The Fear of Socialism and the Rise to Power of the Nazis in Germany between 1919 and 1933
By the end of 1918 it was clear that the axis powers had lost the
Great War. The German people were demoralised and hungry. The
nationalistic fervour with which they had greeted the start of the war
had gradually evaporated – replaced by a desire for (fair) peace with
the Allies. Kaiser Wilhelm II, who had led his people into the
debacle, was forced to abdicate. A Republic was declared on the 9th of
November and an armistice shortly followed. A democratic constitution
was signed in the city of Weimar, which leant its name to the new
republic. The nationalist and bourgeois elements in Germany, some
still hankering after the return of the Empire under the Kaiser,
critically supported the new SPD (Socialist) led Government. They, and
majority of the German people, wanted the guarantee of a fair and
reasonable peace with the Allies. The government also gave an
assurance that the revolution would go no further i.e. that it would
not take a revolutionary socialist character. The Russian Revolution
of October 1917 had sent shockwaves through the European ruling class.
All over Europe, the barbarism of the ‘Great War’ had radicalised
society. Old certainties were now questioned. Everything, it seemed,
was up for grabs.
At Versailles in May 1919, the “fair peace” that Germans had been
hoping for was not forthcoming. She lost large parts of her territory;
was burdened with Reparations – the amount of which had not been
determined – and the treaty included the infamous “war guilt” clause,
which said that Germany was wholly responsible for the war and all
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... To conclude, “fear of socialism” did produce some support for the Nazi
movement, particularly in the “elites” of German society. Most Nazi
support however, came from their ability to capitalize on the
weaknesses of Weimar democracy, such as its association with the
Treaty of Versailles. The Great Depression gave the Nazis the
opportunity to offer themselves as the solution to the terrible
unemployment and poverty it caused. The cult of the individual around
Hitler, coupled with Nazi nationalism and anti-Semitism made them
appealing to sections of the German population who had grown weary of
the Republic and desired a new “strong man” to lead Germany. What is
clear is that the collapse of Weimar democracy and its replacement
with a Nazi totalitarian state was a disaster for all Europe, no more
so than Germany itself.
The main political changes that the Nazi Party or the NSDAP endured during the period of November, 1923 until January 1933 was its rise from a small extreme right party to a major political force. It is vitally important that the reasons behind this rise to power also be examined, to explain why the NSDAP was able to rise to the top. However first a perspective on the Nazi party itself is necessary to account for the changing political fortunes of the Nazi Party.
with Hitler, which allowed him to increase his Navy by thirty – five percent than
This investigation will address the research question, to what extent was Germany’s post-World War I economic depression a causal factor in Hitler’s rise to power from 1919 to 1934? With the Treaty of Versailles, the German government was required to pay 132 billion gold marks of war reparations, drastically worsened with the US Wall Street crash. This effectively crippled the German economy and created a desperate people. For this investigation, Hitler’s private life history and pre-military career will not be analyzed. His political rise will be examined from the perspective of economic and social factors. Several primary sources will be explored, including the Hitler’s Mein Kampf and Hitler’s 25-Point Program. In addition, tertiary sources covering Hitler’s non-personal life and rise to power will be studied.
Hitler and the Nazi Party's Total Control Over the Lives of German People from 1933-1945
The Success of the Nazi Party I disagree with this statement, as I believe that there were many other factors that helped the Nazi party. In the background the hatred of the treaty of Versailles, desire to return to a Kaiser figure and the weakness of the Weimar government definitely helped the Nazis gain support from the German people. After the Wall Street crash when Hitler started using article 48 more was when He really started to gain power. The hatred of the treaty of Versailles was very important.
have to ask why? One of the main reasons was the use of propaganda and
The National Socialist German Workers' Party, commonly known as the Nazi party, originated during the 1920s. Formerly, the Nazi Party’s main purpose was to abolish communism. However, ...
There are five main reasons the Allies won and the Axis lost. These five reasons are one) The Allies (especially the U.S.) were able to outproduce the Axis powers two) The Allies had air superiority three) Germany’s pointless declarations of war four) Hitler made foolish and negative orders and five) The Allies preferred quantity over quality. During WWII, industry increased in the Allied nations, especially in the U.S. This increase in industry means that the Allied powers were able to spend more money (61% of all of the money spent during WWII, to be exact). This meant that the allied powers could afford to buy more raw material and turn that raw material into airplanes, tanks, boats, guns, etc. The second reason that the Allies won is because
To this day it remains incomprehensible to justify a sensible account for the uprising of the Nazi Movement. It goes without saying that the unexpectedness of a mass genocide carried out for that long must have advanced through brilliant tactics implemented by a strategic leader, with a promising policy. Adolf Hitler, a soldier in the First World War himself represents the intolerant dictator of the Nazi movement, and gains his triumph by arousing Germany from its devastated state following the negative ramifications of the war. Germany, “foolishly gambled away” by communists and Jews according to Hitler in his chronicle Mein Kampf, praises the Nazi Party due to its pact to provide order, racial purity, education, economic stability, and further benefits for the state (Hitler, 2.6). Albert Speer, who worked closely under Hitler reveals in his memoir Inside the Third Reich that the Führer “was tempestuously hailed by his numerous followers,” highlighting the appreciation from the German population in response to his project of rejuvenating their state (Speer, 15). The effectiveness of Hitler’s propaganda clearly served its purpose in distracting the public from suspecting the genuine intentions behind his plan, supported by Albert Camus’ insight in The Plague that the “townsfolk were like everybody else, wrapped up in themselves; in other words, they were humanists: they disbelieved in pestilences”(Camus, 37). In this sense “humanists” represent those who perceive all people with virtue and pureness, but the anti-humanist expression in the metaphor shows the blind-sidedness of such German citizens in identifying cruel things in the world, or Hitler. When the corruption within Nazism does receive notice, Hitler at that point given h...
Bibliography Primary Sources J Hite and C Hinton, ‘Weimar and Nazi Germany 2000’. Manchester Guardian Report, 13th April 1933. Franz Von Papen’s Speech at Marburg University, 17th June 1934. Rohm’s Speech to foreign press April 18th 1934. Field von Weich’s account of Hitler’s Speech to the leaders of the SA and most of the senior Reichswehr generals 28th February 1934.
For years historians have debated what would have happened if the Axis won World War 2. It's been the topic of many critically acclaimed books and shows. But I've always wondered what would have happened. Here is my version.
Around 1939 to 1942, the axis powers had a very dominant lead in World War 2. It almost seemed like there would be absolutely no chance of stopping them. As it’s been said, sometimes people with the highest power can make forgetful mistakes that can cost them their seat. But the amazing thing is both Japan and Germany were at their highest point in power by 1942. In just a matter of 3 years, all is lost. So the only main question that still stands: what exactly happened?
It was during the 1920’s to the 1940’s that totalitarian control over the state escalated into full dictatorships, with the wills of the people being manipulated into a set of beliefs that would promote the fascist state and “doctrines”.
The main purpose of the book was to emphasize how far fear of Hitler’s power, motivation to create a powerful Germany, and loyalty to the cause took Germany during the Third Reich. During the Third Reich, Germany was able to successfully conquer all of Eastern Europe and many parts of Western Europe, mainly by incentive. Because of the peoples’ desires and aspirations to succeed, civilians and soldiers alike were equally willing to sacrifice luxuries and accept harsh realities for the fate of their country. Without that driving force, the Germans would have given up on Hitler and Nazism, believing their plan of a powerful Germany...
MODERN HISTORY – RESEARCH ESSAY “To what extent was Nazi Germany a Totalitarian state in the period from 1934 to 1939?” The extent to which Nazi Germany was a totalitarian state can be classed as a substantial amount. With Hitler as Fuhrer and his ministers in control of most aspects of German social, political, legal, economical, and cultural life during the years 1934 to 1939, they mastered complete control and dictation upon Germany. In modern history, there have been some governments, which have successfully, and others unsuccessfully carried out a totalitarian state. A totalitarian state is one in which a single ideology is existent and addresses all aspects of life and outlines means to attain the final goal, government is run by a single mass party through which the people are mobilized to muster energy and support.