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 during Weimar Germany, thus making it hard for Germany to develop

stable and real democratic institutions.

Body Paragraph 2 – Poor commitment to Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic 1919 was established in a period of chaos, after the monarchy abdicated, with

Friedrich Ebert as the first president. This republic even had a very liberal and democratic Constitution;

however, it counted with two problematic problems: proportional representation, which made it difficult

for any party to rule with majority, and Article 48, which gave the president the power to rule by decrees.

In addition, due to the origins of Germany, there was barely any commitment to the democracy,

especially from the Elites who disliked the democracy and wanted to return to an authoritarian system.

Weimar also experienced several crisis, which eventually leaded to Hitler’s rise. After the Monetary

Crisis, during which Germany was refused a break from the reparation payments and experienced a sky-

high inflation, the Nazi Party was born. After the failure of Hitler’s Munich Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, the

Nazi Party was able to win popularity and Hitler became aware that the only way to seize power was

through legal terms.

Body Paragraph 3 - WWI

Stab in the back – after the end of WWI the German army, concretely Ludendorff and Hindenburg,

claimed that they would have been capable of winning if there hadn’t been a lack of support and unity at

home. This was known as the ‘stab in the back’ theory, which became very popular among Germans who

weren’t willing to accept the defeat. Hitler used this as a way to attack the Weimar Republic, especially

the Communists and the Jews who were also blamed for undermining the war effort.

Treaty of Versailles – England and France forced Germany to pay heavy reparations that seemed

unachievable since they were considered guilty for the war. In addition, their army was also greatly

reduced, they were disarmed and many territories were taken away. This created a sense of bitterness

throughout Germany, whose economy was unsustainable. However, during the 1920’s the Locarno Era

was able to bring optimism to Europe and the world. Germany’s reparations were reduced after the

Dawes Plan and Young Plan and Germany was able to pay some reparations due to the loans given by the

US. However, in 1929 the US experienced the Wall-Street Crash and fell into depression, calling in the

loans given to Germany.

Body Paragraph 4 – The Great Depression

When the US experienced the Wall-Street Crash in 1929 the whole country fell into recession, and with

them the world. They started calling in the loans given to Germany, thus breaking with the ‘illusion’ that

had taken control over Germany during those last years. As a result of this, Germany also fell into

depression; eventually the world was in recession and the Great Depression took place. The Nazis, which

had disappeared during the Locarno Era, revived. The German society was in chaos and saw the Nazis as

a way to bring the greatness they had lost back to Germany. In 1928 the Nazi Party only had 12 seats, but

by 1932 they had reached 230 seats in the Reichstag assembly. In 1933 Hitler was already Germany’s

Chancellor and within a few months he was able to establish a totalitarian state.

2. ANALYZE THE MAIN FACTORS, WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO HITLER’S RISE TO

POWER IN JANUARY 1933.

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 was 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 was mainly due to the bitterness felt throughout Germany after WWI,

the poor commitment of the Germans to the Republic, the Nature of the Weimar Republic and the greatest

error of Von Papen, Schleicher and Hindenburg of thinking they were able to control Hitler and thus

appoint him as Chancellor.

Body Paragraph 1 - WWI & The Great Depression

Stab in the back – after the end of WWI the German army, concretely Ludendorff and Hindenburg

claimed that they would have been capable of winning if there hadn’t been a lack of support and unity at

home. This was known as the ‘stab in the back’ theory, which became very popular among Germans who

weren’t willing to accept the defeat. Hitler used this as a way to attack the Weimar Republic, especially

the Communists and the Jews who were also blamed for undermining the war effort and thus gain support

from the Germans who saw the extremist parties as a way to solve the nation’s problems.

Treaty of Versailles – England and France forced Germany to pay heavy reparations that seemed

unachievable since they were considered guilty for the war. In addition, their army was also greatly

reduced, they were disarmed and many territories were taken away. This created a sense of bitterness

throughout Germany, whose economy was unsustainable. However, during the 1920’s the Locarno Era

was able to bring optimism to Europe and the world. Germany’s reparations were reduced after the

Dawes Plan and Young Plan and Germany was able to pay some reparations due to the loans given by the

US. However, in 1929 the US experienced the Wall-Street Crash and fell into depression, calling in the

loans given to Germany.

Great Depression – When the US experienced the Wall-Street Crash in 1929 the whole country fell into

recession, and with them the world. They started calling in the loans given to Germany, thus breaking

with the ‘illusion’ that had taken control over Germany during those last years. As a result of this,

Germany also fell into depression; eventually the world was in recession and the Great Depression took

place. The Nazis, which had disappeared during the Locarno Era, revived. The German society was in

chaos and saw the Nazis as a way to bring the greatness they had lost back to Germany. In 1928 the Nazi

Party only had 12 seats, but by 1932 they had reached 230 seats in the Reichstag assembly. In 1933 Hitler

was already Germany’s Chancellor and within a few months he was able to establish a totalitarian state.

Body Paragraph 2 – Poor commitment to Weimar Republic

The Weimar Republic 1919 was established in a period of chaos, after the monarchy abdicated, with

Friedrich Ebert as the first president. This republic even had a very liberal and democratic Constitution;

however, it counted with two problematic problems: proportional representation, which made it difficult

for any party to rule with majority, and Article 48, which gave the president the power to rule by decrees.

In addition, due to the origins of Germany, there was barely any commitment to the democracy,

especially from the Elites who disliked the democracy and wanted to return to an authoritarian system.

Weimar also experienced several crisis, which eventually leaded to Hitler’s rise. After the Monetary

Crisis, during which Germany was refused of a break from the reparation payments and experienced a

sky-high inflation, the Nazi Party was born. After the failure of Hitler’s Munich Beer Hall Putsch of 1923,

the Nazi Party was able to win popularity and Hitler became aware that the only way to seize power was

through legal terms.

Body Paragraph 3 – Political miscalculation

Even though the Weimar Republic counted with a promising future, it was far too democratic for the

more authoritarian Germans. The fact that the Constitution included proportional representation caused

unstable institutions and weak coalitions, each with unqualified leaders, unable to govern successfully

with majority. The Article 48 that stated that the President had the power to rule by decrees, meaning that

he would be able to govern in case of emergency without the consent of the rest of the Reichstag, enabled

Hitler to have total control over Germany once he was appointed Chancellor. This was possibly the

greatest error; appointing Hitler as Chancellor. After Stresemann died, the stability he gave to Germany

disappeared. The coalitions were still fragile, resulting in lack of progress. Once the German society was

polarized and turned to extremist solutions, no coalition could be formed. In 1930, Brüning ruled by

decree, meaning by Article 48. He was unpopular and was replaced by Von Papen, a monarchist also

unpopular who sought Nazi support by offering Hitler the position of Vice-Chancellor in order to be able

to form a coalition, despite the disagreement Hindenburg. Von Papen even lifted the ban on street armies,

which was key to the control of the Nazis over the society since they were now able to control the street

and create a sense of fear. Hitler refused the offer of Von Papen yet he would only agree if he were

appointed Chancellor. By 1932 the Nazi Party won 230 seats, making them the biggest party. After

several intents, Von Papen and Schleicher were able to convince Hindenburg to appoint Hitler Chancellor

yet it was the only way to make a coalition and govern Germany. They also thought they were going to be

able to control Hitler. At the end, Hindenburg agreed and appointed Hitler Chancellor. The Nazi Party

was now part of the cabinet.

Body Paragraph 4 - Hitler’s Personality

3. “FASCISM’S RISE TO POWER IN ITALY AND GERMANY LARGELY RESULTED AS A

CONSEQUENCE OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR.” TO WHAT DEGREE DO YOU AGREE

WITH THIS VERDICT?

Introduction

Body Paragraph 1

First of all, after losing the war and after being given the war guilt, Germany was forced to pay reparation

payments as a consequence. The already poor economic situation was only worsened by these

unachievable reparation payments. This caused a sense of bitterness toward the Allies among the German

population. On the other side there was Italy, who at first were in the side of Germany, but then turned to

support the Allies. Therefore, they were on the winning side; however, for the Italians, the victory was a

mutilated victory. It was called mutilated victory because even though Italy was on the winning side, they

weren’t satisfied and didn’t get what they wanted, concretely territories to expand the empire. This led to

a social and political unrest, and an overall humiliation, which Giolitti’s government couldn’t control. It

was during this time when Mussolini emerged.

Body paragraph 2

In both countries, WWI led to extreme nationalism and social and political instability. After WWI Italy

and Germany experienced the high costs of participating in the war: debt, inflation, unemployment, low

living standards… which gave the opportunity to the more extremist parties to win popularity. The fear of

communism drove most of the population in both Germany and Italy to support the fascist right rather

than the communist left, which had some key weaknesses. Hitler and Mussolini promised to bring the

greatness they had lost back to their country, thus attracting the masses. In addition, the elites, who

weren’t willing to compromise with the social reforms and feared communism and therefore decided to

support Fascism.

Body Paragraph 3

In the case of Italy it was the king who appointed Mussolini as Prime Minister, while in Germany it was

Hindenburg under the influence of Von Papen and Schleicher who appointed Hitler as Chancellor;

however, what both of these cases had in common was that they were only appointed due to the

desperation of the country and the government who were willing to support fascism rather than going

against it.

4. ASSESS THE STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS OF WEIMAR GERMANY BETWEEN 1919

AND 1932.

Introduction

Body Paragraph 1: Strengths

Firstly, the Weimar Republic seemed to be well established. It counted with a Constitution that gave equal

rights to everyone and included universal suffrage; “it was on paper the most liberal and democratic

document of the 20th century”. Even a parliament, the Reichstag, was established. It worked under

proportional representation, meaning that the number of votes the party won in the elections was

proportional to the number of seats gained. However, this proved to be a key weakness of the Weimar

Constitution and Republic later on.

Body Paragraph 2 – Strengths with Stresemann

The Weimar Republic was the strongest when Stresemann (DBP) was Chancellor. He made huge

progress. First of all, he proposed the Fulfillment Policy in which he accepted the clauses of the Treaty of

Versailles. Despite this, he was also able to negotiate the Dawes Plan with the US, which restructured the

reparation payments and through which Germany received many loans to pay these reparations. The

Treaty of Locarno was also signed, in which Germany accepted its western borders. An important event

during that time was that Germany joined the League of Nations. In 1926 Stresemann won the Nobel

Prize for the Locarno Treaty. In the elections of 1928 the democratic pro-Weimar parties won 78% of the

votes; everything seemed under control and there was a sense of optimism. In 1929 the Young Plan was

also signed, which further on reduced Germany’s reparation payments. Stresemann proved to be one of

the best leaders Germany had at that time.

Body Paragraph 3: Weaknesses

However, the Constitution, whose strength supposed to be its democratic values, brought within it its

greatest weakness and failure. Proportional representation, which appeared to be an important

achievement for Germany, was the main cause why there were weak coalitions during the Weimar

Republic, especially towards the end, resulting in Hitler’s rise to power. Article 48, which was going to be

used in emergency cases and gave the power to the president to rule by decrees also resulted in appointing

Hitler as Chancellor. After the Great Depression and after Stresemann died, there appeared to be no true

government which could handle the situation Germany was going through. This resulted in weak

coalitions, and eventually to no coalitions at all yet no party won a large amount of votes. Thus,

Hindenburg, Von Papen and Schleicher seemed force to appoint Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party, as

Chancellor so they were finally able to form a coalition.

Conclusion

Hitler rising to power in 1933 implies the weaknesses were there.

5. ASSESS THE POLICIES THAT ALLOWED HITLER TO ESTABLISH AND CONSOLIDATE

THE THIRD REICH AFTER HE WAS NAMED CHANCELLOR IN 1933.

Pg. 180 181

Introduction: In January 1933, Hindenburg appointed Hitler Chancellor and Von Papen Vice-Chancellor.

Hitler did not take the power; he was given the power legally. It only took him six months after that to

have total control over the government and Germany and set up a dictatorship. In order to establish and

consolidate the Third Reich, Hitler issued several policies that fell under the policy of Gleichschaltung,

such as the Reichstag Fire Decree and the Enabling Act, used education and media as a form of

propaganda and used the SA (secret police) to create the climate of fear, which enabled him to have total

control.

Paragraph 1 – Concordat, Enabling Act, Labor Front

Hindenburg issued the Reichstag Fire Decree, as Hitler demanded. This decree allowed the arrest of the

political opposition, most Communists. It also allowed the SA to terrorize other electors before the

elections Hitler had called. The results of the elections gave by little the majority to the coalition. Hitler

then passed the Enabling Act, which gave him the right to rule by decree for four years. The only party

that voted against it was the Social Democrats; soon afterwards, the party was banned as well as the

Communist Party. The German Labor Front, to which all workers were forced to join, replaced all trade

unions, whose leaders had been arrested. In addition, the Lander was stripped of its power and was

replaced by the Gautleiters, which were Nazi leaders in charge of each region. The next policy Hitler used

to establish a totalitarian state was one in which he made the Nazi Party the country’s only legal party, as

he outlawed the others.

Paragraph 2 – Education & Propaganda

The educational system was used as a propaganda form of the party. The curriculum was adjusted, and

textbooks were rewritten to conform to Nazi Ideas. Hitler Youth organization prepared young people for

roles as soldiers and mothers and indoctrinated the party’s ideology on them. Propaganda was also a key

component of Hitler’s consolidation of the Third Reich. Mass media was controlled by the Ministry of

Propaganda, whose leader was Joseph Goebbels. Books, newspapers, films were censored. Writers and

artists that didn’t express opinions in favor of Nazism were attacked. Jews were also heavily attacked.

Ceremonial book burnings were held. The Nazi art known as the “Aryan Art” was glorified. Lastly, the

Church became somewhat controlled. Hitler and Pope Pius XI signed the Concordat in which the Catholic

Church would recognize the regime if Hitler promised not to interfere with the Church. Lastly, in order to

further on consolidate Hitler’s power, the Nazi secret police leaded by Himmler, the SS, gained a great

amount of power. Concentration camps were established to deal with the opposition and the undesirables.

The party itself was even purged in The Night of the Long Knives (June 1934), during which some

leaders of the SA and the party were murdered.

Paragraph 3 – The Racial State

To fully consolidate his power, Hitler wanted to create the perfect race, the Aryan race. In order to do

this, in 1939 Hitler secretly sent to kill many ill and insane, as well as many Jews. He issued the Civil

Service Act, which declared that no one with a Jewish grandparent could be able to work in the civil

service. Later on they were also excluded from the arts, media and sports. This discriminatory attitude

was somewhat popular since anti-Semitism was mostly popular among the Volkish Right in Germany and

it also gave career opportunities to many Aryan Germans. The Blood Protection Act prevented marriage

between Jews and Germans. Goebels launched a program, which directly attacked Jews and Jewish

business, known as the Kistrallnacht. Thousands of Jews were imprisoned and hundreds were killed and

all the synagogues were burnt down. The “Final Solution” was presented in the Wannsee Conference

1942. Extermination camps were built, counting with gas chambers, for the extermination of Jews,

communists, homosexual, gypsies… This was known as the Holocaust.