Premium Essay

How Did Hitler Become Chancellor in 1933

In:

Submitted By alysapaulina
Words 1052
Pages 5
How Hitler became Chancellor in 1933

Hitler, the very name of the man is no more than a whisper in the new Germany that was born out of the fires and humiliation of WW2 and foreign occupation. Historians such as Ian Kershaw even dare to ask; “Has this been Hitler’s century?” .The very fact that one could even consider a century to be defined by one man is testimony to this man’s lasting effect on not just Germany or Europe, but the world. The common view of history is that Hitler forcibly took power by means of extreme violence, fear and propaganda. There is some truth to this assertion, but the reality is that Adolf Hitler actually came to power by democratic means. The question I am going to answer is how and why a man like Hitler was able to make a mockery of the democratic system we uphold as the pinnacle of government, by getting himself appointed as chancellor of Germany in January of 1933.

In understanding how Hitler was able to become chancellor, it is impervious to bring to light the conditions present in 1920s and 1930s Germany. To begin with Germans were deeply bitter about the humiliation they suffered as a result of losing the First World War. The perceived truth believed by most Germans was that they had not started the First World War, or lost it! The resulting blame for this deep embarrassment fell on the shoulders of communists, capitalists, weak politicians and Jews. Finding the NSDAP’s intentions to target these groups with the help of their vicious Sturmabteilung, persuaded many to vote NSDAP. A general public unhappiness about the Weimar government also made many flock to Hitler. In the public’s eyes, all the Weimar republic had ever done for them was bring inflation at an unprecedented level, allow communists and freikorps to roam the streets unchecked and bow down to the western powers that had so humiliated them. A condition that was

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

“Hitler Became Chancellor in January 1933 Because He Was the Leader of the Most Popular Party in Germany” – How Far Do You Agree with This Opinion.

...“Hitler became chancellor in January 1933 because he was the leader of the most popular party in Germany” – How far do you agree with this opinion. Hitler did not become chancellor in January 1933 because he was the leader of the most popular party in Germany, it was however to do with the support of the elite that made him Chancellor. There were other factors also such as the decline of the Weimar Republic and the economy but it was mainly to do with the conservatives. One factor that shows that the support of the elite was the reason that Hitler had become Chancellor was the event of the Bamberg conference. It could be argued that this conference had changed the ideology of the NSDAP and had made it more conservative. In the Bamberg conference, a new autocratic, and centralised structure was discussed, which stressed complete obedience to Hitler and the Fuhrerprinzip, and adherence to the “programme of 1920”. However it could be argued that the main reason why he had won the vote was due to the support of the elite, which includes Gustav Krupp and Hugenburg, who was a media tycoon. These elites had promised Hitler funding and they were against the radical anti-capitalism of Gregor Strasser. This shows how Hitler had become chancellor in 1933 because of the support of the conservatives as without them he may not have been the leader of the nazi party to start with. One argument that would show to some extent it was due to the fact that Hitler’s party was the most popular...

Words: 936 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Germany Revision

...SECTION 1: THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF THE WEIMAR GOVERNMENT 1918-OCTOBER 1933 |9 November 1918 |Abdication of the Kaiser | |January 1919 |Spartacist Uprising | |February 1919 |First Weimar elections | |28 June 1919 |Treaty of Versailles signed | |July 1919 |Weimar Constitution announced | |March 1920 |Kapp Putsch signed | |January 1923 |Occupation of the Ruhr | |January-November 1923 |Hyperinflation | |8-9 November 1923 |Munich Putsch ...

Words: 13280 - Pages: 54

Free Essay

Ib History Paper 1&2 Essays

...1. TO WHAT EXTENT WAS THE RISE TO POWER OF HITLER AND THE THIRD REICH, THE RESULT OF PREVIOUS POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS? Introduction Paragraph: Hitler was able to become Germany’s chancellor in 1933 and after 6 months he was already able to establish a dictatorship. It is surprising how such an abominable personage was able to gain total control over Germany, which had been able to become a democratic republic. As Kershaw stated, “the future of Weimar looked promising. And without the onset of the world economic crisis from 1929 it might have remained so”. Thesis: The rise to power of Hitler and the Third Reich was to a large extent the result of previous political and economic problems, such as Germany’s authoritarian origins, the minimum support the Weimar Republic had, WWI and the Great Depression. Body Paragraph 1 – Political and social structure of German authoritarian origins Germany had always favored nationalism, militarism, and anti-Semitism; all emotions in the German people that went back to Germany’s roots and history. Before the Third Reich and the Weimar Republic, Germany lived a prosperous period known as the Second Reich, during which they became a great empire due to the authoritarian traditions and the military success. This is a view extremely supported by the “structuralists”, who believe that Nazism and Hitler were simply products of German history and that they were forces that still dominated...

Words: 3288 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Notes on Leni

...The initial consolidation of the Nazi power in 1933The initial consolidation of the Nazi power in 1933-34 The initial consolidation of the Nazi power in 1933-34 takes form in three points: the German situation, the Nazi rootlessness, and the political acts and people that made it all possible. The German situation helped account for the initial consolidation of Nazi power in 1933-34. Due to the Wall Street Crash in 1929 the economy crashed all over the world, but none worse than in Germany. Due to the World War 1 payback, Germany was already suffering economically and they were only keeping afloat with the funds from US investors, but with the Wall Street Crash the investors withdrew their money from Germany resulting in businesses all over Germany collapsing; bankruptcy becoming nationwide and unemployment levels leapt upwards. The economic impact of this led many counties to move to protect their own domestic industries, resulting in high tariffs. In March 1930 and May 1932, the German Chancellor, Heinrich Bruning, pursued an orthodox economic policy of ridge deflation. The deflation involved increasing taxation and decreasing government expenditure. Then in July 1931, Germany suffered a major banking crisis. The country’s biggest banks, the Danat, went bankrupt. The impact this had for families meant that they were forced into poverty, Living on the streets, Health levels deteriorated, Children were forced to leave school early, Families broke up as men left to seek work...

Words: 2420 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Analyse the Problems of the Weimar Republic

...replace the imperial form of government, which is known as Weimar Republic. This Republic lasted until 1933, and was destroyed by Hitler. It went to three stages. In the first stage, which was from 1919-23, there was instability when the republic was struggling to survive. In the second stage, from 1923-29, there was stability when Gustav Streseman was the leading politician. This stability was due to the Dawes plan of 1924 in which USA provided huge loans. In the third or last stage, from 1929-33 there was instability again which led to the downfall of the Weimar Republic. The short term cause was the world economic crisis, which has disastrous effects on Germany, resulting in 6.5 million unemployed. This sudden situation made the government unable to cope with the situation and by the end of 1923 the Weimar republic seemed on the verge of collapse. There were several long term causes for that. Some of them were: 1. It had a number of disadvantages from the beginning the Republic was formed. a. It had accepted the humiliation and unpopular treaty of Versailles Treaty: The republic was not strong enough to reject the defeat and dishonour. b. There was a traditional lack of respect for democratic government: The Germans always favoured the army, and thought that the Democrats had ‘stabbed them in the back’ after signing the treaty of Versailles but what they did not focus on was that Kaiser was still in power when the treaty of Versailles was signed. The republic...

Words: 2090 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

The Holocaust

...charismatic leader. They found that in Adolf Hitler. Hitler joined the German Work Party in 1919. The party embraced right-wing ideology which suited Hitler’s views. Adolf Hitler was a captivating speaker and he encouraged national pride, militarism and commitment to the Volk (people) and a racially “pure” Germany. Hitler changed the name of the party to the National Socialist German Worker’s Party, shortened to the Nazi Party. He hated the Jews and promoted anti-Semitism. There are many stories as to why Hitler hated the Jews, but it is commonly thought that it was because many Jews were merchants and financially successful, when many workers struggled during the depressed economic state of Germany. He had actually developed his dislike for Jews long before he became a soldier. Hitler was appointed chancellor in 1933 and since he had the support of approximately 400,000 Nazis, he was able to overthrow the democratic government and on March 23, 1933 became the dictator of Germany. As dictator, he could then turn his attention to the driving force which had propelled him into politics in the first place, his hatred of the Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and his idea of a racially “pure” Germany. This paper will examine Adolf Hitler’s rise to power and how the greatest persecution in the world began when Hitler became dictator and would not end until years later in the greatest tragedy in all of human history, the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler was born in Austria in 1889 to a middle...

Words: 3426 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

What Was Hitler's Role In The Holocaust

.... Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler changed history forever. He was appointed as Chancellor in 1933 and was the leader of the Nazi Party from 1934- 1945. The Nazi party was elected the largest political party in Germany. Hitler’s policies led to World War II and the Holocaust. As a child, Hitler lived with his father, mother, and five siblings. His father did not approve of his career choice in the arts and he was also emotionally abusive to Hitler. After his father’s death he was allowed to drop out of school. He moved to Vienna and began to paint. struggled to make enough money to live and was even homeless at times. Hitler had personal and business relationships with Jewish people. It wasn’t until after World War I that he began to demonstrate prejudices...

Words: 611 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Germany

...This awesome booklet has been designed to help you get exam-ready. It contains the ‘essential’, need-to-know points for the Germany unit, plus useful revision boosters and guidance on answering exam questions. Remember, getting your exam technique sorted is a must if you’re going to succeed in the exam - it’s just as important as knowing your stuff! CONTENTS....There are 4 sections to this booklet. 3 Hitler overcomes his opposition 1 The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic 1918 1929 1933 1934 2 The rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis 1939 4 The Nazi dictatorship 1 The rise and fall of the Weimar Republic 1918-33 Introduction If, just for fun, we were to make a graph showing the fortunes of the Weimar Republic, it would probably look like this…. B A Phase A 1918-23: The WR suffers from a few major teething problems, and struggles to survive. C Phase B 1924-28: ‘The Golden Twenties’. Things are on the up for the WR, as it recovers from its earlier problems. But beneath the surface, there are still weaknesses. Phase C 1929-1933: With the Wall St. Crash and the Great Depression, the WR comes ‘crashing’ down! Of course, during each phase, the Nazis were experiencing their own political rollercoaster ride. Broadly speaking, whenever the WR was enjoying success, the Nazis were not, and vice versa. More about that later. What was the Weimar Republic and why was it set up? A lot of students struggle to get to grips with this...

Words: 13770 - Pages: 56

Premium Essay

Hitler's Oppression Of Jews During The Holocaust

...Americans, the holocaust has become known as Jewish history, but this understanding is incorrect for there was over five million victims that were not Jewish. The Holocaust was more than just a Jewish event. The Germans kept records that prove they exterminated millions of Gypsies, homosexuals, Russians, Jehovah's Witnesses, physically and mentally handicapped, Poles, resistance fighters, and many more. (Overlooked millions) If people were captured, and not immediately exterminated, they were usually sent to a concentration camp or labor camp. These prisoners were then given patches on their clothing for identification. Political prisoners wore red, prostitutes and other of that nature wore black, criminals were given green, and Jews were given yellow. (Overlooked millions)...

Words: 814 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Was Hitler's The Cause Of The Holocaust?

...1933. Berlin, Germany. Seas of people surround their new appointed chancellor, Adolf Hitler. He stood, five foot eight, poised and sharp in front of the population. His words poured from his lips, first one by one, then all at once. His face would flush, slurring words with a fiery passion. People cheered, uttering the infamous words “Heil, Hitler!” Did they understand the concept of his “revolution” of which he spoke? January 30th would be the beginning of the end for undesirables who lived within Germany, including the handicapped, the gypsies, homosexuals, and, most devastatingly, the Jewish population. These mass killings only became more intricate and efficient from 1933 to 1945, and it is obvious to say that the blame should be pinned...

Words: 1687 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

How and Why Did the Nazi Treatment of Jews Change Between the Years 1933 and 1945?

...| How and why did the Nazi treatment of Jews change between the years 1933 and 1945? | Curran De Braganca | How and why did the Nazi treatment of Jews change between the years 1933 and 1945? Most of us have heard of the Nazi party’s horrific, genocidal regime on destroying the Jewish race, but what events led up to their dire judgement? In this study I aim to uncover the events, reasons and changes which led to the Holocaust and the further changes in the treatment of the Jewish race by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party. In the aftermath of the First World War, Germany is under the Judgment of the Allies as a result of Allied victory Germany is being blamed for most of the war, The Treaty of Versailles stated that they: * Are to pay compensation to the Allies: £6.6 Million, which was well over Germany’s financial capacity at the time. * Portions of Germany’s land has been claimed and will distributed under Allied power to form new nations and also will be given to allied nations who lost land during the war. * Germany’s army will be reduced to only 100,000 men plus their naval vessels have been limited to 6 capital ships. The west of Rhineland had been Demilitarised and occupied by Allied forces. * Germany was not allowed to join with Austria to boost its economy. These were only just a few of the terms of the treaty. In Germany, many people were ‘pointing fingers’ and putting the blame on others, one group of people however, is taking...

Words: 3106 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

There Are Two Types of Observation, Covert and Overt. the Difference Between Them Is That Covert Observation Is When the People Being Observed Do Not Know They’re Being Watched or Studied, and Overt Observation Is When

...million in reparations. She was forbidden to have submarines or an air force and could only have a navy of six battleships and an Army of just 100,000 men. She also lost territory to Britain and France. The League of Nations – an international organisation designed to preserve the peace and solve international disputes by arbitration; based on a system of collective security (article 10). 42 countries joined at the start and by the 1930s this became 60. The covenant of the League of Nations was agreed as part of the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 held at Versailles – it aimed to stop war, improve people’s lives and jobs, disarm and enforce the Treaty of Versailles). In May 1920, the US Senate voted against Versailles (due to isolationism) and did not join. Summer 1919 John Maynard Keynes published ‘The Economic Consequences of the Peace’ – said that the Treaty of Versailles was ‘economic insanity’ and an example of a ‘Carthaginian Peace’. It sold 60,000 copies in the first 2 months, 100,000 copies in the first 6 months and was translated into 14 languages. Aug 1919 – 1934 ‘Ten Year Rule’ – British spending was only £102 million on defence in 1932, compared to £760 million in 1919 – 1920. March 1921 Anglo-Soviet trade agreement – stopped the blockade of Soviet Russia to resume trade with its people. In the 1920s Germany had 50% greater population than France and 4 times France’s heavy industry Between 1920 and 1922 there were no fewer 23 summit conferences held to discuss the reparations...

Words: 3898 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

How Did Adolf Hitler's Rise To Power

...damage to cities, factories, homes, and transportation. In the face of this devastation, the German public fell under the influence of Adolf Hitler, who was very intelligent and knew that he could teach the german people however he wanted since they were in need of great help. Adolf was born in 1889 on April 20th, as a child he gathered his anti semitic ideas in Vienna. As people would join in and discriminate against other religions, like the Jews. At a young age both of his parents ended up dying and leaving him parentless the rest of his life....

Words: 3056 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Hitler Rise to Power

...The rise to power of Adolf Hitler was not just some fluke of history, as many would have you believe. It was all part of a conspiracy planned out in advance by heads of multi national corporations, international bankers, and globalist politicians. The same forces that are behind the worldwide chaos we are witnessing now, were behind the rise of Hitler, and were directly responsible for World War II. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the most important causes that led to Hitler's rise in Germany. From the German point of view the treaty was incredibly harsh and devastating for Germany. The leaders of the allies drew up this treaty to purposely revenge and weaken Germany. The treaty contained five major points that would be Germany's demise. The first part was to revenge and weaken Germany. Many rules were laid down to Germany, which they had to obey. The German territory to the west of the Rhine would be occupied by allied troops for 15 years. The Germans did not like this because they did not want enemy troops in their own country. Even though the war was over they still hated the allies. Germany was not allowed to put any defences or troops on the east bank of the Rhine. This made Germany feel weak and vulnerable to invasion. They also hated the thought of a foreign president telling them what to do. Germany had to agree never to combine with Austria again. They had to strictly respect the independence of Austria. This was hard for both countries to accept as they both...

Words: 4437 - Pages: 18

Premium Essay

History Final

...the Soviet Union. Although unlike Hitler, Stalin did not target the Jews as a race, he embraced anti-Semitic stereotypes at times, such as in the infamous doctor's plot. See http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Human_Rights/plot.html We learn from our text, that "Stalin forced writers and artists to use the techniques of approved 'socialist realism' for artistic and literary expression" (235). Do you think that this is comparable to the Nazi book burnings? I think Stalin, like Mark mentioned, enforced only areas of education which benefited his plans for the government and its people. There was a big change in the way that classes of people were treated; Stalin cared much less about women than the previous leader and he aimed to increase profits through industry for the already wealthy elite and the military (Goff, 2008). During this time he promoted education which would reinforce the values of hard work and discipline, but did very little for the people who worked just as hard as others, the farmers. They were living in poverty. I think that the only difference between Stalin and Hitler here is that Stalin's goals were centered around earning more wealth and making people more productive, though at the expense of certain classes' qualities of life. Hitler sought to "extinguish" an entire race of people, based on superior beliefs of a duty to cleanse the world. Thanks for the interesting posts about Stalin and Hitler! Let's go a bit deeper into the comparison...

Words: 1411 - Pages: 6