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Edexcel GCSE History- Weimar and Nazi Germany > Hitler's Rise to Power- shit > Flashcards

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1
Q

Where and when was Hitler born?

A

In Braunau, Austria on the 20th April 1889

2
Q

How did Hitler come to fight for Germany in World War One?

A

In 1913, Hitler moved to Munich and when war broke out he became a soldier. He was injured twice and received the Iron Cross for his bravery. According to his commander, he was brave, effective and conscientious.

3
Q

What happened imminently to Hitler after World War One?

A

He was recovering from Gas Poisoning in hospital. When he recovered, the army put him to work keeping an eye on local political activists in the area. Hitler began to attend German Workers’ Party (DAP) meetings as part of this

4
Q

How was the DAP set up?

A

It was founded in Munich, February 1919 by Anton Drexler, a railway mechanic.

5
Q

What were the first DAP meetings like?

A

The first DAP meeting, also attended by Hitler, had 23 people turn up. It took place on the 12th September 1919. At the third meeting, the treasurer announced that the total party funds sat at seven marks and 50 pfennigs.

6
Q

When and why did Hitler join the DAP?

A

Hitler joined the DAP on the 19th September 1919 as he was attracted by the party’s ideas

7
Q

What happened in January and February 1920 within the DAP?

A

In January 1920, Hitler became head of the propaganda for the party . In February, Hitler and Drexler wrote the Party’s twenty-five point program, a document explaining the policies of the DAP.

8
Q

What was the 25 point program strongly opposed to?

A
  • the Weimar Politicians
  • democracy
  • the Jews
9
Q

Within two years, Hitler had taken control of the DAP and shaped it into the Nazi party. What were the five parts to this take over?

A
  • Party policy (twenty-five point programme)
  • Hitler’s personal appeal
  • Party organisation
  • Party leadership
  • The Sturmabteilung (SA) or ‘Brownshirts’
10
Q

How did Hitler use his own appeal as an orator (public speaker) to attract support?

A

-He rehearsed his speeches carefully. They usually built tension to a frenzied rant at the end. They were very
persuasive
-He used gestures. At first, he would lean forward and fix his eyes on his audience, drawing them in. Towards the end of his speeches, his hands would wave furiously in the air
-He had publicity photos and paintings produced showing him as an orator

11
Q

What is nationalism and socialism?

A

Nationalism- A political outlook in which all policies are organised to make a nation stronger and more independent
Socialism- A political outlook which stresses that a country’s land, industries and wealth should all belong to the workers of that country

12
Q

Did Hitler’s personal appeal gain support for the DAP?

A

At the 46 party gatherings held between November 1919 and November 1920, Hitler appeared on 31 occasions as the star speaker. The DAP grew 1,000 members by June 1920 and 3,000 by the end of the 1920s.

13
Q

By 1920, Hitler was Drexler’s right hand man, what change was introduced to the DAP in January 1920?

A

The DAP set up a permanent office in Munich. Hitler chose Rudolf Schussler, a friend from the army, as the party’s first full time administrator. The party’s meetings were now better organised and advertised. Funds and memberships increased

14
Q

Why did the DAP change its name?

A

Hitler suggested a new name for the party. He thought it should be called the Nationalist, Socialist, German Worker’s Part as the two main pillars of the twenty-five point programme were nationalism and socialism. It helped clarify the party’s policy and appealed to more people. Support increased

15
Q

What made the NSDAP more distinguished from the other small nationalist parties in German politics?

A

They adopted its characteristic logo, the Swastika and its straight-armed party salute

16
Q

What did the party do in December 1920, to increase the party’s publicity?

A

It bought the Volkischer Beobachter (The People’s Observer) newspaper. It cost 180,000 marks and the initial circulation of the paper was 11,000 copies but within a year it had reached 17,000 copies. The voice of the NSDAP was now widely heard in Munich, across Bavaria and some other parts of Germany

17
Q

What happened in July 1921 within the NSDAP?

A

Hitler forced a leadership contest and defeated Drexler to become head of the party. He surrounded himself with supporters to help him lead the party

18
Q

Who were the new appointed sub-leaders for Hitler in 1921, what were they like?

A

Rudolf Hess- a wealthy academic, who became Hitler’s deputy
Hermann Goering- a young, dashing and wealthy First World War pilot
Julius Streicher- a publisher who founded another Nazi newspaper, Der Sturmer (The Stormer)
Ernst Rohm- a scar-faced, bull necked ex-army officer who was popular among ex-soldiers

Hitler also made powerful friends for the party, such as General Ludendorff, leader of the German Army during World War One

19
Q

What was Julius Streicher’s importance in the NSDAP?

A
  • He joined the party in 1922, he was ex-army and had also been awarded the iron cross. He was already a nationalist politician
  • The NSDAP doubled overnight after Streicher brought his supporters with him. It also extended the geographical appeal of the party as Streicher brought supporters from Franconia, in central Germany
  • In 1923, Der Sturmer was founded. It screamed abuse at the Jews and Communists. By 1927, it had 14,000 copies in circulation
20
Q

What were the Sturmabteilung(SA or ‘Stormtroopers)?

A

The Sturmabteilung were a paramilitary force formed in August 1921. Many of the recruits were from the unemployed and were ex-soldiers or students. They dressed in brown uniforms and were nicknamed the ‘Brownshirts’. Ernst Rohm was in charge of the SA

21
Q

What did the SA do to help the NSDAP?

A

The SA paraded in the streets as a show of force. By August 1922, they numbered about 800 and impressed people with a sense of power and organisation. At NSDAP meetings, the SA were used to control the crowds, subduing any opposition to Hitler. They were also sent to disrupt opposition meetings. Therefore, the SA strengthened the NSDAP

22
Q

How did the SA help Hitler?

A

The SA were obedient to Hitler as well as Rohm. Hitler selected trusted members of the SA to be his personal bodyguards. They were known as the Stosstrupp (Shock Troop). Hitler controlled the NSDAP like a military leader.

23
Q

What was Hitler’s control like at the NSDAP party conference in January 1922?

A

He persuaded the members to give up their right to elect a leader. There was no discussion of policy at the conference: Hitler dictated policy in a 2hrs 30mins speech.

24
Q

What were the longer term causes of the Munich Putsch which occurred in November 1923 (aka Beer Hall Putsch)?

A
  • From 1918-1923 there were a long lost of grievances such as the ‘stab in the back’, reparations and loss of Germany’s colonies which had been building up. Amongst Germans, there was a deep resentment of the Weimar Republic.
  • From 1919-1923 the NSDAP had been growing in its Munich base in Bavaria, south Germany. Bavarian state government leaders, like Gustav von Kahr, were no fans of the Weimar government. They shared some of the NSDAP’s views and turned a blind eye to the violence of the SA. By 1923, the NSDAP had 50,000 members
25
Q

What were the medium-term causes of the Munich Putsch?

A
  • From 1921-1922, Hitler and the NSDAP were heavily influenced by the far-right fascist group in Italy, led by Mussolini.
  • Their salute and flag was modelled by the Italian Fascists.
  • In 1922, Mussolini led his paramilitary forces in a ‘march on Rome’ forcing the democratic government of Italy to accept him as their leader
26
Q

What were the short-term causes of the Munich Putsch?

A
  • Hyperinflation made buying things almost impossible, people’s savings were useless
  • The 1923 French invasion of the German industrial area of the Ruhr caused the arresting, imprisonment and deportation of some workers.
  • German people were bitterly aggrieved by these events. The Weimar Republic seemed weak and unable to solve problems. It was time to exploit the grievances,
27
Q

What was occurring on the evening of the 8th November, 1923 in the Beer Hall , in Munich?

A

Bavarian government officials were meeting, Gustav von Kahr was the main speaker and others included von Seisser (head of Bavarian police) and von Lossow (head of the German Army in Bavaria).
Hitler then burst in, supported by 600 members of the SA. He shot the ceiling and declared he would take over Bavaria and then Germany. Ludendorff, would become the leader of the German Army

28
Q

What did Hitler demand Kahr, Seisser and Lossow do in the Burgerbrau Keller?

A

At gunpoint, he demanded they all should support him. Being overpowered, they reluctantly shook hands. Meanwhile, Rohm and his SA took over the local poice and army headquarters

29
Q

What mistake did Hitler and Ludendorff make during the Munich Putsch?

A

They failed to take over the army barracks who remained loyal to the Government and Ludendorff released Kahr, Seisser and Lossow. They also expected lots of support from local people and officials but they were to be disappointed

30
Q

What happened in the lead up to the events that ensued in the main square in Munich 1923?

A
  • At 5 am Hitler and his supporters gathered to launch their attack on the streets of Munich
  • After much hesitation, at Midday, Hitler continued with his revolt with the support of 1000 SA and 2000 volunteer supporters
  • They robbed two local Jewish banks to pay the supporters. Together, Hitler, Ludendorff, Goering, Rohm and Streicher and their followers all marched on the town centre
31
Q

What happened in the main square with Hiter, Ludendorff and his Shock Troops in the Munisch Putsch?

A

They were met by state police. The rebels pressed pistols onto the policemen’s chests, spat on them and pointed bayonets at the them. Then someone, opened fire and chaos broke loose. Graf, Hitler’s Bodyguard threw himself in front of Hitler and was wounded by 6 bullets. Goering was shot in the thigh and Hitler was dragged to the ground by his bodyguards with such force so that he dislocated his arm. In moments, 14 of Hitler’s supporters were dead and so were 4 policemen

32
Q

What happened after the initial moments (ie. Death of 4 policemen and 14 supporters) of the Munich putsch?

A
  • Most the rebels scrambled for refuge, one group entered a girls school and hid under a bed
  • Ludendorff, Rohm and Streicher were all arrested. Goering was spirited away by supporters and went into hiding abroad
  • Hitler fled in a car, then hid at his friend’s house, Ernst Hanfstaengl, ten miles south of Munich. He was later found hiding in a wardrobe and was arrested on the 11th November
33
Q

What happened as a result of the failed Munich Putsch?

A
  • The main NSDAP leaders were put on trial: Ludendorff was found not guilty by support of judge but Hitler and three others were sentenced to fice years in Landsberg prison
  • The NSDAP was banned
34
Q

What did Hitler do after his imprisonment sentence and the Munich Putsch?

A
  • He realised he needed a new strategy to gain support. He needed nationwide support through ‘hated democracy’
  • He used his time in prison to write Mein Kampf (My Struggles) which contained his political ideals and inspiration for all to read
  • He used his trial to get publicity for his views
35
Q

Who wrote Mein Kampf whilst Hitler was in Landsberg prison?

A

Rudolf Hess who was dictated to by Hitler. Hess became deputy leader of the Nazi Party later on

36
Q

Mein Kampf is a key source of information about the political beliefs of Hitler and the Nazi Party. What were these key beliefs?

A
  • Hitler believed the German Race (Aryans) were destined to rule the world
  • Jews were weakening the Aryan race(intermarriage, industry and politics) and were conspiring against them
  • Nationalism and Lebensraum
  • Socialism (wealth of industry and land)
  • Totalitarianism
  • Traditional German values
37
Q

When did Hitler come out of prison and what happened to the banned Nazi party?

A
  • Hitler came out of prison after nine months on December 20th 1924
  • The ban on the NSDAP was lifted on February 16th 1925 and the party met 11 days later
38
Q

What/where were the main changes that were made to the Nazi party to make them better organised?

A
  • Organisation
  • Personnel
  • Paramilitary Groups
  • Finances
  • Hitler himself
39
Q

What were two large roles appointed to make sure the Nazi party was better organised and well financed?

A
  • Party Secretary appointed (Philipp Bouhler)

- Party Treasurer appointed (Franz Schwarz)

40
Q

How was the party (logistically speaking) changed?

A

It was now organised like a mini state, with Hitler as leader and departments for all aspects of government

41
Q

What did Hitler divide Germany up into to improve support via targeted aims?

A

He split Germany up into 35 regions or Gaue, one for each Weimar constituency. Each Gau had a leader called a Gauleiter.

42
Q

Who were two prominent Gauleiters and in which Gau did they lead?

A

Gregor Strasser - Powerful in the North of Germany

Joseph Goebbels - Promincence in Rhineland

43
Q

How did Hitler pay for all the new improvements to the Nazi party?

A

He overhauled finances. He raised money from wealthy industrialists (nationalists) and hoped they would be powerful enough to control trade unions. The party even received big loans from Thyssen, Krupp and Bosch

44
Q

What were the SA like after Hitler came out of prison?

A

They had grown to 400,000 strong by 1930 but the Putsch proved they weren’t totally loyal. Many stormtroopers were violent thugs and difficult to control, and Ernst Rohm was their leader

45
Q

How did Hitler combat the issue of the SA in 1925?

A
  • He replaced himself as leader of the SA and Rohm was forced to work abroad
  • He set up the Schutzstaffel (Protection squad) or SS which contained specially selected men who Hitler could trust to be his bodyguards
46
Q

Who were the SS controlled by?

A

They were originally controlled by Hitler’s chauffeur and bodyguard, Julius Streck but were later put under the control of Heinrich Himmler

47
Q

What influence did Himmler have on the SS?

A

He expanded the SS to 3,000 members by 1930 and made them famous and feared. Black uniforms were introduced to the SS in 1932 which made them even more menacing

48
Q

What did the Nazis do regarding people who didn’t fit into the SA (ie Women and youth)?

A

They made groups and associations for them:

  • The German Women’s Order
  • National Socialist German Students League
  • Hitler Youth
  • School pupils league
49
Q

What divide started to appear with the Gauleiters in 1926?

A

Some party activists such as Strasser and Goebbels emphasised the socialist side of the Nazis as they were based in northern, urban and industrial areas.
However, others like Hitler stressed the Nationalist side of the party more

50
Q

How did Hitler address the party/ gauleiter divide in 1926?

A

Hitler called a national party conferencee in Bamberg, Bavaria (southern majority)

51
Q

What happened at the Bamberg conference?

A
  • Northern leaders put their views forward
  • Hitler put his views forward and spoke for five hours. Most of his speech had a go at the socialists, claiming they were communists
  • Goebbels then switched to Hitler’s side, leaving Strasser to call him a “scheming dwarf”
52
Q

What happened to Goebbels and Strasser after the Bamberg conference?

A

Goebbels was promoted to Gauleiter of Berlin as a reward. Strasser pledged his loyalty to Hitler but was murdered in 1934 due to a nazi clear out.

53
Q

What were the reasons for limited Nazi support between 1923-1929 despite increasing member numbers to 100,000?

A
  • Dawes and Young Plan brought about economic stability, inflation eased, employment increased, SPD won 30% of vote as there was no need for extremism
  • Germany had more world status (Locarno pact and LON and Kellogg-Briand pact). The NSDAP weren’t needed
  • Hindenburg was president which increased support for the Republic massively
  • Nazis only won 1% of votes in Berlin because there was no need for them
54
Q

When did the economic depression hit?

A

October 1929 (After Stresemann’s death on the 3rd)

55
Q

What caused the economic depression?

A

The Wall Street Crash

56
Q

How did Wall Street “crash”?

A
  • Falling shares meant people’s investments fell in value
  • People rushed to sell shares before the value of shares fell any further
  • On ‘Black Thursday’(24th October 1929), 13 million shares were sold. Panic selling sent prices down even further

Investors had lost $4,000 million within a week

57
Q

How were German banks affected by the Wall Street Crash?

A

Banks were major investors on the US stock exchange so suffered huge losses

58
Q

What did the German people do in response to the Bank’s heavy losses after the Wall Street Crash?

A

They feared they wouldn’t have access to money in their bank accounts so everyone rushed to remove all their money out the banks, leaving some banks to run out of cash like the German Civil Servant Bank which went bust in 1929

59
Q

What did the collapse of German banking in 1929 mean in regards to industry?

A

It meant businesses in industry and agriculture were demanded to give back the money from their loans so the banks had some cash to pay out account holders. As a result, German insustries and farms had to cut back production or even close down completely

60
Q

Why were so may people made unemployed as a result of the economic and industrial situation in Germany 1929?

A
  • Industries and farms scaled back which made workers unemployed
  • Foreign dealing companies had less business so more workers were made unemployed
  • Unemployed Germans were poorer so company sales plummeted and even more people were made unemployed
61
Q

What was the fall in industrial output between 1929 and 1932?

A

40%

62
Q

What was the official unemployment figure in September 1929 and January 1933?

A

1.3 million(1929) to 6.1 million(1933).

In 1933 40% of all factory workers, 50% of all Germans between 16-30 and 60% of university graduates were unemployed

63
Q

How did the unemployed suffer from the high unemployment rates post 1929?

A

Government became unable to pay unemployment benefits as so many people were unemployed. Taxes were raised and benefits cut causing even more sufferance and problems

64
Q

How did the savers suffer from the high unemployment rates post 1929?

A

Some people had their savings invested in shares. When the share prices crashed, the value of their savings crashed too. They had no savings to fall back on

65
Q

How did the workers suffer from high unemployment rates post 1929?

A

Those in work suffered from high taxes and cut wages. Real wages of 1932 were 70% of 1928 levels

66
Q

How did the homeless suffer from high unemployment rates post 1929?

A

Problematic shanty towns were set up and the homeless wandered the streets aimlessly looking for food or work. This boredom turned to violence and fights broke out on the streets between police and roaming bands of men. There was an increase of 24% for thefts in Berlin

67
Q

What was Bruning’s response to deal with unemployment (chancellor between 1930 and 1932)?

A

He proposed higher taxes for unemployment benefits but then put fixed time limits on the benefits to make them more affordable

68
Q

Were Bruning’s policies regarding unemployment favoured?

A

No, right wing parties, middle classes and wealthy opposed higher taxes while left wing parties and working classes opposed reduced benefits. Importantly, leader of the SPD, Hermann Muller refused to support these policies.

69
Q

What was the vote result on Bruning’s unemployment policies in July 1930?

A

256 votes to 196 vetoed the policies going ahead

70
Q

How often did the Reichstag meet in 1930, 1931 and 1932?

A

1930-94
1931-41
1932-13

71
Q

How many presidential decrees were passed in 1930, 1931 and 1932?

A

1930-5
1931-44
1932-66

72
Q

When did Bruning resign after he had lost control of the Reichstag?

A

May 1932

73
Q

How many seats did the SPD, NSDAP, KPD gain in the May 1928, September 1930 and July 1932 elections?

A

SPD- 152, 142, 133
NSDAP- 12,107,230
KPD- 54,77,89

74
Q

How large was the KPD by 1932?

A

They had 15% of the votes in Elections and were the largest communist party in the world outside of the Soviet Union

75
Q

What were the two main reasons which caused a growth in support for the KPD up to 1932?

A

Growing unemployment- reached 5 million by 1932

Falling wages- real wages in 1932 were about 15% lower than in 1928

76
Q

Why did the Nazi party grow at a faster rate than the communists after 1928?

A

Due to concern from middle and upper classes regarding a possible communist government when support towards it increased

77
Q

Why did people support the Nazi party between 1929-1933?

A
  • Fear of communism
  • Hitler’s appeal
  • The SA
  • Unity
  • Appeal to sections of society
78
Q

How did Hitler’s personal appeal grant the Nazis more support from 1929-1933?

A
  • The Weimar was weak and Hitler looked like a strong leader
  • Hitler promised law and order
  • Hitler promised to force other countries to scrap the Treaty of Versailles and treat the German people fairly
79
Q

How popular was Hitler around the 1930 and 1932 elections? Why?

A

He was very popular because:

  • spoke across the country
  • featured on many posters
  • took advantage of aeroplane whirlwind campaigning
80
Q

How did the SA help increase support of the Nazi party from 1929-1933?

A
  • Uniformed SA made Nazis seem organised, disciplined and reliable
  • Looked strong enough to handle unrest and stand up to foreign powers
  • The SA were able to disrupt opposition parties and their chances of gaining support, tore posters, intimidated candidates, broke into offices and disrupted rallies
81
Q

What was the strength difference between the RFF and SA by 1932?

A

The RFF had 130,000 members by 1932 whereas the SA had 400,000

82
Q

What sections of society were tailored for by the Nazi party between 1929 and 1933?

A

Big businesses, working-class, middle-class, farmers, young people and women

83
Q

What did the Nazis do to appeal to the big businesses (1919-1933)?

A

Hitler persuaded wealthy businessmen that the Nazi party was the best hope of protection from the rise of the communists

84
Q

What did support from big businessmen mean for the Nazi party?

A

Nazi finances benefitted and so did propaganda. Businesses like Krupps and Benz poured money into the party whilst Alfred Hugenberg, newspaper tycoon and cinema chain owner, allowed Goebbels to use the cinemas and newspapers for Nazi propaganda against the communists

85
Q

What did the Nazis do to appeal to the working-class (1929-1933)?

A

They tried to seem like a party of the German Working classes. They supported traditional German values and aimed to create a stronger Germany (common interests with workers). Nazi posters also promised “Work and Bread” on their posters

86
Q

Did the Nazis get more working class support than the communists?

A

No they did not, only 270,000 workers joined the party but this was still growth despite never dominating working class vote

87
Q

Why did the middle-class turn their support to the Nazi party between 1929-1933?

A
  • The Great depression hurt middle classes, companies were lost as were savings and pensions. Hitler seemed like a strong leader who could help the country recover
  • Nazis seemed like a strong party who could protect their assets from the growing Communists
  • Middle-classes believed there had been a moral decline (more drinking and sexual openness) under the Weimar and saw the Nazis as a return to traditional values
88
Q

How did the Nazis get the farmers to support them? (1929-1933)

A

They changed their policy which stated all private land would be confiscated and changed it to confiscation of private land if owned by Jews. This reassured farmers and they hoped Hitler would also protect them from the Communist party confiscating their land

89
Q

How strong was the support for the Nazis from the Farmers after the Wall Street Crash?

A

Strong indeed- in the 1930 elections, the Nazis gained 60% of the votes in some rural areas

90
Q

How did the Nazi party appeal to young people during the period of 1929-1933?

A

The party seemed exciting, the rallies were colourful and full of atmosphere and organised. The SA appealed to young men, Hitler’s speeches were stirring and promised the youth greater importance than the traditional parties.

91
Q

Did young people join the Nazi party after 1929?

A

They did - the 720, 000 new members of the party included 43% of people aged 18-30

92
Q

What did the Nazi’s claim in order to gain more support from women who didn’t tend to favour their traditional policies about them? (1929-1933)

A

They claimed voting for the NSDAP was best for their country and their families

93
Q

How did Hitler build a sense of unity to increase support for the Nazis? (1929-1933)

A

He appealed to both the whole nation and groups with the stressing of German values, superiority, pride, togetherness and lack of recognition of classes and hierarchy. Building a sense of volksgemeinschaft