge funds to the Nazi’s Financed University Fraternities Hitler’s Entourage drove the latest and most expensive Mercedes Children and adults were indoctrinated to be on guard against dangerous enemies of the state. Told they must have no pity and obey orders ruthlessly Expansion

10. Nazi Power • 1925 – 27,000 Nazi Party Members • 1926 - 49,000 • 1927 – 72,000 • 1928 – 108,000 • 1929, - 178, 000

11. Hitler reorganized the SA, his storm troopers and the SS. Organizational Expansion

12. Expansion Slowed • While true that the Nazi memberships were growing steadily in the 1924-1928 stage, this growth is by no means spectacular • This was because the economy was actually quite strong in these years. Unemployment was less than 2%. Nazi popularity with public fell from 6.5% to 2.5 % The general public still had no real interest in the party until the early 1930’s when the great depression set in.

14. The Great Depression • 1930’s Economic Crash • Foreign loans recalled • Unemployment jumps • Middle Class still recovering from inflation of 1923 • General Loathing of Treaty of Versailles • Resentment of those deemed to still be financially stable • Communist party grows in membership

15. Great Depression • Middle Classes fear Communist Revolution • Weimar Government paralyzed • Weimar government seems indecisive • Hitler presents himself as a strong leader and Nazi support grows among general public • Middle Class need a champion to oppose Communism

16. Nazi Promises (1930 Election) • Abrogate and overthrow the Treaty of Versailles • Ignore restrictions on military from same • To return to Germany’s “Natural Borders” • Build a strong and prosperous Germany • Create a Master Race –eliminate foreigners, Jews, disabled and other minorities that defiled it. • Eliminate unemployment • Save Germany from a Bolshevik Revolution

17. Anti-Semitism was a cornerstone • Hitler linked his opposition to the Jews with his opposition to the Communists. • He referred to both groups as the “November Criminals” responsible for losing the war and signing the Treaty of Versailles

18. Election Results 1930 • Nazi’s receive 6,371,000 votes • Nazi’s gained 107 seats in the Reichstag • In 1931 the Nazi Party continued to grow in numbers and popularity as the conditions of the great depression had not improved

20. Presidential Election of 1932 • President Hindenberg’s term was up • Hitler decided to contest the election • Went to a second ballot where Hitler received 36.8% of the vote to Hindenberg’s 53% • 13,418,500 to 19,360,000

21. General Election of 1932 • Nazis ended up with 270 seats in the Reichstag (37.3% of Popular Vote) • Largest party in the Reichstag • Best results in the countryside and from lower middle class voters in the North • Some influence in urban areas: • 9 % of Proletarian vote…..Berlin • 18% of Wealthy vote…….Berlin • 26% of Middle-Class vote.Berlin

22. Hitler become Chancellor • In 1932 Hindenberg replaced Chancellor Bruning with Franz Von Papen • Von Papen was an aristocrat with no political experience..Center Party Member • In November of 1932 Von Papen resigned • General Kurt Von Schleicher named Chancellor • Began to investigate misuse of public funds by landowners during land reform • Conservative elements took alarm • Demanded that Hitler become Chancellor

23. Hitler moves up, with a little help • “the new Chancellor was found to have been more apt at pulling wires behind the scenes than at the summit of power. He had quarreled with too many people. Hitler, together with Papen and the Nationalists now ranged themselves against him; and the Communists, fighting the Nazis in the streets and the Government by their strikes, helped to make his rule impossible. Papen brought his personal influence to bear on President Hindenberg. Would not after all the best solution be to placate Hitler by thrusting upon him the responsibilities and burdens of office? Hindenberg at last reluctantly consented. On January 30th, 1933, Adolf Hitler took office as Chancellor of Germany

24. Initial Success of Nazi’s • Hitler became Chancellor and Von Papen Vice-Chancellor • Only 2 of 12 Cabinet seats given to the Nazi’s though. • Wilhelm Frick became Minister of the Interior • Herman Gorring was a Minister without Portfolio, but later Minister of Prussia

25. Questionable Rise to the Top • Hindenberg thought a coalition Cabinet would keep Hitler in check • Hindenberg was wrong and within 6 months Hitler had consolidated power in the Nazi Party • Hitler was not appointed Chancellor because of an electoral result, but as the results of a constitutionally questionable deal among a small group of conservative German politicians who had given up on Parliamentary rule.

26. Consolidation of Power • Reichstag Fire of February 27th, 1933 • Blamed on a “half mad” Dutch Communist who was executed for the deed. • Nazi’s said it was part of an organized Communist Insurrection – there had been riots over unemployment • Nazi’s convinced President Hindenberg to sign a decree for the “Defense of People and State”

27. The Chancellor was thus given almost unrestricted powers to imprison any political opponent. Suspension of Civil Rights! Hitler arrested the Communists and they could not participate in the March election called by Hitler Unrestricted Powers

28. Unrestricted Powers • Supposed to only be temporary but were never relinquished by Hitler. • Used to legitimize Gestapo’s arrests • Used to confine people to concentration camps • Used to circumvent the regular judicial system

29. Political Reality • In times of economic distress and social dislocation, people often look to a demagogue to restore order and bring back stability to the regime. • In this case personal interest combined with a poor economy and allowed a person who had preached the same ideas for years to be elevated to a position that would have been out of his reach had events not combined to assist in the process.

30. March 1933 Election • In spite of Hitler’s arrest of the Communists and his powerful backers the Nazi’s did NOT gain an absolute majority in the Reichstag on March 5th • They did,however become the largest party, by far, with 43.9% of the vote and 288 seats in the Reichstag. • Communists still won 88 seats, inspite of many being arrested • Gained an absolute majority in cooperation with their partners the German Nationalist Peoples Party

32. The Enabling Act, March 23rd 1933 • Cornerstone of Nazi Dictatorship • Gave Hitler power to rule by decree for four years without the Reichstags approval • Hitler now controlled Legislative and Executive power • The necessary 2/3rds of the Reichstag members voted in favour of the law, including a few Social Democrats • Result: The Reichstag lost it’s power

34. Enabling Act • Hitler immediately abolished all other political parties • All regional and local police powers were centralized in Berlin under the Gestapo • The Reichsrat (upper house) was abolished • Centralization of all power within the state • Trade Unions were abolished • Germany was becoming a Police State • By the end of 1933 only the Churches and the army were potential rivals

35. Rise to Power • Helped by strong arming opponents • Legal – Like Mussolini:many Germans saw him as a “Savior” • Propaganda was skillfully manipulated by Goebbels who created the image of a man who : • Was without self interest-not married, but loved children • Despised wealth or class distinctions • Cared only for Germany (Patriotic)

36. Hitler’s opposition now came from within the ranks of the Nazi Party • Ernst Rohm who controlled the SA (paramilitary of more than 400,000 men) • Hitler sent his own men (SS) to arrest Rohm and his followers. • Several hundred killed including former Chancellor Schleicher’ • Purge of the Nazi Party eliminated Hitler’s personal rivals and the party’s socialist elements which were no longer necessary to gain votes. • June 30, 1934

37. Results of the Purge • Rohm is shot the next day • SA is destroyed • Five weeks later Hindenberg dies • Hitler merges the offices of Chancellor and President into one and calls himself Der Fuhrer (The Leader) • Plebiscite held soon after where 92% of the electorate voted in favour of Hitler’s actions • At this point a large portion of the German population approved of the Nazi Regime.

38. Democracy was Dead

39. Fascism • An extreme right wing, militaristic European-wide phenomenon that arose out of the social chaos resulting from the First World War • Spain: Franco • Italy: Mussolini • Germany: Hitler (Nazism)

40. Nazism • The roots of National Socialism, however, were peculiarly German, grounded, for example, in the Prussian tradition of military authoritarianism and expansion; in the German romantic tradition of hostility to rationalism, liberalism, and democracy; in various racist doctrines according to which the Nordic peoples, as so-called pure Aryans, were not only physically superior to other races, but were the carriers of a superior morality and culture; and in certain philosophical traditions that idealized the state or exalted the superior individual and exempted such a person from conventional restraints.