Nazi Germany

The ideological roots of Nazism

Its roots lay in two movements of the last 25 years of the 19th century:
• Anti-Semitism which grew during that period of depression and from the
racial theories of the time
• Radical right-wing politics (i.e.: Pan-German League) in favor of
authoritarianism.

Weimar Period 1918 – 1929

After the war
• The Kaiser abdicated 9 November 1918
• New German Republic declared by Philipp Scheidemann
o Declaration not planned
o No king
o Parliamentary system, not a US style system
• There was an atmosphere of continual strikes, demonstrations and
revolutions when the Weimar Republic was formed
o Armed volunteers ‘free corps’ appointed to defend provisional
government
• Most right wing ex soldiers (their loyalty was questionable)

Weimar Republic formed

Elections for a National assembly were held 19 January 1919

• 6 February 1919: First meeting held in the city of Weimar because Berlin
was too violent
o Friederich Ebert resigned as chancellor and elected president
o Phillip Scheidemann is elected as chancellor
o Constitution announced 14 August 1919
o First job was to sign the Treaty of Versailles
• President was given broad powers
o To suspend the constitution in case of state emergency and rule by
decree (Article 48)
• Two houses:
o Reichsrat (upper house, no real power)
o Reichstag (real authority, chancellor and ministers answered to)

Had a fatal flaw: provided proportional representation in the parliament. It

created a parliament composed of many political parties and no party had the
majority.

• Allowed small anti-republican parties (Nazis) a place in deciding

Germany’s laws and legislation
• FEB 1919 - JAN 1933: 21 different Reichstag cabinets
• Whole concept opposed by many elements within German society
o There were extreme lefts (communists) and extreme rights (Nazis)
that opposed Weimar republic
o Much of the public (schools, public services, unis, courts, police and
army) opposed the idea of a Weimar Republic and openly denied
 the regime support
Kapp Putch
An attempt to overthrow the government with armed forces.
• First challenge from extreme right
• Provoked by government order to dismantle free corps
• Free corps troops entered Berlin and proclaimed new government to be
lead by Prussian Wolfgang Kapp
• President Ebert fled the capital
• Only a strike led by socialists and trade unions able to defeat Kapp

As Kapp Putch collapsed, republic attacked again by Red army (communist)

• Captured several industrial towns in Ruhr
• Uprising crushed by army

Jan. 1923: Invasion of the Ruhr

One of Germany’s most valuable industrial and mining area
• End 1922: Germany fail to pay reparations to France as part of TOV
• French occupy the Ruhr
• Campaign of ‘passive resistance’ was Germany’s response and resulted
in a decline in industrial productivity
• ‘Passive resistance’ affected Germany economy
• Weimar government still dedicated to maintain commitment to TOV
o Reparation bill: US $32 billion
• Instead of raising taxes, gov borrowed heavily and printed new money
• Sparked greatest inflation in history
o 1914: US$ => 4.2 marks
1919: US$ => 8.9 marks
1923: US$ => 25 billion marks
• German money was valueless causing enormous hardship
• Real wages declined, life-time savings wiped, people on fixed incomes
(pensioners) were poverty stricken

Aug. 1923: Streseman became chancellor

• called for passive resistance and began negotiating with the Western
Powers (Dawes Plan)
o leaving Rhineland 1930
• Secured powers from Reichstag
o Enabling him to stop inflation
• Old currency withdrawn
o Rentenmark
• Tax changes, reduction of government expenditure
From its founding to the putsch of 1923:
• Founded during the chaotic period immediately after WWI. Bavaria was
then under the control of a right wing Gov. which sheltered extremists
(including the Nazis)
• Formed Jan. 9th 1919 under the name German Workers Party (DAP), Hitler
joined as propaganda chief in Sept.
• Aug. 1921: Hitler became leader and introduced: the notion of the leader /
a more centralized system w/ all branches subject to the authority of the
original branch in Munich.
• June 1922: the now renamed National Socialist German Workers Party
(NSDAP) is banned in all states except Bavaria.
• Hitler saw Stresseman’s chancellorship as the beginning of a communist
takeover…he decided to lead a putsch.
• Hitler convincd leading members of the Bavarian Gov. to help him on his
‘March on Berlin’ he seized them, they gave their consent but once
released withdrew their aid.
• On Nov. 9th 1923 the Nazis marched on Gov. buildings and were dispersed
by gunfire and had their leaders arrested.
• Hitler went for 5 years in prison, but now he was a nationally known
figure.

Hitler secures Power

Hindenburg as president
• National hero
• Elected into presidency in 1925
• Re-elected in 1932 with support of Bruening
o It was a two stage election held in March and April
o Biggest opponents: Adolf Hitler and Ernst Thalmann (communist)
o Hitler was runner-up (shows the support the Nazis were enjoying)
 HITLER: 13.4 million votes
 HINDENBURG: 19.3 million votes

Heinrich Bruening as chancellor 1930-32

• Attempted to govern using president emergency powers
• No support of Reichstag (because of its deflationary economic policy and
its rule by decree)
• Bruening dissolved the Reichstag - weakened Bruening’s position
o New elections 14 September 1930
o Moderate parties lost votes and extreme left and right gained
o After the Communists, National Socialist Party (Nazis) became
second largest party (totally unforseen)
 From 12 members to 107
• Implemented economic programme using Presidential emergency powers
o unemployment rose
 March 1930: 2 258 000
 March 1932: 6 031 000
• Sought to win political support by trying to terminate reparation payments
• There was a lot of political thuggery by Nazis’ S.A. (Sturm Abteilungen)
o 14 April 1932 decreed the suppression of S.A.
 o thought would end Nazi menace
o Didn’t have the support of army (argued Bruening to be replaced)
• Bruening was forced to resign end of May, 1932

Baron Franz von Papen 1932

• Did not possess party support in Reichstag
• To consolidate his power, he attempted to break the Socialist power
o Dissmissed government of Prussia (main stronghold)
• Successfully negotiated an end of reparation payments with western powers
• Elections late July 1932
o Nazi gained 230 seats (more than doubled their support!)
o Papen’s support in the Reichstag was weakened
• Papen dissolved the Reichstag to avoid a vote of no-confidence
• New elections November 1932
o 90% vote going towards anti-government parties
o Decline in Nazi vote (only 196 Nazis representatives)
o NO POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR PAPEN
• Took drastic measures to maintain control
o Suggested for the constitution to be suspended
o He rules by decree and has army backing
• General Schleicher told Hindenburg that the army could not garuntee
control and support if Papen he ruled by decree.
• Papen resigned

General von Schleicher as Chancellor

• Appointed on 2 December 1932
• Had great support from the army
• Thought Nazis could be used to achieve a workable government
• Attempted to split Nazi ranks and control Hitler
o Tried to force Hitler into a coalition as junior partner
o Didn’t work
• Tried to win support over Socialists, didn’t work
• Like Papen, tried to suspend the constitution and rule by decree to gain
support and control
o Hindenburg withdrew support for Schleicher (because the army
couldn’t garuntee support if he ruled by decree)
• Schleicher resigned

Adolf Hitler as Chancellor

• only two options: Papen or Hitler
• Position of army critical
• Hitler appointed chancellor: 30 January 1933
o Papen appointed vice-chancellor
• Only two other Nazi leaders in the new Cabinet
• Non-Nazi leaders gambled that they could control Hitler in office and could
turn him out of office at will
The Seizure of Power 1933-34
Situation in 1933:
• Only three cabinet posts held by Nazis
• no Nazi Reichstag majority
• Hitler could be dismissed by Hindenburg
• Hitler represented only hope of the Right for mass support
• The Right could not simply govern through pressure groups (army,
business, etc.)

The Election of March 1933:

• Nazis received generous donations from industrialists (who feared a left
wing revival)
• Goring (then Prussian Minister of the Interior) allowed Nazi violence in the
campaign to go on uncontrolled.

The Reichstag Fire: Feb. 27th 1933 The man considered responsible was a
communist  The Nazis claimed it was a beg. of a communist takeover /
Hindenburg passed the ‘Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of People
and State’  Hitler could: ignore restrictions on police power / take over the
power of the German states  using this, the Nazis arrested communists and
other political opponents.
 Results: Communists were banned, and Nazis in coalition w/
the Nationalists obtained a majority.

The Enabling Law

• To obtain 2/3 majority needed to change the constitution the Nazis carried
a campaign of intimidation: they depicted opposition as unpatriotic / Nazis
in the S.A. seized control of state Gov. / opponents in the SPD and trade
unions were arrested / the building where the Reichstag was surrounded
by S.A. and SS troops. This law granted Hitler the right to:
• make laws w/out Reichstag approval
• make treaties w/ foreign states w/out Reichstag approval
• Hitler now no longer needed the support of political parties.

Creation of a one-party state:

• June 1933: SPD banned
• July 1933: Law makes all political formations (except Nazis) illegal

Conflict between Hitler and the S.A.:

• The S.A. demanded that Hitler follow socialist measures as laid down in
the 1920 Nazi Programme
• The S.A. wanted a greater say in party affairs
• They wished to replace the army with a national militia
• Hitler feared that they would lose him the support of the non-Nazi right,
and the army. The army was then the only group w/ the power to remove
him.
 The Night of the Long Knives:
• June 30th/July 1st
• arrest of the main S.A. leaders by the S.S.
• leaders are shot
• Hitler congratulated by Reichstag, Hindenburg, & the army.
Death of Hindenburg:
• Aug. 2nd 1934: Hindenburg dies
• Hitler combined the office of chancellor and president powers to instate
himself as Fuhrer, Reich Chancellor and Commander-in-chief or the army

Nazis gather popular support

• Germans hated the democratic government
o Great Depression caused collapse of German economy and mass
unemployment
o Looked for radical alternatives
• Nazis create immediate jobs
o ensured popular support from businessmen and industrialists

Hjalmar Schacht Minister for Economics 1934-36

• Hitler knew nothing about economics
• Schacht was gifted
• Aimed at reducing unemployment and strengthening economy
o Used general upturn in world economy
o Tight foreign exchange policies
o Public works programs
o Hitler’s re-armorment program
• Unemployment dropped
o 6 million January 1933 (Hitler became chancellor) to > 2 million
1937
• 1932-1937 German GDP grew 102%
• Replaced by General Thomas
o Introduced 4-yr plan to prepare the German economy for war

Nazis Policing and Censorship

• Dr Joseph Goebbels Minister of Propaganda and People’s Enlightenment
o Controlled all radio
o Exercised tight political censorship of newspapers, books and films
o Those that were in any way anti-Nazi shut down
o Jewish or any unapproved books were burnt in public ceremonies
• Two terror organizations established headed by Heinrich Himmler
o S.S (Schutz Staffeln)
 Created in 1925
 The ‘new S.A.’ after it was purged in 1934
 1939: 240 000 troops
 manned concentration camps
o Gestapo
 More dreaded
 Secret police
  Tracked down, tortured, murdered or imprisoned ‘enemies
of the State’

Racial Theory
Aryan race were pure and racially superior
o Northern European people (Nordic)
• Prossicuted Slavs, Latins, Negros, Asians, the
disabled and retarded

Hated the Jews

o April 1933 boycott of all Jewish shops in Germany
o Jews were fired from public jobs
o By 1938 Jews forbidden to work as doctors, lawyers, public
servants, teacgers, academics, stockbrokers or farmers
o Refused service in German shops

Nuremberg Laws September 1935

‘for the protection of the racial purity of the state’
• laws:
o Marriage between Jews and Germans forbidden and will not be
considered void unless annulled by a Public Prosecutor
o Intercourse between Jews and Germans forbidden
o Jews will not be able to employ <45 female German workers as
domestic workers
o Jews are forbidden to display the national flag or colours (but they
are allowed to display the Jewish colours)

Crystal Night
• 10 November 1938
• S.S. and S.A. looted and smashed Jewish throughout Germany
• 7000 Jewish shops looted
• 191 synagogues burnt
• 20 000 Jews arrested

By 1939 half Jewish population fled abroad