Rise of Nazism in Germany: From Crisis to Dictatorship
The Rise of Nazism to Power
The Nazi militias violently opposed the republic and staged several insurrectionary attempts. They also clashed with communist organizations and their members.
The Nazis’ Ascent to Power
Despite some economic stability, the consequences of the 1929 crisis were very tough on Germany. The withdrawal of American capital dragged many banks into bankruptcy, leading to closures, unemployment, and social discontent. In 1932, there were over six million unemployed in Germany.
The unrest pushed a good portion of the population towards the proposals of the extremist parties. Ruined bourgeois, desperate farmers, and workers were attracted by Nazi promises, while intellectuals and the majority of workers were inclined towards the Communist Party.
In the 1932 elections, the Nazi Party obtained 13 million votes, and in January 1933, President Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Chancellor. A few days later, the Nazi squadrons caused a fire at the Reichstag (Parliament) and accused the Communists.
This incident served as a pretext for Hitler to eliminate his opponents and demand full powers. In 1934, after the death of Hindenburg, Hitler proclaimed himself Führer and Chancellor of the Third Reich (Empire).
The Nazi Dictatorship
In 1934, in just a few months, the Nazis transformed Germany into a dictatorship. All political parties and unions were dissolved, Parliament was closed, elections were abolished, and individual liberties were suppressed. Systematic persecution of opponents began. Only the Nazi Party was authorized, monopolizing all power. Workers were called to join the National Socialist Labor Front, the only permitted union.
Public administration was subjected to a law authorizing dismissal for political and racial reasons. The judiciary lost its independence and was subject to the will of the local party authorities. The different states were removed and transferred to the Reich.
From a social point of view, the Nazis hoped to achieve the cohesion of the entire German society, based on the superiority of the Aryan race and National Socialist ideology. The educational system, culture, and art had to follow Nazi slogans, leading many artists and intellectuals to be persecuted and flee the country. All literary and artistic production was censored, lists of banned authors were created, and public events were held to burn books considered harmful.
The Nazis gave women a very marginal social role, limiting their activity to the three so-called “K’s”: Kinder, Kirche, Küche (children, church, kitchen). To ensure new generations of young Aryans, the Hitler Youth was established, which was responsible for orienting the leisure and education of young people.
A Regime of Terror
The German state became a police state that imposed its regime through terror. Police forces (Gestapo and Security Sections), under the control of Himmler, were responsible for pursuing any attempt at opposition and imposing order.
The maintenance of the racial purity of German society led to the persecution of Jews. In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws were issued, preventing mixed marriages and excluding Jews from German citizenship. In 1938, they were forced to wear a badge.
From 1933, concentration camps were created to imprison opponents and enemies of the Reich. Many Jews were arrested, forced to do hard labor, and some were exterminated.
Economic Autarky and Rearmament
From an economic point of view, the Third Reich proposed to make Germany a global power, prepared to confront any challenge. Therefore, Nazi economic policy responded primarily to Hitler’s militarist and expansionist projects.
The Nazi state implemented strong economic interventionism, aiming to achieve economic autarky and turn Germany into a self-sufficient state. Priority was given to heavy industry, especially armament, which experienced tremendous development. To address unemployment, a very ambitious public works program was carried out, with the construction of many highways and other infrastructure.
Expansionist ambitions required a powerful army, and Hitler initiated a policy of militarism: the army was strengthened, military service was instituted, and a new army, the Wehrmacht, and a modern air force, the Luftwaffe, were created.
With a powerful army and an economy oriented towards war, Hitler felt ready to embark on building a great empire and conquering a “living space” in Eastern Europe. The path to World War II was set.