Adolf Hitler: Rise to Power Hitler Gloats Over Victories.mov

Hitler’s Plan for the Third Reich ‘Mein Kampf’ = ‘My Struggle’ Extreme nationalism Unite all German-speaking people in an Empire, The Third Reich including: Dutch, Scandinavians, English, half of Belgiums Germans in Austria, Poland, Sudetenland Expand territory, Lebensraum, into Russia, Ukraine Enforce racial “purification” Most loathsome: Jews Master race prevails Anti-Democracy

Plan for Power While in prison decided Nazis must use legal means to come to power Propaganda Goebbels Symbolism Mass media Attack current gov’t Offered differing solutions to differing groups

Weimar Germany & the Depression Germany living on borrowed money, investments which have not had time to payoff US difficulties lead to US banks not loaning money to Germany & asking for repayments Consumers stop buying German exports Businesses go under or layoff workers, massive unemployment results Germany’s many political parties cannot agree on how to resolve the situation

SA & SS Celebrate January 30th, 1933 Hitler Appointed Chancellor

Reichstag Fire Hitler immediately calls for new elections SA & SS attack left-wing supporters Hitler rants against Communism Goebbels turns up propaganda And then…the Reichstag burns

Aftermath of Reichstag Fire Blamed on Communists Dutchman & former Communist arrested Tried & executed Hitler ‘whips up’ anti-Communist support SA harasses Communists & Socialists at will Beaten, killed, offices destroyed, meetings broken-up Goering, Nazi Minister of Interior deputizes 50,000 SA men

Big Business Support At this point money pouring into Nazi Party from big business Hitler held meeting with industrialists Why the support?

New Reichstag Elections Nazis win 288 seats just short of majority Outlawed Communist Party Now had majority Enabling Bill SS outside & SA inside chanting ‘we want the bill or fire and murder’ The Reichstag voted itself out of existence Centre Party supported in exchange for religious protections Only SPD opposed

Enabling Act and its Effects The Enabling Act gave Hitler the right to suspend civil rights and liberties in Germany until the crisis passed Hitler to rule by decree for 4 years What he says is now law

Consolidation of Power Gleichschaltung ‘Bringing into line’ Nazification of Germany Purge of ‘unreliables’ Socialists, jews, opposition Lost jobs as teachers, civil servants, lawyers SA carries out the violence Violence of SA grew almost beyond Hitler’s control

1st Concentration Camp Summer of 1934 ~27,000 prisoners in concentration camps 1st Concentration Camp: Dachau Near Munich

Gleichschaltung: Elimination of Political Parties All parties either outlawed or forced to disband via SA intimidation Reichstag remained but just for show July 1933: Law Against the Formation of Parties Nazi Party only legal party in Germany

Gleichschaltung: State governments abolished Replaced by 18 Nazi governors

Army vs SA SA, so valuable to Hitler in gaining power, was now falling out of his control ~ 1,000,000 men SA, under Ernst Rohm, wanted to continue the revolution via violent means Left was crushed, now turn to right SA making Hitler look bad SA seeking more power, takeover of entire army

Purge of SA: Why? Army liked much of what they saw in Hitler However, they hated the idea of being turned over to the S.A. and Ernst Rohm. Considered SA to be a bunch of thugs Army suggested loyalty to Hitler if SA not put in charge Hitler needed the Army for future plans Rohm had to go for Hitler to have the Army.

Night of the Long Knives June 29- July 1, 1934 SS, Hitler’s personal bodyguard, used to eliminate opposition 100 SA leaders murdered Including Ernst Rohm Many other political opponents also murdered Von Schleicher & von Kahr Social Dems ‘Undesirables’ like anti-Nazi religious leaders Army swore loyalty to Hitler

Hindenburg Hindenburg dies August 1934 Hitler combines chancellor & president Becomes Fuhrer SS, under Himmler, established as main instrument of terror

Tannenburg Memorial: site of Hindenburg’s famous WWI victory Hindenburg’s Funeral Tannenburg Memorial: site of Hindenburg’s famous WWI victory

Hitler becomes the Fuhrer