Nazi_Rise

ACCOUNT FOR NAZI RISE TO POWER BY 1934 The rise of the Nazi party to power was certainly not inevitable, but was a combination of luck and manipulation of legal procedures. Although, once seated in their position of authority, Hitler and the Nazi party were able to successfully consolidate power by 1934 as a result of Hitler’s strong leadership and most importantly the party’s utter ruthlessness and effective use of propaganda. However it was the political manoeuvring of the conservative elite who underestimated Hitler which incited the rise of the Nazi party to power. The political and economic failures of the Democratic republic played directly into the hands of the Nazi party, and ultimately became one of the most effective forms of Nazi propaganda. From the outset, the Weimar Republic became perpetually associated with defeat and the Diktat of the Treaty of Versailles and the ‘Dolchstosslegende’, blaming the Jews, Socialists and Pacifists for betraying the Nation. As Carr notes, the Stab in the Back myth led to the “denigrating of prominent republican politicians and of pouring abuse on democratic traditions”. This vilification of the Weimar government as the November Criminals continued into the 1930’s when Hitler himself referred to the Government as the November Criminals in his election speeches and allowed the Nazi Party to capitalize on the Nation’s poor economic position resulting from the Great Depression to develop their power. The economic instability further exacerbated the political instability due to the dramatic tripling of unemployment rates between 1929 and 1932. As Shirer argues, ‘Hitler could thrive on evil times, when the masses were unemployed, hungry and desperate’. Moreover, the Depression certainly acted in favour of the Nazi party as politics became polarised and the masses became receptive to extremes, such as the Nazis who promised to return Germany to its ‘glory days’ and as Taylor argues, was the ‘wind in Hitler’s sails’ as support grew from a measly 0.8% in 1928 to 7% in 1934. The political and economic weaknesses of the Weimar Government crucial to the successful rise of the Nazis, as the party was able to take advantage of the furthered instability resulting from the Depression. It can certainly be argued that the Conservative Elite vastly underestimated Hitler’s strong will and political genius and allowing the Nazis to come to power in January 1933 as a result of persuading Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor despite the decreasing support for the party. The incomplete revolution had left the conservative elite in positions of power and thus enabled the political manoeuvring which played in favour of the Nazis. Many of the conservative elite including Papen and Hindenburg underestimated Hitler, often referring to him as a merely a ‘house painter’ or ‘queer fellow’. Turner argues that Hitler had little control over the events which brought him the chancellorship, and that the events were largely the result of actions taken by Hindenburg, Schliecher and Papen. Hitler did not dictate how things would unfold, rather he responded to the conditions effectively. Hitler did not gain the majority in 1933, thus proving that the rise to power was not inevitable and in fact by 1933 the German economic situation was improving and supports for the Nazi Party was waning. However due to the early failings of the Republic, the leftist parties were not united and as Taylor states, were ‘unable to combine against a common danger’. Moreover, the Nazi party’s rise to power in 1933 was not an inevitability but rather fashioned by the crucial involvement of the Conservative Elite, specifically Papen and Hindenburg, in the political manoeuvring. ------------------------------------------------- The skilful use of propaganda and violence by the Nazi part was undeniably important in the consolidation of power and the defeat of opposition by 1934. The Nazis played up anti-communist and anti-sematic sentiments to drum up support from the masses. The party ended communist uprisings through violence, thus gaining a following from the German middle class. Effective simplistic propaganda was also utilised, and included slogans such as ‘first bread then reparations’, playing the emotions and needs of the people. Other methods were also employed, such as the Potsdam Ceremony, which publicised the Nazi’s as the protector of German values. Propaganda was also successfully used to exacerbate the fear of communism, specifically in relation to Reichstag Fire which Hitler deemed as the ‘beginning of a communist uprising’. Moreover, the Nazi Party were subsequently able to appeal to the both Hindenburg and the Public’s fear of communism, thus bringing into effect the Reichstag Fire Decree and eventually the Enabling Act, which in combination with other Gleichaltung related laws, cemented Nazi power and quashed any political opposition. However, the legal methods utilised were also combined with violence in the destruction of perceived internal opposition and the consolidation of power, specifically through the purging of the SA, through the Night of the Long Knives. As Kershaw argues, the night of the 30th of June was ‘a critical moment in the consolidation of power’, as it highlighted the extent of Hitler’s authority whilst simultaneously gaining support from the Reichswehr. Moreover, the use of effective propaganda and violent repression was an undeniably important factor in the Nazi Party’s rise and consolidation of power by 1934. ------------------------------------------------- The strong leadership of Hitler was an irrefutably significant factor in the rise of the Nazis, although was of special importance during the consolidation period, in which the power of the Nazi party was firmly cemented. Hitler conjured support from the masses with his charisma and ability to the move the masses with effective oratory. An early follower of Hitler, Luedecke described Hitler as ‘holding the masses under a hypnotic spell by the sheer force of his beliefs’, drawing approval from the public. He expressed Nazi ideals effectively, playing on the emotions of the people and created a strong nationalistic sentiment in Germany, as he spoke not only of economic recovery but revival of the nation and returning Germany to its former glory. He used not only his strong oratory but also literature to express his views, specifically in his biography, Mein Kampf, which further detailed his nationalist ideologies. As a politician Hitler was highly underestimated, for some part due to the failed Munich Putsch however he ultimately proved his political intelligence through taking advantage of the Germany’s political landscape thus officially consolidating Nazi power in 1934, becoming the Fuhrer of the Third Reich. Hitler’s role in both rise to power by 1933 was significant, however more crucial was his strong leadership during the consolidation period of 1933 to 1934. ------------------------------------------------- The rise and subsequent consolidation of Nazi power by 1934 was certainly not an inevitability, but the result of culmination of the Democracy’s failing, effective use of propaganda and repression and Hitler’s leadership skills. However it was ultimately the Conservative Elite’s political manoeuvring and vast underestimation of Hitler which was the catalyst for the rise and consolidation of Nazi power by 1934. ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------