Unit Essential Question: To what extent can poor economic conditions lead to radical politics?
Aim: How did fascists leaders maintain control over their populations?
ADOLF HITLER AND HIS RISE TO POWER
Adolf Hitler tended to gain his support cultural and national soil – the “Volk” –
from the lower middle class - the little the people – the pure breed.
men – the clerks, the shopkeepers, the
minor civil servants. These were the Hitler learned his anti-Semitism in
people whose ambitions had been Austria were he developed his ideas of
frustrated by the wartime economy. Lebensraum (living space) and the
These were the people who were self- master race. Anti-Semitism was
taught but could not get ahead. Finally, common in Russia and Eastern Europe
these were the people who came out of where pogroms against the Jews already
the Great War demoralized by German had a lengthy history by the 1920s and
defeat in 1918. 30s. In fact, anti-Semitism in various
forms had an extremely long history. In
Hitler was fanatically nationalistic. Germany, as compared with other areas
Nazism thrived on the defeat of WWI as of eastern and central Europe, there was
well as the national sense of humiliation no Jewish problem, the Jewish problem
shared by all Germans due to the only became real after Hitler and the
Versailles Treaty’s war guilt clause. Nazis invented it.
There is little doubt that Nazism made
its appeal to the emotions of a society The Nazi and Fascist movements of the
devastated by war. Capitalism, 1920s and 1930s were profoundly anti-
communism, the Jews, the weak, and the intellectual. Fascism came to be led by
insane were all denounced. Hitler the brutal, the ignorant and the criminal
demanded a strong government capable – men who were clever at exploiting the
of voicing the national will and leading irrationality of the masses. As keen
Germany back to its place in the sun. students of modern propaganda, the
Fascist and Nazis borrowed heavily from
Hitler’s storm troopers specialized in the great mass movements of the age
brutal violence, His party borrowed (radio, film, print). The Fascists
heavily from the Russian Bolsheviks for employed the language of religious
its organization. And this was important conversion, freely using would like faith,
for in such a party as the Nazis, salvation, miracle, rebirth, and sacrifice.
organization was everything. And then
there was Hitler’s social Darwinism – In general, the Fascist and Nazis
that life was a struggle and that the weak elevated all that was horrific in pre-war
will perish. For Hitler, the Jews were the and inter-war European culture. They
scapegoat, blamed for everything. were the evil spirits of western
Everything that had anything to do with civilization, They did not create the evil
capitalism, democracy, communism, – they merely exploited it. They
modern art and modern literature and a heighten it. Fascism was not restricted to
hundred of other things was all part of a Italy or to Germany alone. Fascism was
Jewish conspiracy. Stalin shared a a European phenomenon which
similar disposition. The Jews were developed as a reaction to the perceived
identified with intellectualism, while the failure of western-style democracies and
German or Aryan was identified with the industrial capitalism. From France,
Belgium and Romania to Austria,
England and the United States, Fascism nine conservatives, they reasoned that
did manage to receive some support. Hitler could be used and controlled. And
Fascism was profoundly conservative. so, on January 30th, 1933, Hitler legally
Its ideology glorified the county over the became the Chancellor of Germany.
city, stressed blind patriotism, the
family, traditional value and old Hitler moved quickly to establish a
customs. Watching Hitler’s chanting dictatorship. He used terror to gain
crowds, and mass meetings, one could power while maintaining an air of
only get the idea that some king of legality throughout. He called for new
madness had come over Germany. In elections to Parliament and then had the
actual fact, most Germans cared less for Parliament building burned to the
Fascist or Nazi propaganda, they liked ground. He blamed the Communists for
Hitler because he got things gone, solved this act thus helping to get them out of
unemployment and restored the pride of the way and out of any possible public
all Germans. following. He convinced President
By 1928, the Nazi Party had 100,000 Hindenburg to sign an emergency act
members and Hitler had absolute that abolished the freedom of speech and
control, The Nazis were still a marginal abolished the freedom of assembly. On
political group but world events in 1929 March 23, 1933, the Nazis pushed the
and 1930 produced a new mania for the Enabling Act through Parliament, thus
Hitler program. Unemployment stood at making Hitler dictator for a period of
1.3 million in 1929. The following year, four years. Communist Party members
it had risen to 5 million while industrial were arrested, the Catholic Center Party
production in 1932 fell by more that withdrew all opposition and the Social
50%. In that same year, 43% of all Democratic Party was dissolved. So it
Germans were unemployed. Hitler now was that Germany, like Soviet Russia
began to promise Germany economic under Stalin, became a one party state.
salvation as well as military and political
restitution for the “war-guilt clause” In the economic sphere, all strikes were
specified at Versailles. He focused on made illegal and unions were abolished.
the middle and lower middle classes- the In the cultural sphere, the press now fell
office workers, civil servant and under total control. Blacklisting became
teachers. These were the people who had the rule, books were burned, modern art
barely survived through the Depression. was prohibited and anti-intellectual
became the rule of the day.
The Nazis also made their appeal to the
German Youth. Hitler and his aides Hitler promised the German people work
were, in general, much younger than and bread and he delivered both. Hitler
other leading politicians. In 1931, for gave the people what they wanted the
instance, 40% of all Nazis were under most. He launched a massive public
thirty years of age, 70% were under 40. works program to pull Germany out of
National recovery, rapid change and the Depression. Superhighways, office
personal advancement formed the main buildings, huge stadiums and public
appeal of the Nazi party. By 1932, Hitler buildings were constructed at a rapid
had gained the support of key people in pace. In January 1937, unemployment
the army and in big business. These stood at 7 million. 12 months later it had
individuals though they could use Hitler fallen to 1 million and by 1938,
for their own financial interests. So they Germany witnessed a shortage of labor.
accepted Hitler’s demand to join the The standard of living increased by 20%
government only if he became and business profits were finally
Chancellor. Since the government was a increasing.
coalition consisting of two Nazis and
Hitler had accomplished something for and built up its military, Hitler formed
Germany and the German people. For alliances with other dictators and began
those Germans who were not Jews, to expand. Meanwhile, western Europe
Slavs, Gypsies, communists, liberals, simply sat back and tried to appease
non-Germans, or insane or weak, Hitler in order to avoid another World
Hitler’s government meant greater War.
opportunity and great equality.
Although economic recovery and
"Lecture 9 - The Age of Anxiety in the 1920s ." History
increased opportunity won Hitler Guide: Lectures of the 20th Century . Accessed January
support, Nazism was totally guided by 20, 2012. Last modified August 2009.
[Link]
two main ideas: Lebensraum and race.
As Germany regained economic strength
Unit Essential Question: To what extent can poor economic conditions lead to radical politics?
Aim: How did fascists leaders maintain control over their populations?
Questions Based on the Reading
Directions: Answer the following questions in complete sentences and in your own
words!!!
1. Who did Hitler gain his support from? Why did he gain his support from these people?
2. Why did Hitler use the defeat of WWI as a unifying factor to gain support?
3. What were the main beliefs of Hitler’s Nazism? Discuss three of them.
4. How did Hitler use propaganda to gain support?
5. What did highly important individuals believe would happen if they appointed Hitler as
Chancellor?
Where they correct? Explain your answer.
6. Why did Germans support Hitler? Use specific examples.
7. Compare the similarities and differences between the rise of Hitler and the rise of Lenin.
