National Studies GERMANY 1918 – 1939 Nazism in Power Hitler’s Role

1. National StudiesGERMANY 1918 – 1939Nazism in PowerHitler’s Role By S. Angelo Head Teacher History East Hills Girls Technology High School 2009

2. Where did power lie in the 3rd Reich? • How powerful was Hitler? • Relationship with German people • All powerful because he represents the will of the people (Huber, 1935; Frank, 1938)

3. Ian Kershaw: The Hitler Myth • Effects??? • Hitler’s personal popularity • 90% in late 1930s • Sustained Nazi regime • Inherent instability • Military failures led to a declining belief in myth What was it? * carefully cultivated image personified nation unselfish understood German people architect of Germany’s economic recovery represented popular justice defended Germany against enemies responsible for major successes • Why did it develop and gain credence? • Reaction to Weimar • Satisfied German emotional need for strong gov’t • Reinforced authoritarian leadership tradition • Developed from Nazi Fuhrerprinzip • Sustained by Hitler’s successes • Enhanced by propaganda

4. What role did Hitler play in decision making in the Nazi regime? • Leader principle = Fuhrerprinzip • Führer und Reichskanzler • Total authority Mein Kampf VolkischerBeobachter • Haphazard, unbureaucratic approach • Spent much of his time in Berchtesgaden in the Berghof • Peterson: The Limits of Hitler’s Power • The man who does not decide – surrounded by an anthill of aspiring and fearing people trying to please “the great one” • Regime divided into thousands of little empires of ambitious men, domains largely unchecked by law • Dietrich: Twelve Years with Hitler (memoirs) • Hitler produced the biggest confusion in government that ever existed in a civilized state • He systematically disorganised the upper echelons of the Reich leadership in order to develop and further the authority of his own will until it became a despotic tyranny

5. The operation of Hitler’s government

6. Why were Nazi policies implemented?

8. Was Hitler an all-powerful dictator? View 1: Tradition (Rich, Bracher) View 2: Revisionist (Mommsen) • Hitler is a weak dictator • Not very involved in most gov’t directives • Allows others to decide • Unwilling to make decisions • Hitler makes all the decisions • He is a strong leader • View 3: Complex picture (Kershaw) • Key activator • Policy reflects Hitler’s vision • No effective opposition to his will • Mobiliser, legitimiser of policies, does not initiate many policies

9. Decision Making in the 3rd Reich 1935 Nuremburg Laws Kristallnacht 1938 1938 anti-Semitic violence erupted on the streets again 8/11/1938 a Polish Jew assassinates a Nazi official in Paris Goebbels suggests to Hitler that the anti-Semitic violence should increase Hitler assents Kristallnacht was the result • Anti-Semitic views of Hitler • Few moves against Jews until 1935 with SA attacks • Hitler intervenes in the dispute between radicals an moderates on the Jewish question • Anti-Semitic Nuremburg speech • This led to the hastily written Nuremburg laws passed in 1936 • Hitler also intervened to stop street violence against Jews for the Olympics in 1936

10. Radicalisation of 3rd Reich Lack of formal restraints Hitler’s popularity Successful policies Successful propaganda Shifts responsibility for failures and less savoury aspects onto others • Collective system of government decays • Institutional constraints have been removed

11. Traditional Power Structures?? Reichstag Cabinet Retained but lost purpose Had legislative power but laws really issued by Hitler Reich Chancellery drew up laws • Enabling Act • Legislative power given to Hitler • Renewed every 4 years • Reichstag rarely met • Civil Service • Traditionally conservative • committed to serving the state • Transferred happily to the 3rd Reich • compulsory membership of the Nazi Party 1939 • Wearing of uniform 1939 • Lost influence by end of 1930s • Reich Chancellery • headed by Lammers • Roles expanded • Responsible for co-ordinating responses of departments to new legislation • Bureaucratic centre • New Party & state sections created

12. Local Government Courts & Legal System Franz Gurtner – non-Nazi Justice Minister 1933 – 1941 Supported authoritarian state operating within the law Nazi ideas penetrated SS& Gestapo gain power People’s Court and Special Courts – March 1933 • Taken over by Nazi appointed officials • Agents of central government • Gauleiter held power Army Hitler weakened the SA Personal Oath sworn to Hitler Army could pose a potential danger Generally co-operated and was left structurally unchanged until 1938 Army policies changed to reflect Nazi policies Hitler took direct command in 1938 Foreign Office Remained largely intact Konstantin von Neurath Foreign Minister to 1938 Foreign policy taken over by Goering, Goebbels, Ribbentrop, special missions Became more nazified

13. Role of the Nazi Party Gauleiter • Regional party leaders • Karl Hanke – Lower Silesia • Kark Kaufmann – Hamburg • Fritz Sauckel – Thuringia • Gau = Reichstag electoral district • Gauleiter = Reich Governor • Ensure people in his district “toe the line” • Ran a hierarchical party machine

14. Illustration showing Nazi Organisation

15. Key Leaders Rudolf Hess Sycophant or flatterer Deputy Fuhrer Martin Bormann Hitler’s Fixer Hitler’s secretary Head of Party Chancellery Hans Heinrich Lammers The Bureaucrat Chief of the Reich Chancellery