How was Hitler able to win Power by 1933?

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How was Hitler able to win Power by 1933?

Hitler became Chancellor in 1933. Incidents ranging post WWI, from 1919 to 1932, influenced Hitler’s rise to power such as hyperinflation and the ‘Wall Street Crash’. But it was also his qualities as a public speaker and his natural charisma that allowed him to influence so many people.

In 1923 Hitler and the Nazi Party attempted to take over the Bavarian government by force. Telling the audience that the Munich Putsch was taking place and the National Revolution had began. Hitler was arrested and imprisoned he spent his free time writing ‘Mein Kampf’, a manifesto/autobiography. Once released from prison Hitler decided to seize power democratically rather than violence; “destroy democracy with the weapons of democracy” Hitler had said. Hitler spoke to scores of mass audiences, calling for the German people to resist the yoke of Jews and Communists, and to create a new empire which would rule the world for 1,000 years. In the supposed ‘Golden Age’ of Weimar the Nazi party only won 12 seats to the Reichstag in the election in 1928, but there where gains in rural areas. It was also in that year, that the Nazi Party nearly went bankrupt (because of spending on street parades and public rallies) which would have automatically excluded them from politics. The Communists won 54 seats at this election. Moderate parties like the Centre Party and the Social Democrats easily won the 1928 elections. These elections showed that the extreme parties; the Nazi’s and Communists only gained significant recognition when a major crisis had occurred.

Hitler had stated in ‘Mein Kampf’ (1924) that he would abolish the Treaty of Versailles once he had seized power. Hitler’s resentment of the treaty proved popular with the Germanic people, Hitler used the mutual sourness towards the Treaty to the people. Germany hated the clause blaming her for the cause of the war and the resultant financial penalties the treaty was bound to impose on Germany. Those who signed it (though effectively they had no choice) became known as the ‘November Criminals’. Hitler became popular with the German people because of his views of the Versailles Treaty; these views the people of Germany could relate to.

Hitler deemed the ‘Republic Constitution’ ineffective “The aim (of the modern democratic parliamentary system) rather is to bring together a group of nonentities who are dependent on others for their views and who can be all the more easily led ...” Hitler explained in ‘Mien Kampf’. The system of ‘Proportional Representation’ led to 28 parties. This made it problematic to establish a majority in the Reichstag, and led to numerous changes in the regime. The constitution gave to much power to the German States who regularly ignored the government. Government officials (chiefly judges) were corrupt, right-wing and wanted to see an end to the Weimar regime. After the Kapp Putsch, 700 rebels were tried for treason; only 1 went to prison. After the Munich Putsch, in 1924 Hitler was given the minimum sentence; he went to prison for only 9 months. It should also be noted that his patriotic and energetic speech while in court contributed to the reduced sentence. Hitler used the trial as propaganda for the party but this only leads to small electoral gains, but it illustrates Hitler’s uncanny ability to use a crisis to his advantage. Hitler prominently said “If out-voting them takes longer than out-shooting them, at least the result would be guaranteed by their own constitution ... Any lawful process is slow ... Sooner or later we shall have a majority and after that, Germany”. Further examples of weakness in the government came when Hindenburg died in 1934 and Hitler consolidated his power, becoming both President and Chancellor, there was little opposition.

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A major factor that contributed to the rise of the Nazis was the financial backing given to the party. Fritz Thyssen, the son of the successful industrialist was encouraged to hear Adolf Hitler speak; he was impressed and began financing the party. Gustav Krupp, another industrialist was converted by Hitler that the Nazi government would destroy the trade unions and the political left in Germany. Krupp, as chairman of the Association of German Industrialists, was in a good position to encourage other business leaders to contribute to Hitler's election fund. German car companies such as Skoda and Opel contributed ...

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