Nazis Rise to Power-1929-1933 free essay sample

Increased support for the Nazi party in the years 1930-1933: The difficulties faced by the Weimar government in dealing with the economic consequences of the depression. By mid- 1929 Germany was prospering once more. Political stability had been resolved and relations with other countries had improved dramatically. But by the 1930’s things had began to go wrong. The state that The Wall Street Crash left Germany had led to the Weimar government facing difficulties in resolving the economic crisis. As the government failed to deal with the economic problems support for the Nazis grew. It can be argued that the fall of the Weimar Republic led to the rise of the Nazi Party, with the strength of the SA and the Nazis appeal to different groups of society. The failure of the Weimar government to solve the problems faced by Germany during the 1920’s and early 30’s had many consequences and very little effect. As the government lost one of its most important members, â€Å"Stresemann worked hard to rebuild his shattered country and for peace and co-operation abroad. Because of his leadership Germany is now prospering and has an important place in the affairs of Europe†. From this source we can see that the Weimar Republic was also lacking strong leadership which was something Germany needed at that time but they couldn’t provide it. Because of his achievements the government were favoured by most of Germany but as he passed away the government’s plans went down the drain which led to the people of Germany losing faith in them. The Weimar government was faced with a number of problems from the outset. On 29th October the Wall Street Crash shook the world. Share prices hit rock bottom on the New York stock exchange and businesses went bankrupt overnight. German industry could not operate, factories closed and by 1932 there were six million people unemployed. The government was eventually forced to default on reparations, resulting in the French occupying the Ruhr to take resources instead. The workers went on strike, devastating German industry, and eventually leading to hyperinflation and an economic crisis. Germany was in the grip of the Great Depression with a population suffering from poverty, misery and uncertainty. For Hitler, the master speech maker, the long awaited opportunity to let loose his talents on the German people had arrived. He would find in this downtrodden people, an audience very willing to listen. Hitler’s speeches, far from revealing his insanity are examples of his careful, clear sighted planning, intelligent strategies and audience manipulation. Kurt Ludecke first heard Adolf Hitler speak in 1922- â€Å"I studied this slight, pale man, his brown hair parted on one side and falling again and again over his sweating brow. Threatening and beseeching, with small pleading hands and flaming steel blue eyes, he had the look of a fanatic. Presently my critical faculty was swept away he was holding the masses, and me with them, under a hypnotic spell by the sheer force of his conviction†. Kurt Ludecke underlines his specific qualities that caught the nation’s heart at that moment of him giving a speech, showing how his engaging speeches led to the rise of the Nazi party. . In his speeches, Hitler offered the Germans what they needed most- encouragement. He gave them heaps of vague promises while avoiding the details. He used simple catchphrases, repeated over and over. He told the people that they had been betrayed by Jewish bankers and moneylenders; he warned those who would listen that the time had come to rebuild Germanys army and prepare for war against the Communists. People lost confidence in the democratic system and turned towards the extremist political parties such as the Communists and Nazis during the depression. Hitler pledged something for every part of the German society: work to the unemployed; prosperity to failed business people; profits to industry; expansion to the Army and restoration of German glory to those in despair. He promised to bring order to avoid chaos; a feeling of unity to all and the chance to belong. The people of Germany were tired of their poor quality of life. Hitler vowed that he would make Germany proud again, restore honour- it was exactly what people wanted to hear. The Nazis party appealed to all groups of society so that they could win their trust and vote them into power. They aimed to satisfy every aspect of German worries and needs. A printer’s son commented on his experience of the 1930, â€Å"Anyone who said that I will lead you to the promise land, I will deliver you from evil- anyone who said that then they would be greeted with enthusiasm†- The Nazi party were aware of the what the Weimar government could not provide them with, such as protection from the communists which most Germans needed. This is probably why the Nazi party eventually came to power instead of the several other right wing parties. The Nazis presented n anti-modernist image to the middle classes, claiming to embody traditional German values and to oppose the immoral values of the Weimar Republic. Hitler pledged something for every part of the German society such as farmers increase in products and making up for their losses during the depression, for the unemployed workers they would have jobs building stadiums and roads. He promised middle class people that he would restore profits of small businesses, value of savings and end the communist threat. Also at the time, Hitler began to reorganize the Nazi storm troopers (Sturmabteilung). The SA was ordered to disrupt meetings of political opponents and prevent Hitler from revenge attacks. Frederick T. Birchall described the role of the SA, â€Å"Throughout the day Storm Troopers stood before each polling place with banners calling on the voters to vote ‘Yes’. Otherwise voters remained unmolested. Inside the polling places uniforms and even party emblems had been forbidden, but the execution of this order was lax. In some apparently doubtful districts brown uniforms dominated the scene as a warning to would-be opponents†. This source shows that the SA was most concerned with ensuring that the Nazi Party remained in control. The SA intimidated voters outside of polling stations. They did not stop at anything until they knew everyone was voting ‘yes’ even if it meant involving violence. The SA wore swastika armbands, grey jackets, brownshirts, ski-caps and combat boots. Nazi uniforms along with the Swastika symbol would become important tools in providing recognition and visibility, which would increase public awareness of the Party. In conclusion, after the stock market crash in 1929, Weimar Germany entered a period of economic, political, and social upheaval that destabilized the young republic. The Weimar government had series of unstable coalition governments reducing chances of gaining support from the German people, which resulted in their promise of repairing â€Å" broken Germany â€Å" being a failure. At the height of the crisis, nearly six million Germans were out of work, and the flight of foreign capital ground German industry to a halt. The economic crisis exacerbated existing weaknesses in the political structure of the republic, and Germans lost faith in their government to provide even the most basic of services. The Nazis capitalized on the discontent in the country by using propaganda to deceive the public and turn them against helpless scapegoats, such as the Jews. At the time, the Nazis were promising prosperity, and this must have made the Nazis a very attractive option, especially as they had a strong, charismatic and persuasive leader in Hitler. However all of the above factors played a role in the rise of the Nazi party in the years 1930- 1933 but it is more realistic to say that a combination of circumstances increased the Nazi’s chances of eventually coming to power. Without the economic crisis Hitler would not have been presented with the opportunity to take power ‘put wind into Hitler’s sails’ (A. J. P. Taylor). Therefore without Nazi propaganda, Hitler’s abilities, and opponent’s mistakes; Nazis would not have been able to take power when the opportunity arose.