Chap 3.1: To what extent was Hitlers rise to power due more to favourable circumstances than his leadership abilities?

A bit about Germany BackgroundSimilar to RussiaGermany: history of being ruled by Kaisers (emperors) dictatorship system.Kaiser Wilhelm II gave up his rule on 9 Nov 1918 and war ended on 11 Nov 1918New (democratic) government called the Weimar Government took over

The Weimar Government (1918 -1933)Freedom of speech and religion.

All men and women over the age of 20 could vote in elections and choose who would run Germany.

The parliament would make the laws.

Wah! Weimar Republic (democracy) quite good mah!!

Then how come the Germans let Hitler become the dictator of Germany?

Lets look at Singapore

Political Situation in SingaporePAP: more and more unpopular!Even though they still hold 80 out of 87 seats in the parliament, the % of votes won by the party is steadily dropping!

Lets look at Singapore Strong opposition to the Population White Paper

16 Feb 2013: Over 4000 people turned up at Speakers Corner to protest about the Population White Paper.

More evidence:2011 General Election: PAP lost a GRC for the first time. Aljunied is now ruled by Workers Party.

2013 Punggol East By-Election: PAP lost. Workers Partys Lee Li Lian is elected to be its MP.

Perhaps???Workers Party could form the government in a few decades time???

Moving back to Post WW1-Germany..

Wah! Weimar Republic (democracy) quite good mah!!

Then how come the Germans let Hitler become the dictator of Germany?

Why is that happening?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPOCjkMv_h0

The Weimar Government sounded good in theory. However, they had to solve these post-war problems which proved to be a challenge to them..

What happened in Germany as a result of the TOV?

Recall the terms of the treaty of Versailles. What do you think were the impacts of these terms on Germany?

Post-WW1 Germany

Poverty, high unemployment, fragile economy (burden of reparation payments)German businesses depended heavily on US loans to keep going.

What happened in Germany as a result of the TOV?Anger towards the Weimar governmentWeimar politicians seen as November Criminals for signing the TOV. Sign of betrayal

For Hitler (Nazi Party) to rise to power, the Weimar Government must fall from power first!How did Hitler rise to power?

To what extent was Hitlers rise to power due more to favourable circumstances than his leadership abilities?Political & Economic Circumstances in Germany (Favourable Circumstances)Hitlers abilities

ThereforeThe political and economic circumstances in Germany at that time left Germans searching for a leader. Hitlers leadership and personal qualities allowed him to take advantage of the opportunity and emerge as the Fuehrer of the German people.

Political & Economic Circumstances in Germany Weaknesses of the Weimar Government HyperinflationThe Great Depression Proportional Representation& Coalition GovtUnpopularity

Political and Economic Circumstances in Post WW1 Germany

CircumstancesWhat exactly happened?Impact on the Weimar GovernmentWhich is most significant circumstance that led to rise of Hitler?Unstable Weimar GovernmentUnpopular Weimar Government1923 Hyperinflation1929 Great Depression

Political and Economic Circumstances in Post WW1 Germany

CircumstancesWhat exactly happened?Impact on the Weimar GovernmentUnstable Weimar GovernmentSystem of Proportional Representation used to elect parliament members.

No clear majority in the parliament

Parties had to come together to form a coalition government.

Coalition governments collapsed very easily.

Frequent changes of the Weimar governments.

Question: Why was the Weimar Government weak?

Political & Economic Circumstances in Germany Weaknesses of the Weimar Government HyperinflationThe Great Depression Proportional Representation& Coalition Govt

Proportional RepresentationPeople voted for a party rather than candidatesParties gained seat in the parliament based on the number of votes wonResult high degree of fragmentation in govt.Too many small competing parties without any party gaining majority

Coalition Government With no party strong enough to get a majority, coalition governments were set up Some parties had extreme ideas and unwilling to compromise Coalition government kept breaking up resulting in frequent changes of governments Eg. 20 different coalition government between 1919 -1933Difficult to pass laws and seen as weak and unable to get the peoples support

Weimar RepublicSystem of Proportional Representation used to elect members into the parliament.

Article 48 of the Constitution Under Article 48, the President could dissolve the parliament and rule for six months in an emergency He could also suspend civil liberties (right to vote, freedom of speech, etc.)The problem with this was that it did not say what an emergency was, and in the end, it was exploited by Hitler to take power legally.

Political & Economic Circumstances in Germany Weaknesses of the Weimar Government HyperinflationThe Great Depression Unpopularity of the Weimar

Read textbook p.68 to find out what the different opposition groups wanted

Read textbook p.68 - 69 to find out what the different opposition groups wanted

Unpopularity of the Weimar GovernmentLeft and right-wing extremists did not support the Weimar Government.Left wing: opposed to democracy, wanted communism.Right wing: wanted the Kaiser back in power.Many violent attempts by both left and right-wing extremists to overthrow the Weimar government.Chaos and instability in Germany.

How did the weaknesses of the Weimar lead to the rise of Hitler?The weaknesses of the Weimar government was a factor which enabled Hitler to rise to power. The coalition governments of the Weimar Republic, formed out of many different parties, were weak and did not last long. The parties often had arguments with one another and found it difficult to agree on measures to solve Germanys problems. This made the Weimar government seemed incapable. Thus they lost the support of the Germans.

How did the weaknesses of the Weimar lead to the rise of Hitler?Furthermore, the opposition from the left and the right further weakened the Weimar government as they carried out many violent attempts to overthrow the Weimar Government. Riots and assassinations became frequent occurrences in the country. For example, between 1919 and 1922, there were 376 political murders. Hence, many Germans were deeply shocked by the level of violence and instability in the country and lost confidence and their support in the Weimar governments ability.

How did the weaknesses of the Weimar lead to the rise of Hitler?In comparison, the Nazi Party was projected as strong and united which could solve the peoples problems. Many Germans became willing to vote for Hitler and his party which would help them out of the dire situation, thus leading to rise of Hitler.

Political & Economic Circumstances in Germany Weaknesses of the Weimar Government HyperinflationThe Great Depression Proportional Representation& Coalition GovtUnpopularity of the Weimar

1923 HyperinflationWeimar government printed money to keep up with reparation payments.Dec 1922 Germany couldnt pay up with payments.Jan 1923 France and Belgium invaded Ruhr. They seized German factories, railways and mines. To retaliate, German workers went on strikes German government printed even more money to solve this crisis.The more money is printed, the less value it had.Eventually, HYPERINFLATION developed!

Situation improved in 1924 when Chancellor Gustav Stresemann replaced the currency.

Impact on the Weimar Government?

Playing with money

How did hyperinflation lead to the rise of Hitler?Therefore, hyperinflation also led to the rise of Hitler. It caused the Weimar Government to become even more unpopular with the middle and lower middle classes. To make reparation payments to the Allied Powers and to resolve the Ruhr Crisis, the Weimar Government printed a lot of money, eventually causing prices to spiral out of control and hyperinflation to develop. Although the poor were hard-hit, but wealthier Germans and the middle class were most bitter as their savings and pensions became worthless virtually overnight.

How did hyperinflation lead to the rise of Hitler?Thus, even though the economy recovered after 1924, many Germans remained bitter towards the Weimar Government as they felt that it was incapable of safeguarding their interests. They therefore turned to a stronger party like the Nazi Party whom the Germans thought could protect them and their interests.

Somethings not quite right! Hint: Nazis Popularity

ElectionNo. of seats won by the Nazis/No. of seats in the ReichstagDec 192414/493June 192812/491

Nazi Party Still a Small Fry

The years 1924 to 1929 were years of general economic prosperity and political stability.

Thus the people did not see the need to vote out the Weimar Government.

Political & Economic Circumstances in Germany Weaknesses of the Weimar Government HyperinflationThe Great Depression Proportional Representation& Coalition GovtUnpopularity of the Weimar

The Great Depression as the turning point!

Drastic increase!Students calculate the percentage!!

ElectionNo. of seats won by the Nazis/No. of seats in the ReichstagDec 192414/493June 192812 seats out of 491 seats1930107 seats out of 577 seatsJuly 1932230/608Nov 1932196/584

The Great Depressionhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y26XsANjgjU

Watch from 1.23

1929 Great DepressionEconomic downturn worldwide.US withdrew their investments and loans from Germany.Germanys economy collapsed entirely. Numerous factories closed down.High unemployment rate, poverty set in.By 1932, 1/3 of the working population were unemployed

1929 Great DepressionCoalition government could not decide what action to take No government could get enough votes to pass laws to improve the situation People were angry and wanted decisive action

How did the Great Depression lead to the rise of Hitler?The Great Depression was also another reason for Hitlers rise to power. The Great Depression started in the USA and affected Germany adversely. German businesses were facing difficulties as US loans were withdrawn. Moreover, other countries had less money to buy German goods. This brought about poor economic conditions, closure of factories and businesses. Due to the Depression, there was high unemployment and social misery. The people blamed the government for their economic situation.

This highlighted the weaknesses of the Weimar Government and created the conditions necessary for Hitler to spread Nazi propaganda. He promised to increase government spending so as to create jobs for the people. The Nazis, with a promise and a solution for every problem, appeared to offer hope of a better future. The Great Depression hence helped Hitler gain the support of the people, leading to his rise to power.

To what extent was Hitlers rise to power due more to favourable circumstances than his leadership abilities?Political & Economic Circumstances in GermanyHitlers abilities

Fun Facts About HitlerHitler the hypocrite?He was not of true German descent. He wanted to create an Aryan race of blond haired, blue eyed "true germanic" people to carry on the warrior tradition. However, he was from Austria-not Germany. Hitler the Prankster?Allegedly, Hitler was a serial prankster, often playing jokes on his ministers. This backfired on him. He once tricked his minister Hanfstaengl to believe that he was being sent for a suicide mission which made him to escape to Switzerland and seek refuge with the Allies, revealing vital information on his former friend and leader.

Fun Facts About HitlerHitler the animal lover?Hitler is said to love animals and made the decision to become vegetarian Hitler the vain pot? The Nazi press secretary Dr. Sedgwick tried to convince Hitler to get rid of his trademark mustache or grow it normally. Hitler answered: "Do not worry about my mustache. If it is not the fashion now, it will be later because I wear it!" His mustache was probably due to his love of Charlie Chaplin who is often cited as the chief inspiration.

Fun Facts About Hitler Hitler the cat with 9 lives? Hitler was perhaps the most hated man in history. There were at least 42 attempts to kill him. But they all failed! Watch some of them here:http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/42-ways-to-kill-hitler/

Hitlers abilitiesHe used his abilities and took advantage of the opportunities present to rise to power.

Appeal of Hitler & the Nazi ideologySkilful at making deals with politicians

Reorganised the Nazi Party

Exploited fear of Communism to win support

Charisma & oratorical skills

Appeal of Hitler and the Nazi IdeologyPromised to establish a strong governmentAbolish the Treaty of Versailles Bring more German people into the ReichCreate more living space or Lebensraum and gain resources for the Germans through territorial expansion Solve unemployment and crisis in farming sectorUsed modern and effective campaigning methods to get their message across

How did the appeal of Hitler and the Nazi ideology lead to the rise of Hitler?Hence, the appeal of Hitler and the Nazi ideology helped Hitler to rise to power as it seemed like he could offer something to everyone. The promises and ideologies that he presented to the Germans also enabled him to gain popular support. It appeared that Hitler and the Nazi party were the answers to their suffering. In contrast with a weak Weimar government with no answers, the people would rather give their support to Hitler and the Nazi Party. Thus, this helped him to rise to power.

Hitlers abilitiesHe used his abilities and took advantage of the opportunities present to rise to power.

Appeal of Hitler & the Nazi ideologySkilful at making deals with politicians

Reorganised the Nazi Party

Exploited fear of Communism to win support

Charisma & oratorical skills

Charisma & Oratorical Skills

Watch Hitlers speech. Observe the following:How would you describe the way he gives his speech?What is he saying about the Jews? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0V_xf3OQgM

Charisma & Oratorical SkillsHitler was a true orator who prepared and practised his speechesIncredible energy; energetic lively speechesHe could gauge the mood of the audience and could appear to be very sincere to the peopleHe also knew the concerns of the people and made sure he addressed them in his speeches

Take a look at source 3.4 on p75 of your textbook

How did his charisma & oratorical skills lead to the rise of Hitler?Hence, Hitlers charisma and oratorical skills helped him to rise to power as he could easily manipulate the crowd to feel what he wanted them to feel. By addressing their concerns, Hitler was able to appear as though he understood the German peoples suffering and he could help them with their problems. This enabled Hitler and the Nazi Party to gain support from the people as the Germans felt that Hitler could identify with them and would be able to take them out of their suffering. Thus, this allowed Hitler to rise to power.

Hitlers abilitiesHe used his abilities and took advantage of the opportunities present to rise to power.

Appeal of Hitler & the Nazi ideologySkilful at making deals with politicians

Reorganised the Nazi Party

Exploited fear of Communism to win support

Charisma & oratorical skills

Exploited the fear of communismAs the Weimar became more unstable, the Germans turned to more extreme parties like the communist partyIn the 1928 elections, the communist party won 4 times the votes of the Nazi Party Many groups of people feared the communist would take over the country

Hitler speaks out (again) against the Communists and the Jewshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KacBrY0uxtM

Exploited the fear of communismRead textbook p75 & answer the following questions:Who were afraid that the communist party would take over?Why were they afraid of a communist government?

Exploited the fear of communismAnswer:Farmers thought that since the communist believed that the state should own all lands and assets, their land would be taken away (like in Russia)Owners of big industries afraid that big businesses would be taken over by the state (like in Russia). They were also afraid of strong trade unions

Exploited the fear of communismHitler exploited these fears by giving them vague promises that he would help them if he came into power Some industrialists like Alfred Hugenberg (newspaper & film studio owner) & August Thyssen (steel manufacturer) contributed financially to the Nazi campaigns Hugenberg also allowed the Nazis access to his studio to produce propaganda films

Exploited the fear of communismIn the 1930s where there were fights and unrest between the communist and the police, Hitler used his personal armed forces to break up the communist meetings and restore some order back to Germany

Anti-Communist Nazi Poster. The caption reads Bolsheviks bring war, unemployment and famine.

How did the exploitation of the fear of communism lead to the rise of Hitler?Hence, Hitlers ability to exploit the fear of communism helped him to rise to power as he could play on the fears of the farmers and the businessman in order to gain their support. Through their financial support, the Nazi party could also organise mass rallies and propaganda to influence the people to support them.

How did the exploitation of the fear of communism lead to the rise of Hitler?Furthermore, by helping to maintain order in the country in the 1930s, Hitler was able to portray his party in a positive light while making the communist party the bad guy. Thus, this made the people more likely to support Hitler instead of the communist party and allowed him to rise to power.

Hitlers abilitiesHe used his abilities and took advantage of the opportunities present to rise to power.

Appeal of Hitler & the Nazi ideologySkillfulness at making deals with politicians

Reorganised the Nazi Party

Exploited fear of Communism to win support

Charisma & oratorical skills

After the 1932 electionsJuly 1932 Nazis won 37.3% of the votes.Strongest party in the Reichstag.Hitler was shrewd, refused to form a coalition with another party UNLESS he was made Chancellor.What implication does this have on the Reichstag?

But Hitler was not made Chancellor because President von Hindenburg distrusted him. He appointed Franz von Papen and later Kurt von Schleicher as Chancellor instead.

Skillful at making deals with politiciansVon Schleicher had no support in the Reichstag, unlike Hitler.

Von Papen persuaded Hindenburg that: as long as there were no more than three Nazis in the Cabinet (that means only three Nazis in the top 12-15 government positions), Hitler could be made Chancellor.

Von Papen would become vice-Chancellor, and together with Hindenburg, they would keep Hitler under control (or so they believed)

How Wrong Papan was!Franz von Papan"In two months, we'll have pushed Hitler into a corner where he can squeal to his heart's content."

President von HindenburgEr Well.. Okay. Im sure with us keeping an eye on Hitler, everything will go well!

Skillfulness at making deals with politiciansJuly 1932 elections Nazi party won the most votes in the ReichstagHitler wanted to be Chancellor but President Hindenburg distrusted him; Franz von Papen appointed to be chancellor but lacked support in the Reichstag Nov 1932 elections, Nazi votes dropped by 2 million & they lost 34 seats, Hitler realised he had to make a deal with the conservatives

Skillfulness at making deals with politiciansVon Papen replaced by Kurt von Schleicher but lacked support in the ReichstagVon Papen and President Hindenburg had no choice but to invite Hitler to be Chancellor They thought that they could control the cabinet and control HitlerIn his 1st year, Hitler ruled in a coalition government and he made deals with politicians who underestimated him

Skillfulness at making deals with politiciansWhen he eventually got enough support, he quickly acted and took complete control over the government

How did his skilfulness in making deals with politicians lead to the rise of Hitler?Hence, by making deals with the politicians, Hitler was able to rise to power as he could manipulate them into voting for him and supporting him in the Reichstag. Through the deals with the other political parties, Hitler was also not seen as a threat and this helped him to slowly rise to the top. Eventually he was able to garner enough support to take complete control of the government.

Hitlers abilitiesHe used his abilities and took advantage of the opportunities present to rise to power.

Appeal of Hitler & the Nazi ideologySkillfulness at making deals with politicians

Reorganization of the Nazi Party

Exploited fear of Communism to win support

Charisma & oratorical skills

Reorganization of the Nazi PartyAfter a failed coup (Munich Putsch) Hitler realised that he had to gain power legally The Nazis begin to take part in elections He reorganised the party to make it more appealing to the German peopleParty membership was increased by attracting more youths (Hitler Youth created)

Hitler Youth recruitment poster. The wording translates to: "Youth serves the leader. All ten year-olds into the Hitler Youth."

Every Girl Belongs to UsRecruitment Poster of League of German Maidens

Reorganization of the Nazi PartyStormtroopers (SA) and Defence Corps (SS) formed which helped to maintain order by breaking up communist party meetings and strikes Nazi propaganda used which portrayed the Nazis as a strong party united behind one leader

SA LogoSA Recruitment PosterSA Uniformhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfGZHHXiUYQ

Stormtroopers take on the Communists!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y26XsANjgjU

Watch from 5.33

How did the reorganisation of the Nazi Party lead to the rise of Hitler?The reorganisation of the Nazi Party was another factor for Hitlers rise to power. For example, he increased Party membership by establishing local Nazi parties. He also set up youth organisations. The Strormtroopers (SA) and the Defence Corps (SA) were also established and were portrayed as militaristic. In this way, he raised the profile of the Nazi Party and made it seem more appealing to the people.

How did the reorganisation of the Nazi Party lead to the rise of Hitler?By portraying the Nazi party as a strong vibrant party, it attracted the attention of many of the German people who were disappointed with the weak Weimar Government. Thus, it would help Hitler in his rise to power as the people attracted to the Nazi party would support him.

*Votes fell a little, Hitler contemplated suicide