To What Extent Was Nazi Germany a Totalitarian State 1933-1939?

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TO WHAT EXTENT WAS NAZI GERMANY A TOTALITARIAN STATE 1933-1939?

        There have been many debates since the 1920’s about the nature and character of the nazi phenomenon. The oxford dictionary suggests a totalitarian state as a dictorial one-party government in which no rival parties or loyalties are permitted. This means the leader, in this case Adolf Hitler, has total control over the government and the people. In practice the term is often used to describe a political situation where a small organisation monopolizes the central of public and private life through the use of propaganda, terror and technology. In Hitler’s Germany there were many characteristics of a totalitarian state. The nazi regime interfered openly into all aspects of living and communication with the help from the secret police (the Gestapo). The party penetrated the whole country with their policies and beliefs, for instance the police generated compliance throughout the whole country.

 Propaganda was highly effective and was a fundamental factor to the Nazis way of controlling Germany. One could say totalitarianism demands 100% conformity. Freedom of speech was no longer a part of life; conformity had taken its place, as it was the only way to feel safe!

During the 1950’s many historians concluded that nazi Germany was extremely totalitarian. In this day and age this is not widely accepted. Recent research into the nazi state has found new evidence on the extent to which it was a totalitarian state. Liberal thinking vanished with the introduction of a one-party government. The nazi regime appeared very structured and well organised however Hitler detested document work and political issues. His laisezz-faire attitude towards political affairs led to many problems in the govt. and led to confusion. One could argue how then, was the nazi government able to stay in power for so long under these extreme conditions? This could be due to four main points. Firstly Hitler’s rise and consolidation of power, secondly the extent of opposition towards the nazi regime, thirdly the use of propaganda, terror and technology. And fourthly the impact of economical, social, and political revolutions. Using the following points I will evaluate the extent of totalitarian imposed of the people of nazi Germany.

Hitler’s rise and consolidation of power was due mainly to four reasons. They were, the economic problems to the downfall of the German democracy, the failure of the Weimar republic, the rise of the nazi party and the lack of opposition. Each aspect equally led to Hitler’s rise to power.

Growing economic problems and the great economic depression of 1929 were two considerable factors to the collapse of the Weimar republic.

Germanys agriculture suffered a lot along with the industrial trade, which went into recession from 1929 onwards. By 1932 40% of factory workers were unemployed, and farmers were suffering from falling prices since 1925 and found themselves in further debt as a result of the great depression. The collapse of the banking system in 1932 also led to the economic crisis. Source 6.1 on page 102 of Weimar and nazi Germany by John Hite and Chris Hilton 2000, illustrates how the unemployment rate rose by 3.4 million in 1933 compared to 1928 when it was only 1.4 million.

The world economic depression, which began with the Wall Street crash, had devastating effects on German economy. During 1929 Germany had become over-dependent on foreign loans (mostly American). A loss of this investment, which was caused by the worldwide depression made Germany worst off in the depression. The germen economic recovery was built on American loans, which disappeared overnight. However it can be argued that the economic problems were beginning to appear even before 1929 with the industrial unrest in 1928 in the Ruhr. Even though signs of the economic downfall were apparent before 1929 many historians consider the economic depression to be the main catalyst of the collapse of the Weimar republic. A historian William Carr wrote,

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“ It is inconceivable that Hitler could ever have come to power had not the Weimar republic been subjected to the unprecedented strain of the world economic crisis”.

Overall both the growing economic problems and the great depression of 1929 were significant aspects to the collapse of the Weimar republic. After the Weimar republic’s failure to seize power the socialist party (nazi party) took advantage of these venerable economic circumstances to appeal to German voters. The rise of the nazi party was due to 3 main factors - the crisis of the Weimar republic. Hitler depended directly on the vulnerability ...

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