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Hitler and Nazi Germany
- a. 1923: small rightist party (Nazis) led by Hitler tried to seize power ins. Germany
- i. attempt failed, but Hitler and Nazis achieved national prominence and soon complete power
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Weimer Germany
- i. after defeat in WWI, a German democratic state calle dhte Weimar Republic was established
- 1. formed by coalition of Social Democrats, the Catholic Center Party and German Democrats, the fragmented republic had no outstanding political leader and proved to be unstable
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1925
- 1. 1925: Paul von Hindenburg, WWI military hero, was president
- a. military man, monarchist who didn’t’ want republic
- b. suffered attacks from left and right
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Republic's problems
- i. anotheher of republic’s problems was inability to change Germny’s basic governmental structure
- 1. gov. never controlled army, which was state within state
- 2. other institutiosn, sucha s hostile judges, teachers, etc. maintained independence and undermined democracy
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landed aristocrats
1. important landed aristocrats and leaders of powerful business cartels refused to accept the overthrow of the imperial regime and were hostile
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Weimer Republic
- i. Weimar Republic had economic difficulties too
- 1. runaway inflation of 1922 and 1923 had socilal consequences
- a. monthly stipends became worthless and savings disappearad
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economic losses
- a. economic losses pushed middle class to rightist parties that hated Republic
- i. after period of prosperity from 1924-1929, Germany had Great Depression
- 1. 4.4. million with no jobs
- 2. depression paved way for problems of Weimar Republicà Hitler rise to power
- b. Emergence of Hitler
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Emergence of hitler
- a. Emergence of Hitler
- i. son of Austrian customs official
- 1. total failure in secondary school and made way to Vienna to become artist
- ii. rejected by Vienna Accademy of Fine Arts and lived bohemian lifestyle
- 1. autobiography: Mein Kampf (My Struggle) his said years in Vienna were formative period in his life
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He got basic idea
- a. he got basic ideas of an idealongy which he never deviated from again
- i. racism, especially anti-Semitims
- 1. haated Jews till the end
- ii. extreme German nationalist who learned from mass politics of Vienna how political parties could effectively use propaganda and terror
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believed in
1913
- i. believed in need for struggle
- ii. 1913: he moved to Munich
- 1. distinguished self in WWI as dispatch runner; after war, he joined politics
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Rise of Nazis
- a. The Rise of the Nazis
- i. Hitler joined German Workers’ Party, one right wing extreme nationalist party in Munich and eventually took total control, renaming it National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi)
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idea
- 1. idea: party’s name would distinguish Nazi’s from socialists parties while gaining support
- 2. worked to develop party into mass political movement with flags, uniforms, eetc. and police force called Sturmabteilung (SA)
- a. used ot defend aprty in meeting halls and break up meetings of other parties
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oratory
- i. his oratory attracted people
- ii. when Weimar Republic seemed done, Nazis and right wings marched on Berlin to overthrow them
- 1. when his followers reneged, he staged armed uprising in Munich: Beer Hall; crushedà Hitler arrestedà put on trial for treason, and sentenced to five years, where he wrote Mein Kampf
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extreme German nationalism..,
- a. extreme german nationalism, virulent anti-Semitism, and vicious anticommunism were linked together by social Darwinian theory of struggle that stresses the right of superior nations to Lebensraum *living space* through expansion and the right of superior indivudals to secure authoritarian leadership over the amsses
- i. people didn’t take him seriously
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Tactics
- a. Hitler’s New Tactics
- i. the Beer Hall Pusch was turning point in Hiter’s career
- 1. reinforce dhis faith in his mission and wanted change in tactics
- a. if Nazis couldn’t overthrow Weimars by force, they would use constitutional meansà formation of mass political movement that would compete for votes wth other parties
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After release
- i. After release, he set about organizing Nazi party for lawful takeover of power
- 1. no discussion of ideas in the party; party was to follow the Fuhrerprinzip, the leadership principle, which entailed nothing less than a signle-minded party under one leader
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late 1920s
- i. late 1920s: he reorganized Nazi aprty on regional basis and expanded it to all parts of Germanyà National party organization with growth to 178k men
- 1. youthfulness of leaders in Nazi organization; under 30 and committed to Hitler
- a. rather than democratic debate, they watned brawls, speeches ,etc.
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