Weimar politics Pt II

• Geschiedenis
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Interwar Germany

1918-1933

Weimar Germany as a political warzone

How did the nazi-party rise to power in Germany?

Keywords: putsch, fascism, traditionalism, militarism, industrialism, nationalism, anti-semitism

1923: Beerhall putsch

The nazi's attempted to seize power in Munich, Bavaria

The Bavarian govt soldiers fight back

20 people dead, Hitler and others arrested

Fascism

What lead to the growth of the SA?

1. The nazi's were very popular
2. People thought it was a sports club
3. Veterans joined because they were unemployed
4. Hitler was planning another putsch

From Freikorps to SA

DAP (1919-1920) -> NSDAP (1920-1945)

National Socialist German Workers Party

Mimicing the Socialist style and rhetoric

Much more nationalist and anti-semitic!

Not Socialist at all!

Socialists wanted

Collective ownership of the means of production

Production for common use, not profits

Abolition of the Capitalist class -> Dictatorship of the Proletariat

Multi-level representation and democracy 

Equal rights for all

Nazi's wanted

One strong leader (the Führer principle)

Unification of all German people (Heim ins Reich)

Lebensraum through conquest, glorification of war/violence

Citizens had no political influence outside of the party

No free press, no women's rights, no elections

Holocaust remembrance day

27-01-1945 - 27-01-2025

80 years ago the Soviet army liberated Auschwitz

When did the nazi's start building the camps?

1. 1933
2. 1938
3. 1941
4. 1943

Dachau

Hitler made chancelor: 04-01-1933

Dachau opens: 21-03-1933

Liberated on: 29-04-1945

Intended for political prisoners at first:
communists, socialdemocrats, catholic priests 

Which idea(s) were originally nazi?

1. Lebensraum (living space)
2. The Autobahn
3. Racial purity
4. None of these

Extreme racial politics

19th century: scientific racism & social darwinism

Thule Gesellschaft: Nordic spiritualism 

Übermensch: corrupted philosophy of Nietszche

Üntermensch: subhumans, undeserving of life

Rhetoric of fascism

1) We are superiour

2) But power/money is in the hands of another group

3) These people are our enemy

4) They seek to invade and destroy us

Economic misery

1918-1924: Germany's economy was suffering

Hyperinflation: money was basically worthless

"Five million Reichsmarks for a loaf of bread"

Subversion of democracy

Putsches didn't work

The nazi's wanted power through elections

From 2.6% in 1928
To 37% in 1932

The nazi's came to power democratically

Yes

No

"But Hitler was elected"

Elected to parliament, not to power

He ran for president in 1932, but lost

Nazi's start to sabotage the Reichstag

Hindenburg is forced to make Hitler chancelor

Hitler combined both offices after Hindenburg died in 1934

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How did the nazi's plan to take full power?

1. By faking a foreign invasion
2. By faking a natural disaster
3. By faking a communist coup
4. By faking a terror attack

End of democracy

27-02-1933: Reichstag fire 

Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe blamed

Fire probably ordered by Göring

23-03-1933: "Enabeling act" suspends democracy

Concentration camp Dachau was opened days before...