2A.+Methods+force,+legal

 II. Establishment of authoritarian and single-party states Methods: force legal

Questions from IB relating to this topic:
 *  Account for the relative success of Hitler up to 1939.
 * How and why was Hitler able to become dictator of Germany?
 * Assess the contributions of organizational and leadership qualities in Hitler’s rise to power.
 * Analyze the similarities and differences between single party rule in Hitler's Germany and Stalin's Russia between 1933 and 1945. Answers should consider: (A) methods of dealing with opposition; (B) control of the media and education; (C) control of the economy, and (D) wartime planning. (1989) (HL)
 *  In what ways did Hitler follow the aims and ideologies that he had set out in Mein Kampf? (1995) (HL)
 * Analyse the methods used and the conditions which helped in the rise to power of one ruler of a single-party state. (HL) (2005)

Time period: from 1924- August 1934 (the death of President Hindenburg, which allowed Hitler to assume the office of the Presidency in addition to the Chancellorship -- creating a new office of “Fuhrer and Chancellor”) The success of the Nazi Party can be attributed to:
 * Hitler, the brilliant orator and charismatic leader of the Nazi party
 * Strategy
 * Intimidation/Force: the Nazi party had a powerful paramilitary force, the SA, which dealt with rivals and opponents
 * Persuasion: Broad appeal, propaganda
 * Organization of the party -- the Nazi party was well organized.
 * Constitutional weaknesses of the Weimar Republic, its crisis of legitimacy, and political intrigue


 * PRE-1925/ Introduction:**
 * The Nationalist Socialist German Worker's Party (NSDAP or Nazis) were the most successful of the**volkisch** [German adjective used to describe a policy or idea based upon the principle of race] groups that appeared on the right of German politics.
 * Founded in 1919 by Anton Drexler, but soon dominated by the brilliant orator Adolf Hitler
 * Their strategy in the beginning was based on their trust in a **policy of putschism** [Violent insurrection. Putsch is a German word indicating the violent seizure of power by a group or party -- the equivalent of a coup d’etat], which culminated in the **Munich Putsch of November 1923**.
 * Hitler’s aim was a “March on Berlin” mimicking Mussolini’s recent “March on Rome”. The **Putsch was a fiasco**, and resulted in the Nazi leadership being imprisoned.
 * **However, **Hitler was able to turn his failure at Munich to his advantage
 * He had gained national publicity from his bold defence at his trial.
 * The lenient sentences handed over made clear the sympathy for the Nazi cause in the instituions of the Republic (Hitler was released within a year)
 * Hitler used the time in prison to write **//Mein Kampf//** //--//which set out his ideas.
 * He was shown to be indispensable to the Nazi party, and he virtually refounded the party in **February 1925**.


 * Hitler:**
 * Hitler provided charismatic leadership to the Nazi party -- had an almost messianic mission to build a new Germany
 * Powerful orator
 * The aftermath of the Munich Putsch and the chaos that befell the Nazis during Hitler's imprisonment showed how indispensable he was to the movement
 * Fü//hrerprinzip/// anti-democratic -- Hitler believed that democracy provided weak government; it should be replaced by a one party state based on the principle of an all-powerful leader.
 * In Feb. 1925 the party was reorganized under Führerprinzip, giving Hitler supreme power over both policy and strategy
 * Made the party the obedient tool of Hitler's will.
 * Examples of Hitler's personal command:
 * introduced the brown shirts for the SA
 * adopted the Nazi salute
 * personally designed the Nazi flag
 * was able to appeal both to the socially downtrodden //and// to the agrarian and industrial elites
 * was the central rallying figure between various groups within the party

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Following the Munich Putsch, the Nazis //adapted// their strategy <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-- the NSDAP now sought power by parliamentary means. However, this initially led to poor results, during the Golden Age of the Weimar Republic (1924-29) <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: justify;"> The aftermath of the Wall-Street Crash and the onset of the Great Depression was
 * Strategy:**
 * SA:
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: justify;">The Nazi party deployed a powerful paramilitary force, the stormtroopers (Sturmabteilung or SA)
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">proved more than a match for its Communist rivals in the street **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> violence that scarred the political life of the Weimar Republic.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">SA work entailed
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">distributing propaganda leaflets
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">protecting Nazi meetings
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">drive the Communist party from the streets
 * Disciplined marches gave the impression of order, persuaded people of the firm government that the Nazis would provide if they came in power
 * Used to intimidate Reichstag deputies into signing the Enabling Act in 1933
 * Broad policy/propaganda
 * Appealed to the resentments of defeated Germans, both “national” and “socialist”.
 * The Nazi party had a centralized party propaganda machine, and also paid great attention to local propaganda:
 * Used the latest technology to spread their message:
 * loudspeakers,
 * slide shows,
 * films,
 * radio
 * Mein Kampf
 * Powerful message: the feeble Weimar democratic system would be replaced with strong leadership. The Nazis were able to distinguish themselves from other parties.
 * Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic/Political intrigue**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Nazi Party: Initially planned to overthrow the Weimar democracy and the Treaty of Versailles through revolution. After 1925, Hitler attempted to achieve power through the ballot box and intimidation by the SA stormtroopers. It became the largest party in the Reichstag by 1932 but never gained more than one-third of the votes before January 1933. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(Europe Book)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It is important to remember that in spite of all the success/progress made by the Nazi Party by 1932 they were still not in a position of power. However, a series of events transpired -- as a result of  <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">which handed the Chancellorship to Hitler in JAN 30 1933.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">weaknesses of the Weimar constitution
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">political intrigue

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1933 || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Law against the Formation of New Parties || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1933 || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Reichstag dissolved ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sept. 1930 ** || **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Reichstag election -- the Nazis caused a shock by making major gains. **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Any government would find it hard to get a majority in the Reichstag. Brüning’s government survived, however, but relied on presidential decrees, rather than the Reichstag. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">March 1930 || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The last coalition government with a working majority in the Reichstag falls. Hindenburg appoints a prominent member of the Center Party, Heinrich Brüning as Chancellor. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">May 1932 || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Brüning is dismissed after by Hindenburg. Franz von Papen is asked to form a non-party government of “national concentration” ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">July 1932 ** || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Hindenburg agrees to dissolve the Reichstag, which was in deadlock, and hold an **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">ELECTION **. **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The results were a disaster for the Weimar regime. Extremists made further major gains. The Nazis and Communists won over half of the Reichstag seats. ** ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Aug. 1932 ** || **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Hitler, with 37% of the vote, and demanded that he be made Chancellor. ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Nov. 1932 || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A new **ELECTION** is held as von Papen struggles to gain support in the Reichstag. The Nazi share of the vote falls from 37% to 33%, although remaining as the largest party in the Reichstag. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Dec. 1932 || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">von Papen is dismissed by Hindenburg on the advice of his main advisor General Schleicher. Schleicher declares his candidacy, but is unable to form a government. ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Jan. 1933 ** || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">von Papen persuades Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor, but with von Papen as vice-Chancellor, with the idea that Hitler and his policies would be controlled by von Papen. **Hitler is APPOINTED Chancellor.** ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Feb. 1933 ** || **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Reichstag Fire Decree ** ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">March 1933 ** || **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Reichstag election. Communists and Social Democrats largely excluded (Nazis gain 44% of the vote). ENABLING ACT PASSED. ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">April 1933 || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Reform of Civil Service law passed, removes Jews and dissidents from public office. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">May 1933 || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Weimar Republic trade unions outlawed. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">July
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Oct.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">June 1934 || <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Night of the Long Knives ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">August 1934 ** || **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Hindenburg dies; Hitler combines the offices of the Chancellery and the Presidency together and declares himself Fuhrer . Army takes oath of allegiance to Hitler.** ||

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">**FEB 1933**
 * Reichstag fire** – allegedly arson by a Dutch communist, and exploited by the Nazis to show danger of communist threat.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">“Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of the Nation and the State”
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Emergency decree following the Reichstag fire: **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Issued by Hindenburg using **Article 48**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Suspended constitutional civil rights
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Gave secret police power to hold people indefinitely in protective custody
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Used to repress the KPD
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Remained in force throughout the Third Reich: in effect the basic law of the Third Reich

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">**ENABLING ACT** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">“Law for Terminating the Suffering of the People and the Nation” <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">(Weimar and Nazi Germany book)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">March 1933 **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Passed by Reichstag (relocated to the Opera House after the fire) as SA and SS surround the building and intimidate deputies
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Gave emergency powers to the government for four years
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Cabinet (in effect, Hitler) could pass decrees without the President’s involvement
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Became the virtual constitution of the Third Reich.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Propoganda: <span style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; vertical-align: baseline;">[] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Before 1933 The Nazi party used various propaganda to gather support from the people. One of the propaganda posters that the Nazi party made was an anit-communist article talking about. For other forms of methods within the arts and media go here. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Another method Hitler used was his book Mein Kampf, written in 1924. ( BBC2). While the book was not popular initially it still had readers and explained Hitler’s initiatives and reasoning. It would be later used as an important tool to the Nazi party.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> Hitler was an inspirational speaker and used tactics like exaggerated hand motions, a loud voice to garner the attention of the nazi people. In those speeches Hitler talked about the very things that many German people disliked, The Versailles treaty. The treaty of Versailles was disliked for it’s harsh punishment but Hitler denounced the treaty publicly to gain popularity with the people. (http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/year9links/versailles.shtml)  <span style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; vertical-align: baseline;">Inspirational video: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> ** [] ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;"> Other links used: [] <span style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; vertical-align: baseline;">[] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%; text-align: justify;"> Picture of Mein Kampf: []