The Nazi Party’s Rise to Power: 1928-1933 In 1928 Hitler’s Nazi Party were a small, insignificant party. They enjoyed little success in elections and were viewed as little more than thugs by the political elite. By 1933 however Hitler was the chancellor of Germany. The Nazi’s had risen from obscurity to power, total power.

Factors Stresemann’s death The Wall Street Crash Economic instability Failure of the Weimar Government to cope with problems Weakness of the constitution Effective use of Propaganda Force used against opponents Wide ranging populist policies Visible strength at a time of weakness

Rise to power Wall Street Crash End of US Aid Economic Collapse Rising Unemployment High inflation Pressure on government Disillusionment with government Interest in extreme ideas Opportunity for Nazi’s Apparent weakness of Weimar Show of strength by Hitler Rise in votes for Nazi’s

Rise of Hitler Factors Inability of Weimar to cope with economic crisis Hitler’s manipulation of situation Public desire for order and strength Politicians naivety in dealing with Hitler Fear of communism Lead to Rise of National Socialism Instability of Weimar government

But the Nazis never had a majority! The Nazi Party never had an absolute majority in the Weimar government They did become the largest single party though Proportional representation allows non majority parliaments in the form of coalitions

Why was Hitler made Chancellor? Public demanded improvements Nazi Party were largest party in Reichstag Hindendburg and von Papen thought Hitler could be controlled Hitler was a national figure after the 1932 Presidential campaign (he came second to Hindendburg but had a large proportion of the vote)

How were the Nazi’s able to achieve this so quickly? The economic situation was very bad Hitler was a great public speaker The SA and SS disrupted he work of political opponents The Nazi’s were funded by industrialists such as Alfred Hugenberg The other political parties wouldn’t work together Chancellor’s in the period 1928-33 weren’t widely supported within the Reichstag Goebbel’s propaganda was effective People were fed up of ineffective coalition governments and the current situation The Nazi’s targeted certain groups of the electorate People didn’t want a return to the hyperinflation of 1923-24

How did Hitler consolidate power? The Reichstag Fire Creates a climate that Hitler can manipulate for his on ends The Enabling Act Hitler uses Article 48 to create a State of Emergency. The act effectively ends democracy in Germany. The Night of the Long Knives Opposition from within the party is removed: violently. The SA is ‘purged’. Hitler used his position, and the frailties and subsequent death of Hindendburg, to engineer a Nazi take over of government. He makes use of Article 48 to legitimise the end of democracy before radically altering the structure of government. Soon opposition is banned and Germany has a one party state. Pressure groups, such as Trade unions, are also banned. This Nazi ‘Revolution’ is secured as a result of the removal of all possible threats to nazi rule: the SA, the army and political parties are all ‘dealt with’ by the end of 1934.