THE RISE OF THE RISE OF HITLERHITLER

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

Born in Austria 1889 (a German speaking country) the son of a minor customs official and a peasant girl.

Hitler grew up thinking himself as part of the German race

A poor student, he never completed high school

He applied for admission to the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna twice but was rejected for lack of talent

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

Staying in Vienna until 1913, he lived first on an orphan's pension, later on small earnings from pictures he drew

Learned many ideas while living in Vienna

He read voraciously, developing anti-Jewish and antidemocratic convictions

Believed that Germans were the best people in the world

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

1913 – moved to Germany Joined the German Army

and fought in WWI Involved in politics at the

end of WWI Continued working for the

army after the war Asked to spy on a small

political party, the German Worker’s Party

Found that it held views similar to his own, so he joined it

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

Soon Hitler took over the leadership

Changed name to National Socialist German Worker’s Party

Nazi is an acronym for the party in German

Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, NSDAP, 'Nazi' Party

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

I myself, meanwhile, after innumerable attempts, had laid down a final form; a flag with a red background, a white disk, and a black swastika in the middle. After long trials I also found a definite proportion between the size of the flag and the size of the white disk, as well as the shape and thickness of the swastika.

And this remained final.

Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

The red expressed the social thought

The white the national struggle

The swastika the struggle for the victory of the Aryan mankind

Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

Why “nationalist”? Wanted Germany to

be strong again and to recover all the power and lands it had lost

Why “socialist”? Attacked the rich;

wanted to spread wealth more evenly across different classes

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

Aims End the agreements of the Treaty of

Versailles Redraw Germany’s borders to

include all German people Only Germans could be citizens of

Germany No Jewish people could be members

of this new Germany Additional territories (colonies) to

feed and settle surplus population The state to take over major

industries

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

As a “nationalist” party that was “socialist”, it hoped to win support from the ordinary people

The Nazi Party appealed to the man and woman in the street and also the middle and upper class

Little support in the early years

Munich putsch was a failure but his trial and arrest gave him the much needed publicity

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

It was while serving time in prison that he wrote Mein KampfMein Kampf (My Struggle)

After the failure of the Munich putsch, Hitler realised that he could come into power only by peaceful means

For the rest of 1920s, concentrated on the organisation of the party

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

Hitler formed several organizations to assist in spreading the Nazi propaganda

By 1929, he was in a strong position to take advantage of any crisis that might occur

Let’s look at some of his organisations

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

The SA (or brownshirts) Private army of the Nazi

Party Used terror against his

opponents

The SS (or blackshirts) Hitler’s personal

bodyguard Also to make sure party

members stay loyal

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

Adolf Hitler's SS Bodyguard Regimental

Standard

Adolf Hitler's SA Regimental Standard

Munich

Hitler and the National Socialist Hitler and the National Socialist PartyParty

The Gestapo (secret police) Spied on people and persecuted people who did not

follow party line

The Hitler Youth Recruited youths by telling them that to be patriotic

to their country, they had to support the Nazis

Hitler Youth Organisation Flag

Reasons for the Rise of the Reasons for the Rise of the Nazis Nazis

1. Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic- Came to power during WW1- Signed the armistice which ended WW1- Associated with defeat / blamed for

defeat – traitors / betrayers- Very democratic - Germany not used to

it- Weak leadership – coalition government- Nazis seen as most suitable alternative

Reasons for the Rise of the Reasons for the Rise of the Nazis Nazis

2. Unfair Treaty of Versailles- Unfair terms of treaty- Insult to Germany- Nazis determined to destroy the

treaty- Germans attracted to the Nazis

Reasons for the Rise of the Reasons for the Rise of the Nazis Nazis

3. Effects of the Great Depression- Wall Street Crash- Severe economic slump in countries- Unemployment in Germany increased- Cut down in American loans- People blamed Weimar Republic and

supported Nazis

Reasons for the Rise of the Reasons for the Rise of the Nazis Nazis

4. Fear of Communism- Communist party also had much

support during depression- Middle class and upper class

worried of communism- Though not all supported Nazis,

they funded the Nazis to get rid of the communists

Reasons for the Rise of the Reasons for the Rise of the Nazis Nazis

5. Charismatic leadership of Hitler

- A great political leader- Conducted vast rallies- Toured the country

frequently- Convinced people to

support the Nazis- Germany was looking

for a leader – saw Hitler as the solution

Reasons for the Rise of the Reasons for the Rise of the Nazis Nazis

6. Strength of the Nazi party- Nazi messages were simple – going

back to old days- Criticised Weimar republic- Attacked communism- Portrayed as modern party e.g. Hitler

travelled in plane- Well organised rallies – floodlights,

military music, marches- SA and SS looked good in uniform