The Rise of Hitler



The Rise of Hitler

Hitler’s Early Years

Young Hitler

Although the future dictator of Germany, Adolf Hitler was born in Austria. Hitler had no siblings and both his parents died at a young age.

Hitler wanted to become an artist, but he twice failed the entrance exam into the Fine Arts Academy of Vienna. This enraged Hitler, and he used the Jews as a scapegoat claiming they controlled admissions.

Hitler later moved to Germany and fought for the Kaiser in WWI. A decorated soldier, Hitler suffered temporary blindness due to a gas attack.

Hitler loved Germany and could not accept defeat. He hated Germany’s new Weimar Republic for signing the humiliating Treaty of Versailles.

Hitler Leads the Nazis

Nazi Fascism

In 1919 Hitler joined the Nazis, a small fascist group (National Socialist German Workers’ Party).

Fascism - dictatorial government that is violently nationalistic, imperialistic, and anti-communist.

Both Hitler and Mussolini, Italy’s fascist dictator, felt democracy was weak because it put individual rights above national goals. Both also believed in creating an imperial empire and crushing communism.

Hitler was an intense, energetic, and motivating public speaker. These talents quickly elevated Hitler to become the leader of the Nazi party. As leader Hitler perfected Nazi ideology, and introduced symbols such as the swastika and the Nazi flag.

Hitler organized the Nazis into squads known as Brown Shirts who fought against political enemies, such as the communists.

Beer Hall Putsch

Anxious for power, in 1923 Hitler led a takeover of a government meeting at a Munich beer hall.

Unfortunately for Hitler, the army surrounded the beer hall, killed several Nazis and ended his failed revolution.

Hitler was sentenced to prison, but because of a sympathetic judge he would spend less than a year behind bars. During this time Hitler wrote Mein Kampf.

Hitler’s Ideology

Mein Kampf

Mein Kampf (my struggle) became the Nazi bible and a German best seller. The book gives Hitler’s ideology of extreme nationalism, racism, and anti-Semitism.

Hitler believed that Jews were inferior and that Germans belonged to a superior master race of Aryans, or light -skinned northern Europeans.

Hitler also argued that Germany needed to gain lebensraum, or “living space” in the east by conquering and then inhabiting the racially inferior countries of Poland and Russia.

Hitler also argued that the German military did not lose WWI but was betrayed by corrupt politicians, communists, and Jews.

Hitler’s dramatic failed putsch and new book made him popular, and upon leaving prison he gained many followers among veterans and those frustrated with the Weimar Republic.

Winning the Masses

The Great Depression

Extreme unemployment during the Great Depression caused Nazi membership to grow. Hitler’s message of ending the Versailles reparations, job creation, militarism and nationalism appealed to many.

With the democratic Weimar government weak and divided, the Nazis continued to win more and more seats in the German legislature, known as the Reichstag.

Hitler Appointed Chancellor

Because the Great Depression increased Nazi representation in the Reichstag, Hitler was appointed chancellor in January 1933.

However, Hitler did not have total control. Power in Germany was split three ways between the chancellor, the Reichstag, and President Hindenburg. There was also the army, which currently favored Hindenburg and the Reichstag, but not Hitler.

Path to Dictatorship

Step 1: The Reichstag Fire

The Reichstag building was mysteriously set ablaze less than a month after Hitler was appointed chancellor.

Hitler convinced citizens that communists were the arsons, and had them banned from the Reichstag. However, today historians believe Nazis did it.

Step 2: The Enabling Act

Fights then erupted in the streets between Nazi Brownshirts and German communists. Property was destroyed and chaos reigned.

Hoping to restore order and prevent a communist takeover the Reichstag agreed to the Enabling Act which gave Hitler power to single-handedly pass emergency laws for four years.

With the power to make his own laws Hitler threw out the democratic constitution, banned other political parties, censored the media, and spread Nazi propaganda.

Those who protested the takeover were sent to concentration camps by the Gestapo, a branch of Hitler’s SS (special security) that carried out his brutality within Germany.

Step 3: Winning the Army

The army still did not support Hitler because they often fought with his Brownshirts, and viewed them as competition.

To win over the army, in June of 1934 Hitler ordered the killing of nearly 500 Brownshirt leaders on what was dubbed the “Night of the Long Knives.” Army generals were now pleased and supported Hitler.

Step 4: Der Fuhrer

President Hindenburg was Hitler’s last obstacle in the way of a total dictatorship, but in August 1934 the aging Hindenburg died.

With Hindenburg gone, Hitler declared himself “Fuhrer” or ultimate leader of Germany. A plebiscite was held and the Germans voted in favor of having Hitler as Fuhrer.

Hitler’s Rise to Power

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Weak

Weimar

Government

Strong

Leadership

Great

Depression

Harsh

Versailles

Treaty

How Did Hitler Become a Dictator?

HITLER

DECLARES

HIMSELF

FUHRER

(Dictatorship

achieved)

DEATH OF

PRESIDENT

HINDENBURG

(All opposition

gone)

NIGHT OF THE

LONG KNIVES

(Hitler purges

Brownshirts - army

now supports him)

ENABLING

ACT

(Only Nazi

party allowed,

censorship,

Reichstag

powerless)

REICHSTAG

FIRE

(Communists

blamed, street

fights, chaos)

HITLER

BECOMES

CHANCELLOR

(Power split

three ways)

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