1. Collapse of the Weimar Republic and the rise of the Nazi Party

2. The Weimar Republic
On Feb 1919 a new democratic republic led by Friedrich Ebert emerged from the ashes of WW1

3. Political weaknesses 1
Treaty of Versailles “illegitimate child of defeat”
Coalitions/proportional representation
Lack of law and order
No support from landowners, army, civil service and big business

4. Political weaknesses 2
Attacked by left wing parties German revolution 1919
Attacked by right wing parties eg Kapp Putsche 1920
Also Hitler’s Munich Putsch of 1923

5. Political Weaknesses 3 “A republic without republicans” Bookbinder
“the stability of Weimar rested on shaky foundations”
Bessel
“ an accidental republic …….that few Germans understood or appreciated”
Fischer

6. Economic Weaknesses 1 Treaty of Versailles >Iron >coal
>industry
>reparations

7. Economic weaknesses 2 Hyperinflation 1923-4
>savings of middle classes wiped out like “leaves in a gale”
Wall St. Crash in USA effect on Germany 1931.
>Unemployment
>support for extremist parties

8. Economic Weaknesses 3
“the slump had a major effect on the Weimar republic” Hite and Hinton
The chances of Weimar democracy surviving were virtually nil” Hite and Hinton

9. Attraction of Hitler and Nazis
Charismatic leader
Simple message – Versailles, anti semitism, anti communism
Propaganda

10. Attraction of Hitler and the Nazis 2
“the only party cutting across the political spectrum” Muhlberger
“the Nazis could claim to be a volkspartei”
Childers

11. Political Intrigue
Groups like the army, landowners and big business hoped to use Nazi support for their own ends
Conservative politicians miscalculated Hitler’s ambitions
“sordid political intrigue”
AJP Taylor
“in two months time we will have pushed him….into the corner”
Von Papen