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Introduction

Hitler's Rise to Power a) The Treaty of Versailles b) The Munich Putsch c) The Wall Street Crash and depression d) Hitler's oratory, personality and leadership skills e) The decision by Papen and Hindenburg to appoint Hitler Chancellor, 1933 f) The Enabling Law, 1933 1. Choose any 1 reason from the list and explain how it contributed to Hitler's rise to power. (8) 2. Using some of the causes in the list, explain how both long and short term causes contributed to Hitler's rise to power. (10) 3. Was any one of these reasons more important than the others in Hitler's rise to power? Explain you answer. (12) 1. Hitler's oratory, personality and leadership skills enabled him to take advantage of the devastating events that took place in Germany through out the 1920s and the early 1930s. He is also able to manipulate peoples hope in order to gain popularity and therefore win their vote when he campaigned in the general election. Hitler joined the National Socialist Worker's Party in 1919 and quickly became leader when he discovered he had a talent for challenging his hatred through speeches. Hitler's hatred for Communists and Jews grew out of the First World War and from the First World War also came the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles was the topic for most of Hitler's speeches. He strongly believed that the terms of the treaty were unfair and unjust and that the Jews were to blame. The German people liked to listen to this because they all thought the terms of the treaty were devastating and humiliating and agreed with what Hitler had to say. Through his speeches Hitler gained the support of enough German people to try and over throw the government, which had become the aim of the small Nazi party. The Munich Putsch shows Hitler's ability to led a group as strong and determined as the Nazi party, and people violent and revolutionary enough to try and over throw the government. ...read more.

Middle

Nonetheless it did mean that he was able to exploit the German public by making outrageous claims, which would return the country to its former state. His personality, oratory and leadership skills were obviously what led to Hitler's power though because the German public wanted a strong, powerful leader who could resolve their problems and they believed they had found one in Hitler. He also managed to gain popularity through his speeches. When the time came Hitler was also able to demand to be Chancellor. He pressured Hindenburg and Papen and though it was his intentions and personality, which Hindenburg doubted. It was Hitler's determination, which eventually enabled him to gain power. Hindenburg and Papen's decision to appoint Hitler chancellor was obviously a short-term cause because Hitler was immediately in power. He had achieved his first aim, to get himself elected, now all that was left was to destroy the existing system so that he alone could make the final decisions as to how the country would be run. Hitler achieved this in 1933, with the help of the Reichstag fire. When Hitler was appointed chancellor he decided to hold another election hoping to gain even more support so that he could get rid of his coalition party. During the election the Nazi party tried to persuade the German public to vote for Hitler by claiming the communists were preparing to over throw the government. Then on 27th February, the Reichstag building was burned down. A communist was caught at the scene of the crime, this was reason enough for the Nazis who claimed it was proof that the communists were planning a revolution. They persuaded Hindenburg to sign an emergency decree, allowing the police to search houses, ban meetings and shut down newspapers in the interest of national security. Hitler used this emergency decree to expel the communist MPs and he made and arrangement with the remaining MPs, offering them guarantees for the church if they agreed to vote for the Enabling Act. ...read more.

Conclusion

His personality was essential because of his persuasive and determined qualities. He was confident enough to demand chancellor ship and to govern a country. He was also very cunning and clever. He realised after the Munich putsch that he had to get himself elected in order to gain power and he managed to give himself complete control of Germany through the Enabling law. He knew how to manipulate people hopes, which he did during the years that followed the Wall Street crash and he knew that he had to tell the people what they wanted to hear. His leadership skills were obviously important and first became apparent because of the Munich Putsch, he managed to lead a group of people as violent and revolutionary as the Nazis through Munich and attempt to overthrow the government. He also clearly needed leadership skills in order to be the dictator of Germany, which he became in 1933. The Treaty of Versailles influenced him into campaigning and it was from the Treaty of Versailles that he became leader of the Nazi party and founded his ideas and ambitions for power of Germany. With his supporting Nazi party he lead the Munich putsch, an attempt to overthrow the government. It got Hitler noticed and aftermath convinced him to campaign. The Wall Street crash was the turning point. It was listened to and gained a huge amount of support through his campaigning. The support, which he gained during the depression, which followed the Wall Street crash, made the Nazi party the biggest and most popular party in 1932. This popularity in turn left Hindenburg with little choice except to make Hitler chancellor. Once Hitler was chancellor he had more power, authority and influence and it was this, which made it possible to pass the Enabling law in 1933. This proves that no 1 reason was more important than the others because each was needed to get Hitler into power and he could not have done this without the any of them. History Coursework Jessica Roach 11A 13/10/01 ...read more.

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