The Rise of Nazism and the Weimar Republic’s Collapse
The Weimar Republic and the Treaty of Versailles
The Weimar Coalition, formed by the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Democratic Party (DDP), and the Catholic Zentrum party, held 76.2% of the vote. This government signed the Treaty of Versailles, which imposed heavy war reparations and worsened Germany’s economic conditions.
Hyperinflation and Political Radicalization (1922-1923)
Hyperinflation devastated the German economy, leading to social unrest and political radicalization against the republic.
Period of Stability (1924-1929)
Foreign aid through the Dawes Plan (1924), the Locarno Pact (1925), and Germany’s entry into the League of Nations (1926) brought a period of stability.
The Beginnings of Nazism
In 1919, Hitler joined the German Workers’ Party (DAP) in Munich, renaming it the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) in 1920. The party’s 25-point agenda advocated for a national anti-capitalist socialism, a nationalist dictatorship to preserve racial purity, and the elimination of Germany’s perceived enemies: Marxists and Jews. Hitler aimed to establish a Greater Germany with Lebensraum (living space) for the Aryan race.
The party adopted an elitist structure with the Führer at its center. In 1923, Hitler’s attempted coup in Munich failed, leading to his imprisonment. While in prison, he wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle). Upon release, he refocused the party’s anti-capitalist stance towards Jewish bankers, exploiting resentment over the Treaty of Versailles, anti-Semitism, and anti-communism. Hitler transformed the NSDAP into a mass movement, embracing parliamentary tactics and utilizing propaganda, rallies, parades, uniforms, and military training.
The Crisis of the Republic and the Rise of Nazism
The Great Depression had a devastating impact on Germany. The repatriation of U.S. capital caused the collapse of the German banking system, a 44% decline in industrial production, six million unemployed, and widespread misery. The Weimar Republic’s discrediting allowed the Nazis to gain support. In the 1930 elections, the Nazi party’s Reichstag representation increased from 12 to 107 members, becoming the second-largest party.
Hitler attracted support from German industrialists like Thyssen, Krupp, and Siemens, as well as the traditional right, forming the Harzburg Front in 1931. This alliance signaled the abandonment of democratic institutions and boosted Hitler’s power. Following Chancellor Brüning’s resignation in 1932, a series of authoritarian governments lacking parliamentary support but legitimized by President Paul von Hindenburg’s emergency powers took control.
In the 1932 presidential elections, Hindenburg received 19.4 million votes and Hitler 13.4 million. Hindenburg appointed Franz von Papen as Chancellor. In the July 1932 parliamentary elections, the Nazis won 37.3% of the vote and 230 seats, becoming the largest party. Hitler refused Von Papen’s invitation to join the government. Subsequent elections saw the Nazis lose support.
In 1933, Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Chancellor with Von Papen as Vice Chancellor, mistakenly believing they could control him.
The Nazi Dictatorship and the Birth of the Third Reich
Between February 1933 and August 1934, the Nazis swiftly established a totalitarian state. Hitler marginalized his coalition partners, dissolved the Reichstag, and called for new elections in March 1933. The Reichstag fire, blamed on the Communists, led to the suspension of fundamental rights, the expulsion of Communists from the Reichstag, and the repression of the left by the SA.
The Nazis secured 43.9% of the vote in the March elections. With the support of right-wing parties, Hitler gained full power for four years through the Enabling Act. He eliminated all other parties, establishing a one-party dictatorship. To consolidate power, Hitler ordered the assassination of SA leaders in the “Night of the Long Knives” on June 30, 1934, securing the support of the army and influential sectors of society.
Upon Hindenburg’s death in August 1934, Hitler assumed the presidency, taking the title of Führer-Chancellor. He required personal oaths of allegiance from army and police officers, while the SS and Gestapo controlled dissent.
Nazi Indoctrination and Propaganda
German society was subjected to indoctrination and ideological control to reinforce Nazi ideology and the Führer cult. Education and youth organizations like the Hitler Youth instilled military and ideological training. Teachers were required to join the National Socialist Teachers’ Association, and the government controlled universities and religious institutions.
Freedom of expression was suppressed, censorship was imposed, and books were burned. The arts were used to promote Nazi ideology. Propaganda, led by Joseph Goebbels through the Ministry of People’s Education and Propaganda, was highly effective, utilizing film, radio, press, music, theater, and visual arts. All media were controlled by the Ministry.