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### **Hitler's Rise to Power (1919–1933)**
#### **1. Early Years and the Nazi Party (1919–1923)**
- **1919**: Hitler Joins German Workers' Party (DAP)
- After World War I, Hitler, a corporal in the German army, was assigned to spy on political groups.
- He joined the DAP, led by Anton Drexler, and quickly rose to prominence due to his powerful oratory
skills.
- **1920**: Renaming to the Nazi Party (NSDAP)
- The DAP was renamed the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP or Nazi Party),
emphasizing nationalism, socialism, and anti-Semitism.
- Hitler introduced the swastika symbol and developed the Nazi 25-Point Programme, which outlined
the party’s goals (e.g., abolishing the Treaty of Versailles, exclusion of Jews from German citizenship).
- **1921**: Hitler Becomes Leader of the Nazi Party
- Hitler ousted Drexler and took control, establishing himself as an authoritarian leader.
- The **SA (Sturmabteilung)** or Brownshirts was formed as a paramilitary group to protect Nazi
meetings and intimidate opponents.
- **1923**: Munich Putsch (Beer Hall Putsch)
- Hitler attempted to overthrow the Weimar government in Munich but failed.
- The coup was poorly planned, and Hitler was arrested, receiving a five-year prison sentence (served
only 9 months in Landsberg Prison).
- While imprisoned, he wrote *Mein Kampf* ("My Struggle"), outlining his ideology of Aryan
supremacy, anti-Semitism, and Lebensraum (expansion for German living space).
#### **2. Rebuilding the Nazi Party (1924–1929)**
- **1924–1925**: Reorganization After the Putsch
- Realizing the need for legal methods to gain power, Hitler restructured the party.
- Regional branches were organized under Gauleiters, and propaganda campaigns were intensified.
- **1926**: Bamberg Conference
- Hitler asserted his control over the party, quelling dissent from more socialist-leaning members.
- The SA was reorganized, and the SS (Schutzstaffel) was established as Hitler’s elite bodyguard.
- **1928 Elections**: Minimal Success
- The Nazi Party won only 12 seats in the Reichstag, indicating limited support during the relative
prosperity of this period under the Dawes Plan.
#### **3. The Impact of the Great Depression (1929–1933)**
- **1929**: Wall Street Crash and Great Depression
- The global economic crisis caused mass unemployment in Germany, rising from 1.3 million in 1929 to
over 6 million by 1932.
- Widespread suffering and desperation eroded faith in the Weimar Republic, creating fertile ground for
extremist parties like the Nazis.
- **1930 Reichstag Elections**:
- The Nazi Party gained 107 seats, becoming the second-largest party in the Reichstag.
- Hitler capitalized on dissatisfaction by blaming the Treaty of Versailles, the Weimar Republic, and Jews
for Germany’s woes.
#### **4. Key Factors in Hitler’s Rise**
- **Propaganda**:
- Joseph Goebbels, head of Nazi propaganda, used modern techniques (radio, posters, rallies) to portray
Hitler as Germany’s savior.
- The Nazis promised to restore national pride, rebuild the economy, and create jobs.
- **Fear of Communism**:
- The middle and upper classes feared a communist revolution like in Russia.
- Hitler promised to crush communism, gaining support from industrialists and landowners.
- **Weakness of the Weimar Republic**:
- The democratic government was seen as ineffective and unstable due to proportional representation,
frequent elections, and coalition governments.
- Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution allowed the President to bypass the Reichstag, undermining
democracy.
- **Nazi Tactics**:
- The SA used violence to intimidate opponents and disrupt communist rallies.
- Hitler’s charisma and speeches appealed to a wide range of Germans, including workers, farmers, and
the middle class.
#### **5. Hitler Becomes Chancellor (1933)**
- **1932 Presidential Elections**:
- Hitler ran against President Hindenburg, losing but gaining significant visibility and credibility (13
million votes in the second round).
- The Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag with 230 seats in July 1932 elections, although
they lacked a majority.
- **January 1933**: Hitler Appointed Chancellor
- After months of political instability, backroom negotiations led conservative elites (e.g., Franz von
Papen) to persuade President Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor.
- They believed they could control Hitler, but this proved to be a fatal miscalculation.
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### **Key Themes for IGCSE**
1. **Economic Factors**:
- How the Great Depression acted as a catalyst for Nazi support.
2. **Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic**:
- Proportional representation, reliance on Article 48, and public dissatisfaction.
3. **Nazi Propaganda and Tactics**:
- Role of Goebbels, use of the SA, and Hitler’s personal appeal.
4. **Fear of Communism**:
- How this fear united conservatives and business elites in support of the Nazis.
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### **Exam Practice Questions**
1. **Short Answer**: What was the significance of the Munich Putsch for Hitler’s rise to power?
2. **Source Analysis**: How reliable is this source in explaining the reasons for Nazi electoral success in
1930?
3. **Essay Question**: How far was the Great Depression responsible for Hitler’s rise to power in 1933?
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