Key Question 3: The Changing Fortunes of the Nazi Party (1924-1933) Flashcards
(32 cards)
1
Q
Basics on Hitler’s Early Life
A
- Born in Brahnau-am-inn (1889) during the Austro-Hungarian empire
- moved to Vienna in 1907
- failed to get into art school
- 6 years was poor and homeless
- Joined Bavarian Regiment on the outbreak of war
- awarded the Iron Cross twice
2
Q
What was Hitler’s main ideas for National Socialism?
A
- Fervent German nationalists
- support of authoritarianism, opposition to democracy and socialism
- racially inspired view of society - anti-semitism and veneration of a master aryan race
3
Q
How did Hitler come in contact with the German Workers Party?
A
- he was deployed as a spy for Bavarian intelligence
- German workers party fit his ideals of nationalism, antisemitism and anti communist
- he started making propaganda for the group to gain more followers
- Anton Drexler and Hitler drew up the 25 - point plan in Feb 1920
- changed DAP to NSDAP/NAZI
4
Q
Key Points from the 25 - Point Plan
A
(1) Demand of all Germans union on right of national self-determination
(4) Only members of nation may be citizens of state = only German Blood
(25) Creation of strong central power of Reich
5
Q
How did Hitler Help the German workers Party to gain more followers?
A
Increased them to 3,300 and encouraged creation of armed squads to protect party meetings - SA and he created propaganda techniques such as the Nazi salute, uniform, etc
6
Q
Key words to use (In German)
A
- Lebensraum = more living space for Germany
- Vaksgemeinschaft = people’s community
7
Q
When Hitler was starting to gain more power what did people do?
A
- Drexler and other members tried to eliminate Hitler as he was growing too powerful
- Hitler was the most influential speaker so to retaliate he resigned - manipulating
- he was invited back and Drexler reigned therefore Hitler became chairman and Fuhrer of the party
8
Q
Hitler wanted to control other right wing parties, why?
A
- To increase overall strength
- Happened between 1921-1930
1) SA was set up 1921 led by Ernst Rohm
2) Volkischer Beobalhter established 1921 - ‘peoples observer’ (newspaper)
3) Backing of Julies Streicher in 1922 - Der Stilmer - newspaper/magazine (antisemitism and violent/sexual)
4) Won Support of Hermann Goring in 1922 - helped with social contacts
9
Q
By 1923 how many members did the Nazi Party have?
A
- 20,000 extreme right of Bavaria - but difficult to control all political groups
- very much a fringe party - limited to Bavaria
10
Q
The Beer Hall Putsch 1923
A
- based around Mussolini on October 1922
- German Mussolini is Hitler
- encouraged Hitler to seize power but Nazi Party was too weak to take over - to stir the masses
- need for allies leading Hitler to negotiate with Kahr and state gov and Von Lossow
- ‘National Revolution’ forced support
- aimed to mobilise military forces by closing in on Berlin to seize power
- March on Berlin like the march on Rome
11
Q
The Beer Hall Putsch 1923: Why was it doomed?
A
- Hitler overestimated level of public support - hyperinflation effected morale
- lack of real planning
- relied heavily on promises from Ludendorff
- fearing failure Kahr and Lossow held back
- only had 2,000 SA men, no real backing
12
Q
The Beer Hall Putsch 1923: Causes
A
- based on Mussolini march on Rome (1922)
- used support from Von Ludendorff, Kahr and Lossow
- Treaty of Versailles
- hyperinflation
13
Q
The Beer Hall Putsch 1923: Consequences
A
- instantly shut down
- 14 nazis killed
- Kahr and Lossow informed police
- Ludendorff got off free
- Hitler was sent to prison for 10 months
- wrote Mein Kampf
- NSADP was banned
14
Q
The Beer Hall Putsch 1923: Overall
A
- turned trial into propaganda as judges were bias
- made himself a national figure
- gained new political strategy
- won right wing nationalists ‘had courage to act’
15
Q
Where did the main Ideas of the Nazis’ come from?
A
Mein Kampf became the bible of national socialism, 25 -point plan of 1920 provides frame work for Hitler’s ideology
16
Q
Nazi Ideology: Racism Beliefs
A
- shaped by social Darwinism “only the best evolve”
- master race was the aryan race - Herrenvolk
- in Mein Kampf he states ‘adulteration of blood and racial deterioration conditioned thereby are the only cause that account for decline of ancient civilisation’
- pure racial blood/racial self-preservation
(4) Only members of nation are citizens. German blood only
(6) Right of voting only allowed to German people of the state
17
Q
Nazi Ideology: Anti-democracy Beliefs
A
- Hitler wanted to run Germany a strong dictational gov as parliamentary democracy was weak
- Hitler saw Weimar gov as a betrayal, it was the democratic and socialist politician of 1918, ‘November criminals’, who stabbed Germany in the back
- Nazi democracy wanted one - party state that would be won on Frehrerprinzip - rejected liberal values/representative government
(6) Right to vote is enjoyed by citizens of the state
(23) legal battle against art/literature, harmful influence
18
Q
Nazi Ideology: Nationalism Beliefs
A
- lebensraum for Germany a super power competing with British Empire/USA, objective against could be achieved only by territorial expansion on a grand scale
- he desperately wanted to overturn Treaty of Versailles
- he wanted to create Reich
(3) Demanded land and territory
(2) abolish peace treaties, equality for rights of German people
19
Q
Nazi Ideology: Socialism Beliefs
A
- elements of socialism in early Nazi party were insurance for old age
- Volksegemeinschaft = people’s community
- it was authoritarian system
(14) we demand profit sharing in industries
(22) abolishing of army and replacing with a people’s army
20
Q
What’s the actual truth behind Nazi Ideology?
A
- not an ideology more of stealing from other religions and ideologies
- originally was very intellectually superficial and simplistic
- ideas grew out of age of enlightenment and spirit of German romanticism
- nazism was current in political circles. It was found in the cheap/vulagr pamphlets sold to masses
- too easy to emphasise elements that prove the linkage theory, whilst ignoring the host of other evidence pointing to different views
21
Q
Nazi Fortunes in the 1920s
A
- Hitler left prison in 1924 but Nazi members were split into factions and memberships was in decline
- party was officially re-established on 27 February 1925
- Hitler was ‘a new beginning’ in the Nazi magazine
22
Q
What was the new strategy of the Nazi Party?
A
- he wanted to establish his own control over the party
- his new plan was to work within the Weimar government and gain power by legal means - the new party structure gained success in the election “we shall have to hold our noses and enter the Reichstag against Catholic and Marxist deputies”
23
Q
Why was the Nazi Party divided?
A
- not everyone agreed with the new policies of legality
- hostility between base in Bavaria and northern Germany
- policy differences had gotten worse between nationalist and Anticapitalist wings at the party
- Gregor Strasser and his brother Otto had influence in the party (but more left wing) - Hitler’s greatest enemy at the time
24
Q
How was the divide in the Nazi Party fixed?
A
- February 1926 the difference in the party came to head at a special party conference in Banberg
- Hitler reestablished supremacy
- they were going to run on Fiihrerprinzip
- 25 points were unchallenged
- unity restored but still had rivalry between Strassor and Hitler
25
Hitler’s new Nazi Party Structure
* Germon would be divided into regions (Gaue), which reflected the electoral geography of Weimar’s system of proportional representation
* Gauleiters was in control of regions, Hitler created districts (Kreis) and branch (Ort) groups
26
Who was Joseph Goebbels?
* Holder of the Berlin post
* originally been a sympathiser of Stassers socialist ideas but gave support to Hitler in 1926
* responsible for winning over the capital (which was very left-wing)
* into propaganda created Der Angriff (the attack) but did not become chief of party propaganda until 1930
27
Nazi’s Organisations started to appear increasing the Followers
* Hitler youth
* Nazi teachers association
* union of Nazi lawyers
* order of Germon woman
28
Creation of the SS
* 1925
* sworn to protect the Fuhrer
* 1929 only 200 members of the SS
* placed under Himmler later that year as they grew almost half the nation
29
How many people were part of the Nazi Party by 1928
In 1925 27,000 to 108,000 in 1928
30
The Reichstag Election of May 1928
* it can be clearly seen at the party had made progress and was really an effective political machine
- Membership had increased fourfold since 1925
- Authoritative and secure under Hitler
* Nazi party had also successfully taken over many of the right wing racist groups
* there was much disappointment after the election
* party won 2.6% of votes and 12 seats
31
Why did the Nazi Party fail in the Reichstag Election?
* policy failed to bring political success whereas in favourable social economic circumstances democracy managed to stabilise political position
- No real sign it could be flourishing
* belief of money that Hitler was nothing more than an eccentric without personal leadership to establish abroad national appeal
32
What did the Nazi Party gain after the Reichstag Election?
* significant gains in northern part of Germany among rural/middle/lower class in area such as Schleswig - Holstein
* such figure suggested Nazis could exploit the increasingly difficult economic times of the great depression in 1930s
