Rise and Rule of Hitler Paper 2

Analyze the methods and conditions which helped in the rise to power of one ruler of a single-party state.

There were many factors that contributed to Hitlers rise to power in Germany. The most important of these were the unpleasant conditions facing Germany and the ways in which Hitler was able to use them to his advantage, becoming the ruler of a single-party state. The conditions mentioned include the large scale economic disaster and raised political tensions that followed the First World War. These issues had an overwhelmingly negative effect on the nation's stability, but Hitler managed to use this fact to convince the people that helping him gain power would be the only way to improve the situation.

Germany was struggling to deal with several economic problems in the 1920's and 1930's, when Hitler was starting to become a powerful political figure. The Treaty of Versailles, which had been signed at the end of World War I, was in many ways responsible for this. The treaty had caused Germany to lose much of its territory both inside and outside of Europe. Among the losses were valuable industrial areas, such as Alsace-Lorraine and the Rhineland, which were vital parts of Germany's economy. At the same time, France and Britain were forcing Germany to pay an incredible sum of money to them as reparations for the damages caused by the war, having blamed Germany for starting the entire conflict in the War Guilt Clause. As a result of suffering both of these punishments simultaneously, Germans were in a large amount of debt and had almost no way to pay it all off. The situation was worsened by the failure of America's banks. Germany was relying on loans taken out from American banks to pay off as much of its debt as it could, so when the economy of the United States fell apart Germany's economic disaster was worse than ever.

Hitler, recognizing that many people credited the Treaty of Versailles as the common cause of these economic issues, was able to use the treaty as a reason to blame certain groups of people for Germany's problems. He claimed that his country had been "stabbed in the back" by these groups, which included Jews, communists, and democrats, and that this was the reason that Germany lost World War I and was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles. By establishing a widespread hatred of these groups throughout Germany, Hitler had effectively created a strong sense of nationalism, with the people being united by the popular belief that they had been wronged and that they deserved justice. Hitler promised that he would carry out that justice, ridding Germany of the people who had supposedly betrayed it.

Germany was also facing an increasing amount of political instability at the time. The settlement of the First World War had dismantled the nation's autocratic government and replaced it with a new, more democratic government, called the Weimar Republic. Unfortunately, Germany had never had any experience in running this type of democratic system, so it was not very successful in this attempt. There were too many political parties involved in the government, and each of these was to be represented proportionally, making it difficult to get anything done. In addition to this, Germany was forbidden from having an army of its own after losing the war. Instead of having a single national military force, individual political parties built up their own private armies, leading to increased political tensions and occasionally violent conflict.

Hitler found ways to use the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic to his advantage as well.* While the Weimar Republic was viewed by the people as being weak and unwilling to take action towards solving Germany's problems, the plan for Nazi Germany proposed by Hitler promised a powerful and active government, a contrast that appealed to many German voters. Hitler was also able to play on the fears people had about the other political parties. For example, he pointed out the communist revolution that Russia had experienced earlier and the problems it had caused there, stating that the same thing could easily happen to Germany if people supported the KPD. Finally, the Nazi party was a particularly militaristic group, having built up a strong private army. This aspect appealed to people who were seeking employment or were of the opinion that Germany needed to have an army.

It would be possible to argue that Hitler's rise to power was caused simply by either Germany's unstable condition or Nazi propaganda messages alone. However, it was how Hitler intertwined these two things that made him successful. He realized that people were unhappy with the state of their country, and he used propaganda that took advantage of this unhappiness to make people believe that he knew how to return Germany to its former glory.

*Stopped here in class

Rise of Hitler Outline

Analyze the methods used and the conditions which helped in the rise to power of one ruler of a single-party state.

What methods and conditions helped Hitler rise to power in Germany?

Many factors contributed to Hitler's rise to power in Germany, but the most important of these were the unpleasant conditions facing Germany and the ways in which Hitler was able to use them to his advantage

Conditions facing Germany and how Hitler took advantage of them (methods):

• Economic disaster in Germany
• Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to lose important industrial areas, such as Alsace-Lorraine, while at the same time forcing the country to pay a huge sum of money in reparations. Lots of debt, no way to pay it all back
• Germany relied on American banks for loans to pay its reparations. When Americas economy/banks failed, Germany suffered as much as or more than any other country.
• Hitler was able to use the Treaty of Versailles, which many credited as being the common cause of these economic problems, in order to blame certain groups of people who he believed "stabbed Germany in the back." (Jews, communists, democrats) He was able to use the people's hatred of these groups to create a sense of nationalism and loyalty to the Nazi party.

• Political instability
• Germany had no experience with running any kind of democratic government, so the Weimar Republic was not very successful (too many political parties with proportional representation made it difficult to get anything done).
• Because Germany could not have an army of its own after the Treaty of Versailles, political parties began to build up private armies, causing conflicts that occaisonally led to violence.
• Hitler was able to use the weaknesses of the government set up after WWI to his advantage. His proposed Nazi Germany was a strong contrast to the Weimar Republic, being powerful and promising to act on its ideology. In addition to this, he was able to play on people's fears of other parties (communist revolution like in Russia). Also, the Nazis were particularly militaristic, having a strong private army that appealed to people looking for work.

Different interpretation:

• One might say that either propaganda or Germany's unstable condition alone was sufficient to allow Hitler to rise to power. However, it was how Hitler intertwined these two factors that established his role as Germany's leader.

Well Written Paper 2

• Outline before writing
  
• Thematic and analytical, not chronological (don't tell the story of Hitler's rise to power from WWI to WWII)
  
• Use names, events, dates when relevant to the essay.
• Understand different interpretations ("Propaganda brought Hitler to power" vs. "A poor economy brought Hitler to power.")
  
• 900-1000 words long (5-6 pages!)
  

Methods used by Hitler to Rise to Power (HW 16)

Legal:
The Enabling Law
Propaganda (newspapers, film, radio...)
Hitler Youth
Marriage Laws (German citizens could not marry Jews)
Citizenship Laws (Jews could not be citizens)
Made it illegal to join other political parties (outlawed KPD)
Changed curriculum in schools

Illegal:
Big Lie Theory
Concentration Camps
Killing opposition (Communists)
Manipulating Enemies in Office
Public Executions

Mistakes made by others:
Hindenburg's advisers appointed Hitler as chancellor
Court system was not very strict in punishing Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch

HW 15

1. They thought that Hitler could be more easily controlled if they placed him withing the government as chancellor and surrounded him with conservative ministers. The Nationalist party also hoped that giving Hitler power would help turn Germany back into a monarchy, similar to what it had been under Bismarck's rule.
2. Hitler made sure that the Nazis had complete, undisputed control over Germany and its people, and he dealt harshly with anyone who tried to oppose him.
3. The Enabling Law gave Hitler the power to pass national laws without the approval of the Reichstag and allowed him to ignore the constitution entirely.
4. Goebbels' organization was used for the purpose of eliminating any ideas that would oppose the Nazis and creating a positive image of Hitler's regime among the people of Germany.
5. Hitler used propaganda, laws, and violence to destroy potential sources of opposition. Propaganda planted Nazi ideology in peoples' minds, while laws made it illegal to join other political parties, such as the KPD (communists), and many people who opposed the Nazis were simply killed.
6. Hitler passed the Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor, which made it illegal for German citizens to marry Jews. He also passed a Supplementary Decree on Citizenship, which stated that people of Jewish descent could not be citizens of Germany.
   

SPD Platform Notes

1. Germany is facing an economic crisis because of the Treaty of Versailles, which forced it to pay reparations while at the same time causing it to lose its industrial areas and rely on American banks, which failed.
2. The SPD plans to give rights to workers and focus entirely on resolving economic issues, rather than building an army and starting a conflict.
   
3. The communists would remove rights from workers (as seen in Soviet Russia), which would not help the economic situation. The fascists would be too focused on building up a powerful military to worry about the economy of Germany.
4. The SPD's goals are to maintain peace in Europe and to make Germany into a respectable nation by means of its economy.
   
5. The SPD has helped Germany before by introducing things such as the eight hour day and social insurance. It realizes that the economic crisis is the real problem facing Germany, and that resolving it should take priority over militarism.
   

HW 13

1. Treaty of Versailles- After the First World War, Germany was punished in numerous ways, causing severe economic problems for the country. The Treaty of Versailles forced Germany to pay reparations for the war, while simultaneously taking away the nation's most important industrial areas. This meant that Germany was in a large amount of debt, and it would have been nearly impossible to pay for all of it.
   
2. Great Depression- America was one of the only sources of help for Germany's debt problems, as Germany took out loans from American banks in order to pay for reparations. Because of this, Germans suffered as much as anyone when the banks failed and the stock market crashed in the United States.
   
3. Political Conflict- Multiple political parties were trying to take control of the chaotic situation facing Germany at the time. Many of these parties had been building their own private armies, which led to raised tensions and sometimes violent conflict and uprisings against the government.
   

9/21 Notes: Causes for the Rise of Nazi Germany

Political:

• Treaty of Versailles
• Losses of Territory
• Private Armies
  

Economic:

• Loss of Industrial Areas
• Reparations
• Depression

Social:

• War Guilt Clause
• Anti-Semitism
  
• Rise in Nationalism
• Fear of Communism

"Downfall" Values and Limitations (HW 10)

"Downfall" is a German film about the last days of fighting in Europe during World War II. It was created in 2004, and was one of the first films from Germany to reflect on the actions of the Nazis. Its purpose was to inform people in Germany and in other parts of the world of what actually happened in and around Hitler's bunker, using accounts from surviving Nazis to tell the story as accurately as possible.
This film is valuable for historians studying Hitler's Nazi Germany for a number of reasons. Firstly, "Downfall" attempts to humanize the Nazis, making them seem less like monsters and more like believable people. Because of this, we are able to more easily identify things such as opposition to Hitler within his own government and the impact of propaganda on the people of Germany. The movie also gives an interesting and very possibly accurate portrayal of Hitler, who constantly reminds viewers of his aims and ideology.
However, there are also limitations to "Downfall." The humanization of the Nazis may have been dramatically exaggerated in the creation of the movie. The film's accuracy is subject to doubt in large part because of the limited number of accounts by first-hand witnesses used for research by the creators. The people who provided these accounts seemed to be trying to distance themselves from Hitler's regime, although there is evidence that suggests they had been involved more deeply in Nazism than they say.

"Downfall" Notes 5/HW 9

Totalitarianism:

• Goebbels says he had conquered Berlin against communism years ago- referring to his role in propaganda? If so, this shows how the Nazis had control over people's beliefs (anti-communism)
  
• People killed themselves for the state even after Hitler's death.

Opposition:

• Some of Hitler's most trusted officials disobeyed some of his orders
• Germans saw committing suicide as favorable compared to falling into the hands of the Russians

Limitations of the Film as a Source:

• Some of the accounts may have twisted the truth in favor of those who gave them. For example, the doctor may have told his story in a way that made him look like a better person than he really was.
• Certain details were almost definitely added in, and might be mistakenly thought of as historically accurate.

"Downfall" Notes 4/HW 8

Aims: Re-establish German greatness through military strength.
Methods: Propaganda (Army toys, Hitler youth, Film, Radio, Magazines, Children singing national songs) Marriage Laws, Medical experiments, concentration camps
Rise: Hitler's appeal, ability to make people believe
Ideology: Social Darwinism, Master Aryan Race

1. Hitler constantly explains his ideological belief that only the strongest people survive, and that those who are killed in the war are simply not worthy of living.
2. Propaganda can be seen in the way children view their leader and their country. One young boy from the Hitler Youth is seen with several German army toys, and Goebbels' children are sometimes shown singing nationalistic songs.
3. The appeal that helped Hitler rise to power is apparent in how loyal everyone seems to be to him. Several people in the film say that they would rather stay and die with their leader than run away and survive.
4. Hitler shows that he aims to re-establish Germany as a powerful nation through the use of its military (methods).
   

"Downfall" Notes 3/HW 7

Stab in the Back Theory: Germany lost WWI because of a lack of support from the homefront (politicians, Jewish businessmen), and the Treaty of Versailles was signed too early.

1. Hitler made reference to Stalin's Great Purges, giving some information about domestic policies in Soviet Russia.
2. Hitler's domestic policy toward civillians who are not willing to fight is shown- no sympathy is shown for those who were killed
   
3. "The German people chose their fate."- Goebbels, shows propaganda
4. Some Nazis not willing to live in a future without National Socialism- effects of propaganda
5. Religious policy- Hitler says he "cleansed the German lands of Jewish poison."
   

"Downfall" Notes 2/HW 6

Goebbels- Minister of Propaganda
Himmler- Leader of SS
Speer- Architect, a favorite of Hitler
Big Lie Theory- Repeat a lie over and over again and people will start to believe it. The bigger the lie, the better.

HW 6: Topic 3 Connections

1. The film showed members of the Hitler Youth fighting in the war, showing the use and effects of propaganda.
2. Hitler did not seem to let Russia's invasion interrupt the way he governed Germany. He remained very strict with his orders, as seen when the general in the movie was called to be shot for retreating against Hitler's orders. This shows more about the Nazi administration.
3. The scene mentioned above also connects to the establishment of authoritarian and single party states, showing the forceful methods with which Hitler eliminated opposition and ensured the loyalty of his people.
4. The status of women in Germany is also hinted at in the film. The women portrayed are usually seen working in jobs supporting men or socializing at a party, showing some of Hitler's domestic policy.
   

"Downfall" Notes/HW 5

Origin:

• 2005- First German produced film about Hitler
• Based on first-hand accounts, diaries, memoirs, etc. of Germans who were with Hitler in his final days
• Transcripts from Nuremburg (war crime trials) were used

Purpose:

• Try to capture the whole Nazi experience in a film documenting the final days of the regime
• Show how human the Nazis were

HW 5

1. In the film, Hitler mentioned the importance of art to Germany, connecting to the theme of the role of the arts in domestic policy.
2. Some domestic policy can be seen in how Hitler interacts with his administration. They are generally very obedient to him, and he seems to trust them to give him advice.
3. The scene in which Hitler is looking at a model of the city he hopes to build shows some of his aims and ideology.
4. The film shows some of the nature and extent of the opposition to Hitler. Not all of the members of Hitler's administration agree with their leader completely, and Germany is shown being attacked by the Russians.
   

"Remembering the Cruelty"

1. The article relates to the theme of the establishment of authoritarian and single party states, showing the methods Germany used to expand its rule. It explains that Germany directly attacked Poland, rather than dealing with it legally. This shows that Hitler was willing to use force to achieve his goals.
   
2. The article also shows Germany's treatment of religious groups, explaining how it set up death camps in order to "annihilate Europe's Jews."
3. The nature, extent, and treatment of opposition is hinted at when the article mentions that "the blitzkrieg unleashed on Poland launched nearly six years of war that engulfed the world and left more than 50 million people dead."