Hitler

Question 1

Hitler’s changes to the german workers party?

Answer 1

proposed the 25 point program at a conference during his service as minister of propaganda - Lebensraum: unition of all german speakers under one state
Social darwinism; superiority of the aryan race
refuse the treaty of versailles
Autarky: independence and self-sufficiency of the german state
anti-communist to attract middle class and businesses
authoritarian nationalist stance to attract critics of the Versailles treaty

Distinctive branding - swastika emblem
change of name to NSDAP from DAP

Question 2

When does hitler join the party and what is it called then?

Answer 2

1919 - Hitler joins the DAP

Question 3

Growth of membership?

Answer 3

1100 by the end of 1920

Question 4

What does the party do at the end of 1920?

Answer 4

they buy a newspaper called the People’s observer, which is increasingly anti-semitic after its acquisition by the party

Question 5

What is Hitler’s role in the party between 1920-22?

Answer 5

in charge of propaganda

Question 6

Developments in the party in 1921?

Answer 6

Drexler was ousted - Hitler became leader and surrounded himself with loyals; Goering, Hess, Rohm
arm salute and swastika introduced by Hitler
Hitler sets up the SA which attracts ex-soldiers and Freikorps - SA disrupt meetings of opposing parties and intimidate the people into supporting the party

Question 7

Cause 1 for the munich putsch?

Answer 7

Many germans resented over the “stab in the back”, germany’s reparation obligations in the Treaty of Versailles and the ‘fulfillment’ policy, loss of colonies.

Question 8

Events of the munich putsch?

Answer 8

8 Nov 1923: SA storm beer hall - Kahr(Bavarian PM) and Lossow(head of wehrmacht(a nationalist party) in bavaria) forced to pledge their allegiance to Hitler and the Putsch - leave beer hall and warn the government, nreaking their oath to Hitler.
9 Nov: President Ebert declares emergency and tasks Lossow with suppressing the uprising.
2000 nazis march into munich - police fires and 14 nazis killed
11 Nov: hitler arrested in hide away

Question 9

Effects of the munich putsch?

Answer 9

hitler uses his trial as a platform to spread his ideology - as a great orator, hitler impresses the court and gains popularity.
Hitler is found guilty and is sentenced to 5 years in Landsberg, but only serves 9 months.
In prision, Hitler wrote mein Kampf and sold over 100 thousand.
Hitler came to the realisation that he needed to reorganize the party and become a parliamentary instead of revolutionary –> led to growth in popularity
Ban on the NSDAP

Question 10

reorganisation of the party?

Answer 10

relaunchment of the party in 1925 after the ban on the NSDAP is lifted - attended by 4000 sup.
establishes beliefs affirmed in mein Kampf such as lebensraum and social darwinism in the party
Organised germany in 34 districts and appointed a leading nazi to each
Party conference in Bamberg in 1926 - hitler reaffirmed as leader, readoption of the 25 point program
Indoctrination of the youth - hitler youth
focus on gaining the support of farmers - agricultural industry was suffering –> 18% of votes in rural areas, only 1% in urban(Berlin and Ruhr)

Question 11

Effects of the hyperinflation?

Answer 11

1924 - Germany was still recovering from the hyperinflation crisis and the invasion of the ruhr, thus support for the nazis was high and culminated in the NSDAP winning 32 seats.
1928 - period of prosperity caused the decline in seats won to 12
1929 - Great depression
US recalled its loans to Germany - state of crisis once again –> NSDAP membership grew to 100 thousand

Question 12

Great depression link to germany?

Answer 12

US economy crashed - loans issued to germany were recalled –> crisis in Germany
Businesses closed, yet unemployment benefits were cut –> suffering, decline in prosperity

Question 13

Effects of Great Depression of 1929 on Germany?

Answer 13

50% of people aged 16-30 unemployed, even ones with a good level of education(university degree) could not find work
4/10 factory workers were out of a job
Farmers had already been struggling since the mid-1920s because the price of their goods were falling ++> farmers were in debt –> economic problems in rural areas led to the popularity of the nazi party soaring
SPD(socialist) leader resigned and Brunning became chancellor and invoked Article 48, cut welfare and increased taxes –> Nazis won 107 seats compared to the communists’ 77

Question 14

Methods of the NSDAP to win support?

Answer 14

Hitler was presented as a strong leader and persuaded masses with his personal style and great oration skills + hitler used slogans like ‘make Germany strong’ and claimed he as a the strong leader needed was germany’s last hope
Krupps and Siemens (large businesses) funded NSDAP in fear of the communists
SA were strengthened - 400 thousand members –> disrupted opposition meetings and intimidated voters at the polling stations
Nazis owned 8 newspapers
Nazi ideology was kept vague and flexible to appeal to as many groups as possible

Question 15

‘miscalculation of others’?

Answer 15

–Nazis had 230 seats, but Hindenburg beat Hitler to president, brunning tried to ban SA and SS and got removed by Von Schleicher who was an army general at the time.
Von Schleicher wanted to assume power with figurehead von Papen as chancellor - Hitler was given a place in the coalition –> Hitler argued he should be chancellor, so von papen held another election and nazis won 190 seats which was still the most in the reichstag, thus von papen had to resign.
Businessmen wrote to hindenburg requesting hitler to be appointed as chancellor however von schleicher was appointed.
Von schleicher lost support from the reichstag since he wanted a military dictatorship and was dismissed.
Von papen was still eager for power; he came from an aristocratic background but lacked a majority in the reichstag, so he aimed to ‘tame’ Hitler in order to gain the Nazis’ support who had won 230 seats in the reichstag at the time.
Von papen convinced Hindenburg to make him vice chancellor to Hitler.
Hitler felt his influence was restrained since there were only 2 nazis in the cabinet and 1/3 in the reichstag.

Question 16

measures against the north-south conflict in 1926?

Answer 16

National HQ was created in munich
division of germany into 34 districts(“Gau”) and appointment of a leading nazi to each
Bamberg conference in 1926 - pressured the northern faction to adhere to the leadership of munich and reaffirmance of hitler as the true leader

Question 17

Reichstag fire date?

Answer 17

27 feb 1933

Question 18

What was the reichstag fire?

Answer 18

Fire at the reichstag building home to the german parliament and is blamed on communists since a dutch communist individual was in the building –> not entirely backed by evidence.

Question 19

Consequences of the reichstag fire in advantage of hitler?

Answer 19

1. Hitler used the fire to his advantage –> imprisoned 4000 communists which stalled the campaigning prior to the march elections.
   2.He declared that the country was in danger from the communists which encouraged many to vote for nazis since they were anti-communist.
   +Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to invoke article 48 which resulted in newspapers being censored, eavesdropping on phone calls and letters, and granted police power to imprison without trial –> seen as the start of the end of democracy in germany
   ultimately created the conditions for an election in favor of the nazis scheduled to be held 6 days after the fire

Question 20

Function of SA after the reichstag fire?

Answer 20

Goering replaced police members with party members + 50000 SA recruited as ‘police auxiliaries’.
These ‘police’ units broke up party meetings and deported thousands of communists to camps

Question 21

Results of march 1933 elections?

Answer 21

Hitler only gained 288 of the 647 seats but managed to legalize the Enabling Act which allowed him to pass laws without the need of approval by the reichstag by banning all 81 communist MPs and allying with the nationalist –> this practically ended the weimar democracy

Question 22

Events after the Enabling bill?

Answer 22

31 march: all 18 state parliaments closed
2 may: trade union offices are stormed by the nazis and banned
July: Hitler bans all other parties
January 1934: state parliaments are completely abolished

Question 23

Causes of the night of the long knives?

Answer 23

SA had 2 million members in 34 districts and wanted to assume even more power in the state; Rohm was seen as a potential rival due to his increasing prominence.
SA members were badly disciplined and were an embarrassment to the party.
Heinrich Himmler, leader of the SS wanted them gone.
Rohm was a socialist and an open homosexual.

Influence of SA on the Reichswehr was alarming ++> Treaty of Versailles limited the army to only 100,000 strong, yet the army leaders were still influential –> Hitler wanted to rearm and increase the size of its army
SA instead had other endeavors; they wanted to replace the army ++> SA began stopping army convoys and confiscating weapons
++> Hitler was very alarmed and had to take action

Question 24

Events of the night of the long knives?

Answer 24

Hitler ordered SS guards to arrest 200 SA officers and take them to munich for their execution. Rohm killed –> established the authoritarian character and deterred all potential future opposition.

Question 25

Policies to reduce unemployment?

Answer 25

Doubled spending on public works
Exclusion of women and minorities from unemployment rate to make it seem like an ‘economic miracle’
constitutionalisation of the mandatory civil and military service which made the army 1.4 million strong in 1935 –> increase in the spending on arms from 2 million in 1933 to 17 million in 1937
National labour service(RAD) set up schemes for unemployed men to do the manual labour such as building the Autobahn.
unemployment went from 6 million in 1933 to 300 thousand in january 39.

Question 26

Policies affecting working condition?

Answer 26

German labour front (DAF) - replaced trade unions:
‘Strength through Joy’(KDF) - gave rewards to hardest working workers: cruises, cinema tickets, etc
organised leisure activities and incentivized vacations for workers –> trip to the Canary Islands only cost 62 and a trip to the Alps 155 marks for a german worker.
responsible for volkswagen and the beetle
Beauty of Labour - improving working conditions

Question 27

key ideas of mein kampf?

Answer 27

the german race will rule the workd because they are superior
the jews are leading a conspiracy to undermine the aryans
jews want to weaken the aryan race by intermarriage
jews are taking over businesses and moderate political groups
the treaty of versailles must be undone
Lebensraum is needed so that the aryan population can expand
germany must invade russian land to the east of germany, to drive out the communist threat
germany’s wealth must benefit working people, not the rich
democracy is weak: germany needs a strong leader who can organise everything for the benefit of the people

Question 28

limited support for nazis from 1923-1929?

Question 29

What was the Night of the Long Knives?

Answer 29

Purge of the SA executives by the SS upon Hitler’s order - Hitler, fearing the SA whom were planning a “second revolution” in which they aimed to claim power in the state and impose their more socialist ideas by merging the SA troops with the Reichswehr in a form of militia, ordered his SS guards to eliminate the SA executives including its leader Ernst Rohm; officially less than 100 were killed.
This event established Hitler’s absolute authoritarian character.

Question 30

Methods of Nazi control?

Answer 30

police state, propaganda, censorship

Question 31

what was rationing?

Question 32

when was the night of the long knives

Answer 32

june 1934

Question 33

when was the enabling bill passed

Answer 33

march 1933

Question 34

what was the enabling bill

Answer 34

the enabling bill was

Question 35

when was article 48 giving emergency powers invoked and what did it enable?

Answer 35

28 feb 1933 - article 48 invoked following the reichstag fire
it gave police the power to imprison anyone without trial + search homes + ban party meetings
emergency powers given to hitler also allowed him to ban the communist party from the reichstag, which gave him 2/3 of reichstag he needed to pass enabling act which allowed him to pass laws without approval of the reichstag