Lecture Notes: Adolf Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi Party

Background Post World War I Germany

• Germany left in shock post-WWI
  • 2 million fatalities
  • Spiraling inflation
  • Unpaid debts to Allied countries
• Germany stripped of identity and pride
• Hitler, a war hero, won the Iron Cross first class

Adolf Hitler's Political Rise

• Joined German Workers Party (racist, anti-semitic)
• Blamed Jews and socialists for Germany's problems
• Renamed it to National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party)
• Attempted Munich takeover failed; Hitler imprisoned

Strategy for Power

• Need support of Army, police, civil service, business
• Develop propaganda to win votes
• Combined violent terror with propaganda

Economic Recovery and Collapse

• Late 1920s economic recovery
  • Stabilization of currency
  • American economic support
• Wall Street Crash 1929 led to depression
  • Massive unemployment (35-40%)

Political Climate and Nazi's Rise

• Political chaos and government by decree
• Nazi Party grew by exploiting economic and political instability
  • Vague policies but promised national recovery

Electoral Success

• 1932: Hitler loses presidential election but gains notoriety
• Nazi Party gained significant seats in Reichstag
• Hitler eventually offered Chancellorship

The Reichstag Fire and its Aftermath

• Reichstag fire in 1933 blamed on communists
• Led to Reichstag Fire Decree and Enabling Act
  • Gave Nazis power to imprison opponents
  • Ended democratic elections until WWII

Night of the Long Knives

• 1934 purge of the SA leadership, including Ernst Röhm
• Strengthened Hitler’s control by eliminating rivals

Nazi Propaganda and Control

• Joseph Goebbels orchestrated propaganda efforts
• Hitler Youth and League of German Girls promoted Nazi ideals
• Control over media, arts, and organizations

Anti-Semitism and Kristallnacht

• Longstanding anti-Semitism exacerbated under Nazis
• Kristallnacht (1938): pogrom against Jews
• Significant Jewish emigration following the event

Prelude to WWII

• Hitler's territorial expansion without major conflict
• Remilitarization raised tensions, but many countries avoided war

Conclusion

• Nazi popularity initially benefited from economic recovery promises
• Hitler’s initial military successes increased his prestige
• WWII ultimately led to the decline of Nazi support

This lecture highlights the complex interplay of economic, social, and political factors that allowed Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to rise to power in Germany, culminating in the onset of World War II.