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