The weak Weimar government was a major factor in Hitler rise to power, however it was not the only reason.

The weak Weimar government was a major factor in Hitler rise to power, however it was not the only reason. Hitler's use of aggressive propaganda and his use of fear in terror in the people was also a tactic that strongly helped his cause. Weaknesses in the Weimar that particularly helped Hitler's rise were the weak foundations that the republic was built on. The roles of the conservative elite's in German society were a strong influence on the downfall of the Weimar and the rise of the Nazis. The final and most influential factor was the great depression, this further added to the republic's problems and the Nazis blamed all of Germany's economic and social problems on the Weimar governments.

The role of the German Army played a crucial role in the way that Germany was being run and controlled. With the new constitution the army was not revolutionised and therefore many of the army members were anti-Weimar and this showed in the way that they served the country, they would selectively 'choose' when to support the Weimar with violent situations. They mostly only acted against the left wing communist and they would turn a blind eye to the right winged attacks. The reason for this was the signing of the Ebert-Groner pact, which stated the elimination of the communists. With this selective protection it allowed groups such as Hitler's Nazis to grow and prosper without the influence of the army to stop them. In the end the Weimar governments allowed the old ruling class to retain the position of power and influence the new Germany. Army leaders kept their independent positions, which was a fatal mistake as it allowed Hitler the opportunities to gain power without anyone there to stop him.

Big business, Junket class, civil service and the judicial system are all examples of conservative elite's, they were key figures in the biased way that the Weimar republic was run and controlled. As stated before these areas of society were never revolutionised with the new republic, so therefore their views on the Weimar republic and government were harsh. All these systems were constantly undermining the Weimar and its constitution. An example of this was shown in the judicial system, the judges that ran the courts were anti-Weimar and it showed greatly in the sentences that were handed down to certain people. Hundreds of Weimar politicians were assassinated by right-winged protestors, but when these people came before the courts the sentences handed down compared to left wing crimes were astronomical. One of these right winged criminals was Adolf Hitler himself with his attempt to over throw the government with the Munich Putsch. He was given just nine months prison which he didn't even finish serving, where left winged people who committed the same crime could have been sentenced to death. This lenient system allowed Hitler to cheat the system and contributed to his rise, as his wrong doings were not seen.

The Great Depression was the final downfall of the 14-year existence of the Weimar republic and ultimately lead to the rise of the Nazi party. No government could stop the troubles that the depression had cause and it created further chaos in the Reichstag where people started turning on each other to try and settle the troubled times. The sudden popularity was shown in the elections held at these times. In the lead up to the depression the Nazis had 12 seats and just two years later in the peak of the economic crisis the Nazis had 107 seats. This reflects the dissatisfaction that was shown in the present government and the fact that Hitler was the only person who promised the solutions that they people wanted. Many historians have stated that if Stressman had not died in 1929 then Germany may have recovered to its former strength and Hitler may never had the chance at gaining power. From 1930 onwards the country is being ruled by presidential decree through the use of Article 48, so therefore no party could gain a majority for the German economy to get back on its feet. Hitler took advantage of these times of hardship and promised these desperate people what they wanted, employment and a way out of these poverty times. Hitler was the only option left, and is desperate time people look for desperate politics to solve these problems.

However, the weak Weimar was not the only reason for Hitler's rise to power. His use of aggressive propaganda, Kurt Ludecke, who personally knew Hitler, stated that "Only one thing was managed marvelously from the beginning - the propaganda, Hitler's personal hobby and perhaps his strongest point". His use of fear and terror in the German population through groups such as SS, SA and Gestapo's all lead to the ultimate goal. Brainwashing of the German population. Albert Speer once said "It was the first dictatorship in the present period of modern technical development… Through technical devices like the radio... eighty million people were deprived of independent thought." He used attacks in his regular speeches towards the Weimar, blaming them for all the economic and social problems that Germany was facing in these times and for also accepting Versailles. Hitler's heavy use of propaganda was lead by Goebbles, a key figure in gaining support for the party at rallies and through the media. The nazis promised to return Germany back to its former glory, this particularly was focused on the rural and agricultural sector of German society were eager to find someone to blame. As Geoff Spencely stated "The Nazis adopted the slogan 'Blood and Soil' and offered the discontented rural community a scapegoat in the form of Jews. It was a potent mixture for success". The use of fear and terror was another factor that helped Hitler gain power over the majority of the population, groups such as SS, SA and the Gestapo's kept people from opposing Hitler's rise to chancellor, Hitler had also said "I will stop at nothing but chancellor of Germany". But with the ruthless violence and murder these groups carried out there was increased unrest in society and people started losing support for Hitler. He changed the direction of the party by drifting to the right to maintain the power of the party. His ability to captures peoples support and keep it was another major factor leading to his rise and this support was show in the 1932 elections where the Nazis gained 107 seats in the Reichstag. Papen then appointed Hitler Chancellor of Germany as he was seen as less of a threat than the Social Democrats, another critical mistake in the Weimar government. Hitler was single-minded in his actions and would accept nothing but the role of chancellor ant any cost.

Hitler's rise was helped along vastly by the weak Weimar government and the groups surrounded it such as the conservative elite's. But was not the only factor to his rise, his use of aggressive and persuasive propaganda with the backup of violence brainwashed many people into believing that Hitler was the only option for Germany to follow. By the end of the 1920's, a series of events had steadily eroded away the German people's tolerance of the ineffectual democracy. They were tired of hopeless struggle, and when the Great Depression hit and the Government did very little to aid the people, it was the last straw. A landslide of support went to the Nazis who were promising to return Germany to its former glory.

Paul Von Hindenburg, a war hero became president in 1925. His presidency began a rightward shift from parliamentary to presidential power. Hindenburg looked in favor on the inclusion of Nationalist, who were confirmed enemies of the Republic, and preferred to keep the Social Democrats out. His immediate circle of friends and advisers were many confirmed anti-republicans, whose goal was to transform the parliamentary democracy into an authoritarian state governed by the political right. These people held Hindenburgs ear, and subsequently the lifeline of the republic. Thus, the subsequent chancellors were not chosen by the people, but by Hindenburg, and these chancellors, Von Papen, Brunning and Schliecher were incompetent leaders who shortened the lifeline of the Weimar Republic.

With the breakdown of the Grand Coalition, Hindenburg asked for Bruning to form a new government without the Social Democrats. Brunning tried to overcome the depression by cutting government spending, cutting the wages of government workers and increasing taxes. Under Brunning, unemployment soured from 2 million in March 1930, to 6 milion by 1932. These policies were unpopular and when the Reichstag tried to stop him, Hindenburg, using Article 48, ordered new elections. Thus, Brunnings policies only added more cement in the collapse of the Weimar Republic.

On 30 May 1932, Hindenburg dismissed Brunning from office. Hindenburg appointed Franz Von ...

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On 30 May 1932, Hindenburg dismissed Brunning from office. Hindenburg appointed Franz Von Papen, a wealthy aristocrat as chancellor. Because Von Papen had only 68 supporters in the Reichstag, he called for elections in July 1932, which due to the rising unemployment and the plague of 'The Great Depression' prompted the Nazis to 230 seats in the Reichstag, having Hitler the largest political party. Due to the lack of support for Von Papen, Schliecher convinced Hindenburg that he should became chancellor. Within 2 months, Schliecher was asked by Hindenburg to resign due to his unpopularity with the Reichstag, and him wanting to rule by decree. Thus, the eimar Republic was in great turmoil, and the anti-republican Nazis were now exploiting the weakness of the Weimar Republic.

As von Papen, Schliecher and Brunning, convinced Hindenburg that they would outwit Hitler in his new government, Hindenburg on 30th of January 1933 made Hitler Chancellor of Germany. Though, soon Hitler had Schliecher killed and Von Papen 'dismissed' to Austria.

Hindenburg allowed Hitler to use Article 48 in belief that Hitler would 'restore order'. Though, Hitler used the powers to further his support and receive the Enabling Act that would allow Hitler to keep his powers permanently. However, Hitler needed a 2/3's majority in the Reichstag to achieve this. Thus, on the 23rd of March, 1933, the act was passed by 444 in favor to 94 against, the SPD being the against. Thus, Haffner says that "The Enabling Act was the end of the Weimar Republic, and the subsequent establishment of a Legal Dictatorship".

Once in power, Hitler at once started his campaign to destroy democracy. On 2nd of May 1933, trade unions were abolished and replaced by the German Labour Front. By the 14th of July, a decree made the Nazi party the only legal political party in Germany.

Using some of the causes in the list explain how both long-term and short-term causes contributed to Hitler's rise to power.

The Munich Putsch contributed to Hitler's rise to power enormously. When Hitler hijacked a government meeting and announced he was taking over the Bavarian government. It was a huge crime, a crime called treason, Hitler was arrested and charged. In the short-term the Munich Putsch was a disaster for Hitler. People did not rise up to support him, and things were looking bad for the future, but Hitler using his great oratory skills managed to impress the judge so much so that instead of getting charged with the normal life sentence he only got 5 years for treason, which he only served 9 months of. While Hitler was inside for his short time he wrote a book called mein kampf (my struggle) that clarified and presented his ideas about Germany's future.

In the long-term, because of his trial, where his ideas and words was reported in the national press, he got enormous publicity, people admired what he had done and where he was in life. These long and short-term causes are both necessary for Hitler's rise to power as it showed that Hitler was dedicated to helping Germany get what they deserved. With his ideas he had for the future of his country he was sure he could win over the German people.

The decision by Papen and Hindenburg to appoint Hitler, as chancellor is a short-term inter-acted with long-term cause. The decision is short-term because at that stage Papen and Hindenburg were not sure on making Hitler chancellor but they secretly met up with industrialists, army leaders and politicians to discus the situation, and stupidly thinking they could control Hitler offered him the post of chancellor, making this only relevant to the current situation in the short-term future. At the same time there decision is long-term because they now could not go back on what they agreed about Hitler being chancellor, even if they cant control his actions, the decision was made and the future would now be Hitler the chancellor of Germany, a dictator. Both these long and short-term causes were necessary and extremely significant to contributing to Hitler's rise to power, by making Hitler higher as chancellor, with more authority than ever before.

It seemed nothing would stand in the way of Hitler, once he was a dictator, not Hindenburg or anyone else could stop him. Hitler's plan was working and the thing that got him to become chancellor was the German people. The nazi party were now so popular; people did not realize what they were getting themselves into. Hitler had achieved everything all by electoral success.

The Enabling law was short-term because it was only a law that Hitler passed straight after the elections, and as soon Hitler passed it, it meant he could now make any laws he wanted for the next 4 years without consulting the Reichstag. This was very important to Hitler's rise to power because if he did not pass the Enabling law, then Hitler could not have been a dictator.

Elana Klinger

In this situation Hitler's ideas were becoming relevant to the times, because the German people were unemployed and in a depression, they were venerable to Hitler and his strong power. The German nation was scared and apprehensive about the future of their country. The League of Nations then tried to help by making their whole society a safe place where wars were only things of the past. The League held a disarmament conference, but like most things the League did it was a failure, which people were not satisfied with. This was a good time for Hitler to make his move, because of the current state Germany was in. Hitler rose to power. The people needed someone to turn to for help, who was strong and could be heard and Hitler was there.

During the economic crisis Hitler used his oratory skills to help him gain power. Hitler's personality and leadership was better than any other of Germans previous chancellors, he was able to mesmerize people. In many of Hitler's speeches he stated how he disliked the treaty of Versailles and wanted to abolish its terms. Hitler made such a big deal of this, so that the German people also made it a big deal, if Hitler didn't speak about it in his speeches then it would be forgotten and worthless.The German population admired Hitler and used him as a role model, he was so dominant and had such an influence on his subjects. He wouldn't argue to win a point but shout and holler his words repeating them time and time again indoctrinating his thoughts with an infectious rhythm.

Hitler's belief was that people needed someone to blame for the situation that Germany was in and if he suggested a scapegoat for Germanys many problems it would assist and be easier for the German people to understand. They needed an explanation and Hitler gave them one: The Allies, The Treaty of Versailles, The Communists, 'The November Criminals' and the Jews. Now the Germans had people to blame, all they needed was a strong and powerful leader and Hitler fulfilled their need. Hitler's philosophy of extreme German Nationalism was translated into the creation of the Nazi Movement whereby Hitler galvanised people into following his views and beliefs that led to pure Right Wing philosophy. Foreigners, Jews, Gypsies were all excluded as being inferior and he gradually persuaded people to adopt extreme nationalistic beliefs, where by only pure German Aryan people counted, Hitler got his way with people at huge public meetings known as rallies, at these rallies his magnetic personality was able to hypnotise the crowd, who would then follow his views and terms. The adoration of the people elevated him to total leadership so what ever his policies were people followed.

A very important cause, in my opinion was Hitler's oratory, personality and leadership skills. It was the backbone of all the causes as it got him where he wanted to be. If this cause was not used it could of jeopardized Hitler's future enormously. It showed that he utilised the strengths that he had to the best of his abilities that added to him gaining popularity. Hitler was very confident in himself. He was assertive, aggressive and arrogant. Despite all this thousands of people would turn up at his rallies. He manipulated people into extreme Nationalistic beliefs. Hitler was the Dictator of Germany. It seemed he was on a winning streak that nobody could stop. The importance of Hitler's oratory personality and leadership had the biggest impact overall in Germany. Although without the right circumstances it would have not been as big an effect on Hitler's power as it was. Hitler's words were the stepping-stones for the present but would the words become the hell of the future.

Break

Hitler one of the 20th century's most powerful dictators, he gained power through positive reasons and negative reasons. He had an appeal to every type of German, women, the middle-class, young men and the unemployed. He gave Germans hope, his party-the Nazi party promised to do something to end the depression. So German people began to listen to this, in particular they looked at the Nazis. Hitler appealed that Germany could be great and return to national prosperity (rise again) if given the opportunity. This opportunity was Hitler. After his release from prison in December 1924, Hitler rebuilt the Nazi party and waited for the opportunity to regain national influence. That opportunity came with the great depression of 1929.

The Nazis were prepared to do anything to claim votes, they were brutal. They would go to great lengths to get German supporters. Organizing meeting after meeting, terrorizing political foes with groups of party thugs, Hitler spread his gospel of racial hatred and contempt for democracy. Nazi members (SA) would use violence, threaten people, cause riots and generally get people to vote for them out of fear. They played an important role. They beat up the opposition, especially the communists, and smashed up their election meetings. This made it very difficult for the communists to run a free election campaign. Which was intended.

Support for the Nazi party was due to the growing belief that it was a party with a leader who could do something about Germanys problems. When the great depression struck, many Germans accepted his explanation of it as a Jewish-Communist plot. He had hatred towards Jews and thought them responsible for signing the Treaty of Versailles. He also blamed the communists because he completely hated the idea of communism. The Nazis linked the two together stating that most communists were Jews, of course this wasn't true. The Nazis promised much: a strong Germany, jobs, and national glory, he attracted millions of voters. The Nazis were prepared to promise anything to win votes, even if they had no intention of following these promises up.

Only the Jews and communists were left out of plans for Germany. The Nazis were also well organized. They were disciplined, and portrayed Hitler as a strong leader who would save Germany. All the things the Nazi party had said and promised had paid off. Nazi election campaigning was effective. The elections of 1933 brought Hitler to power and he quickly established himself as dictator.

Evaluation

Hitler had a charismatic personality of overpowering forcefulness. An amoral man, rootless and incapable of personal friendships, he looked on his fellow humans as mere bricks in the world structure he wished to erect. He knew how to appeal to people's basic instincts and made use of their fears and insecurities. He could do that, however, only because they were willing to be led, even though his programmed was one of hatred and violence. His impact was wholly destructive, and nothing of what he instituted and built survived.

Full essay

Adolf Hitler's rise to power was one of common sense and unpleasant fantasy and it's not so much how he came to power, but why he came to power. There are many reasons why Hitler came to power, some for example were the political and economic weaknesses at that time in Germany due to the Treaty of Versailles, the Depression, the Industrialists willingness to accept Adolf Hitler for fear of Communism and the strong leader Hitler presented himself as. Propaganda, use of force and the destruction of any who opposed Hitler were also contributing factors of his rise to power. 1. The allies intended to permanently cripple Germany. They would do this through the Versailles Treaty. This document stole Germany’s nationalism, pride, and power. It left Germany helpless and lost. Many believed that Germany had been exploited and cheated under the terms of the treaty. The end of World War I shocked many people. Most of these people were the citizens of Germany. The German army intended to deliver the German Offensive of 1918, this final attack would guarantee German victory. The government then pushed the German citizens to hang on just a little longer so they may be the victorious country. The government controlled the flow of information to the German citizens using propaganda, this information mislead them to believe that they were just about to win. But because of the United States admission to the war, Germany was forced into submission. The citizens of Germany were outraged. They had been mislead and they were full of questions. 2. Germany despised the Treaty of Versailles. One of the articles of the treaty was that Germany limit their army to 100,000 men. Since Germany glorified the army as the number one strength in their country, it stabbed Germany’s pride and militarism. The country was also forced to pay reparations and accept guilt for the war. Germany felt they had not even started the war and it was extremely unfair to pay reparations. Germany was also forced to give up their colonies --see appendix--. The country felt cheated and angry at the Versailles Treaty. Germany felt exploited, and many sought to avenge what they had lost. The Weimar Republic was instantly blamed for signing the Versailles Treaty. Many called the Weimar Republic traitors. The people started looking for a strong leader whom they could trust. 3. "After the revolt in 1918, I was a communist. I couldn't see any other way to bring upon the sort of socialism we wanted... It wasn't rightly what you could call a revolution in 1918... They forgot about us workers. Then this man Hitler got up to speak... everything he said was just common sense and sound. Although I wasn't one to be won over all in one moment, it didn't take me longer than that first meeting to realize that Hitler was straight as odie." 4. The above quotation is an example of a working class piece of mind. The working class after the war was forgotten about and the political parties had overlooked them. They started to lean towards Communism for this fact. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer. Hitler spoke "common sense and sound" to the working class of things like past glories and unification which gave the people a sense of belonging. The money making industrialists and land owners also supported Hitler very strongly for fear that they would lose everything in a communist state. Therefore Hitler's "socialist" ideas appealed to all. The Weimar Republic, was the government of Germany between 1919 and 1932. They were unpopular and not trusted, for two primary reasons; for signing the Treaty of Versailles (discused above), and because this was Germany's first democratic government. Hitler entered the scene at this point. He was in the military during WWI and felt that he knew the reason for the German's defeat: The Jews and the Communists. People found it easy to believe these oversimplifications and soon after paid great attention to him. For his valuable service in the war, he was assigned to a political section of the army. His anti-semetic beliefs, which also brought him much attention, resulted in him later being assigned as an educational officer (a 'bildungsoffzier'). His job objective was to oppose dangerous ideas such as pacifism, socialism, and democracy (the Weimar Republic which was a democratic party, turned more to dictatorship in it's later years). This was Hitler's first big political break. Hitler was sent by the army to investigate a group called The German Workers' Party and eventually break it up. Instead he became intrigued by their ideas and eventually became the fifty-fifth member. Hitler's first impression on The German Workers' Party was not a positive one. As he was leaving the meeting Hitler became involved in an argument about separating the nations. His intense violent argument impressed the party leaders so much that one member pursued him and presented him with the organization's booklet. The next day, as Hitler read through the books material, he was intrigued with its similarity to his own personal beliefs. Ironically that same day Hitler received notice from the organization that they had accepted him as a member. Although he intended to tell them personally he was not interested, something about The German Workers' Party appealed to him. They were small in size, disorganized, and led by a group of misfits. Yet, Hitler saw an opportunity to begin to shape a movement. Hitler's jointure with The German Workers' Party was the beginning of national socialism movement which would engulf the country, become the strongest in Europe and become Germany's Third Reich. 5. April 1, 1920 marked the birth of Hitler's "Nazi" Party. On this day, the German Workers' Party became the National Socialist German Workers' Party which when abbreviated in German was "Nazi." Hitler attracted many wealthy members to his Party, their generosity helped to supply arms and uniforms for the military squads, in addition it helped to finance Nazi propaganda (this was a better alternative to communism, whereas stated previously, they would have lost all their wealth and property). The German people who felt defeated and humiliated at the collapse of the German empire in WW, were looking for a way to restore their dignity and pride. In 1923, Germany was deep in troubles. Its money had lost almost all value because of severe economic problems. Hitler preached German superiority, more precisely the Nordic race. His wrath was turned toward the Jews who he blamed for Germany's defeat and humiliation. Hitler did not believe in total truth, instead he relied on half truths, distortions and big lies. By 1923 Germany was in a dismal economic state, shops were closing, small profits in production resulted in vast unemployment. Hungry and miserable people turned to Hitler. He was a skillful speaker, politician and organizer. He became leader of the Nazis and built up party membership quickly. This was done partly by his ability to stir street crowds with his powerful speeches using reductionalism to gain support. 6. Hitler attacked the government, and declared that only the Nazi Party could assure jobs for the workers and greatness for Germany. Hitler organized a private army who became known as storm troopers. By Oct. 1923 Hitler gathered 15,000 storm troopers. They wore brown uniforms and the swastika on their sleeves to give them a sense of unity. They were armed with machine guns and rifles. Their job was to fight communists and any opposing force trying to break up Nazi rallies. On Nov. 8, 1923, at a rally in a Munich beer hall, Hitler proclaimed a Nazi revolution. The next day he tried to seize the Bavarian government in what became know as the Beer Hall Putsch (revolution). Hitler led more than 2,000 storm troopers on a march against the government. The police opened fire and killed 16 Nazis. The plot failed. Hitler was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison for treason. 7. While Hitler was in prison he started writing his book called Mien Kampf (my struggle). His book included his thoughts and ideas for Germany's future. Such ideas as his plan to take over much of Europe and retake territories lost in World War I. In his book Mien Kampf the first and most important principle was to go in masses. The movement was to avoid any influences that would weaken the power of the masses. After getting out of jail Hitler learned from his mistakes and concluded that while violence was useful in some aspects, it was not the way to seize national power. He figured that he needed to do it by legal means. Hitler gained national attention by opposing the Young Plan. This plan was intended to help the Germans by reducing the obligation to pay back reparations from the war. Hitler felt that the payment of the reparations should be eliminated entirely. Hitler's opportunity came during the terrible worldwide depression that struck Germany in 1930. 8. A depression or an economic slump usually weakens a democratic government and strengthens authoritarianism, this being the case for Germany during the rise of Hitler. The German people feared that their country was falling into ruins and the government efforts to combat the slump by placing severe restrictions on money spent, only worsened the situation further. So as a result of this deteriorating situation, the people of Germany needed a figure-head to look up to. Adolf Hitler with his ideas of unification and restoration of past glory appealed to the German people. During Hitler's rise to power, the international economic depression had just passed it's peak and many citizens felt a strong government leader would eliminate any problems that their society faced. Hitler promised solutions to nearly all of the problems thrown at him and therefore recieved enormous popularity from the civilians. The Nazi party memberships were growing rapidly. Rallies attracted thousands of Germans. 9. In the election of 1930 Nazi Reichstag seats reached up to 107, and in July 1932, it went up to 230 (36.8% of the vote). The Nazi party became the single largest party in the Reichstag. Hitler achieved his goal in January, 1933. Franz von Papen, one of the leading rivals for leadership urged Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, the old President, to appoint Hitler as Chancellor (Prime Minister), von Papen later became Hitler's Vice-Chancellor. The respected President after some time gave in and made Hitler Chancellor. With this Hitler finally became the political leader of the republic. 10. Hitler established 'The Hitler Youth' which was an organization to win the loyalty of future generations. All German boys and girls had to join it. They marched, excersised and were taught Nazi beliefs. Hitler's idea of the master Aryan race controlling the world came into play here. Hitler focused alot of propaganda on the youth by telling them to spy on any person which didn't follow Hitler's beliefs and then report them to their officers. Hitler's Youth even spyed on their parents, this created the feeling of uncertainty within households. 11. Propaganda and brainwashing were evident in all aspects of every person in every corner of every city in the Third Reich. Control and censorship over mass media were probably the most powerful forms of brainwashing done by the Nazis. Exclusive and complete control over mass media, which included radio and newspaper, was owned by the Nazi party. Book burnings also occured, this would eliminate all books banned by the Nazis in hope to discourage people from rebelling. Hitler even went so far as to outlaw other political parties. 12. Very soon after Hitler's coming to power, his "socialist" ideas turned faschist. He soon went so far as to disobey conditions stated in the Treaty of Versailles. Allied Forces allowed Germany to do this because they felt as though the conditions they stated in the treaty were too numerous and hard to adhere to. A mixture of a harsh treaty and no one enforcing it, eventually led to WWII. 13.

Bibliography
EndNotes: 1. Mallia-Millones, V., The Origins of the Second World War, (Basingstoke: Macmillan Education LTD) ch. 5. 2. PBS Home Video, The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century, Episode 8: War Without End. 3. PBS Home Video, The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century, Episode 8: War Without End. 4. Broszart, M., Germany 1918-1945 Democracy to Dictatorship, (Oxford: Berg Publishers) p. 126-127. 5. Shirer, William L., The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, (New York: Simon and Shuster) p. 34-50. 6. Shirer, William L., The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, (New York: Simon and Shuster) p. 34-50. 7. World Book Encyclopedia, 1988 ed., S.V. "Hitler, Adolf", H 250-254. 8. World Book Encyclopedia, 1988 ed., S.V. "Hitler, Adolf", H 250-254. 9. PBS Home Video, The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century, Episode 8: War Without End. 10. Microsoft Encarta, CD ROM. 1994 ed., S.V. "Hitler, Adolf". 11. Microsoft Encarta, CD ROM. 1994 ed., S.V. "Nazism". 12. Microsoft Encarta, CD ROM. 1994 ed., S.V. "Nazism". 13. Itcush, Jeff, "Class Lectures", (Montreal: Bialik High School). 14. Schoenherr, Steve., "The Versailles Treaty." Website. Bibliography: -Mallia-Millones, V., The Origins of the Second World War, (Basingstoke: Macmillan Education LTD) 1987. -Broszart, M., Germany 1918-1945 Democracy to Dictatorship, (Oxford: Berg Publishers) 1987. -Shirer, William L., The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, (New York: Simon and Schuster) 1960. -Itcush, Jeff, "Class Lectures", (Montreal: Bialik High School) April 7th-10th, 2000. -Microsoft Encarta, CD ROM. 1994 ed., s.v. "Hitler, Adolf". -Microsoft Encarta, CD ROM. 1994 ed., s.v. "Nazism". -World Book Encyclopedia, 1988 ed., s.v. "Hitler, Adolf". -The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century, Episode 8: War Without End, (PBS Home Video) 1996. -Schoenherr, Steve. "The Versailles Treaty." Jan, 2000 URL: http://ac.acusd.edu/History/text/versaillestreaty/vercontents.html

Word Count: 2008

Some people say that Hitler was very clever in the way that he handled the situation, others say he was very lucky. The answer is that he was clever and lucky. He was lucky because of the occurrence of the great depression and the Reichstag Fire. Surely without these two elements he wouldn't have got anywhere near to achieving the role of chancellor, that is why they were so important. Still, it was simply a case of good timing. However, we also cannot dispute the fact, that he handled these situations excellently. When the depression came along, he told the German people he would get them out of it and he did. It is possible to say that if he hadn't plagued and brainwashed the German people with his racist and destructive views, he would be one of the most memorable politicians in Germany's history. Then he had to deal with the Reichstag Fire. The answer he found was obvious. Blame the Communists, Hitler's opponents to the forthcoming election. That was all that was needed to win the election. As soon as Hitler told the German people that the Communists had started the fire, they fell for it. Hook, line and sinker. Germany and its people, were now Hitler's properties. He had total control. He was now the leader or Fuhrer of what was to be known as Nazi Germany.

The Enabling Law

After the Reichstag Fire the Nazis won the election, but this did not give Hitler total control over Germany. Although he had the biggest party, he did not have a true majority in parliament. He could only give himself a majority by teaming up with the nationalist party and banning the Communists. Therefore, if the Nationalists broke away he would no longer have a majority. If the Communists were allowed back in, he would no longer have a majority. If there were fresh elections he might lose his majority. There might even be a split in the Nazi party if some members did not agree with his way of ruling the country.
Hitler solved all of these potential problems in one simple decision. He passed the "Enabling Law." Its significance was immense. This gave him the power to do whatever he wanted without needing to get parliament to approve it. Hitler used his brain and decided to act quickly while he still had a majority in the Reichstag. His "Enabling Law" was agreed quickly. This was not part of the Weimar constitution and it was this that was the real Nazi seizure of power. This too, was a short-term cause, as Hitler no longer needed it after he seized power, although this was the definitive link to Hitler's rise into power. As I have said, this law was important as it gave Hitler the power to do most of what he wanted.

Hitler's Oratory, Personality and Leadership

Oratory is the power to control people by speaking to them. Hitler was one of the first modern leaders to understand how to use propaganda to control people. He even had a government minister - Dr Goebells - in charge of propaganda. Here are Hitler's views on how to influence the masses of the people: "The receptive powers of the masses are very restricted, and their understanding is feeble. On the other hand they quickly forget. Such being the case all effective propaganda must be confined to a few bare essentials and these must be expressed as far as possible in stereotyped formulas. These slogans should be persistently repeated until the very last individual has come to grasp the idea. Propaganda must not investigate the truth objectively but must present only that aspect of truth which is favourable to the party."

Hitler hated the Treaty of Versailles. He also had strong racial beliefs, such as, his hatred of Jews and his belief that the Germans were the master race. His individual skills were very important when trying to get his views across. Hitler was able to use his great skills of communication to convince his party members about his beliefs. Eventually, through time, his views were drilled into his fellow party men so much that they actually believed in his views as much as he did. This brainwashing technique was used on the whole nation during his campaigning.
Hitler's leadership skills were also as good as his communication skills. He used events, which occurred to his advantage. It was as if he knew what was going to happen, and that he had a plan for everything. One of these occurrences was the Munich Putsch. After the Putsch he blamed the Communists. This made his opponents popularity fall and his own, rise. After the Putsch he had to rely on his personality to get him through "the years of stagnation." His party did not increase in popularity for 5 years, but Hitler never gave up. He got lucky when the depression came around, as he could use it to his advantage by saying he could get Germany out of it. Hitler was also a very cool character. He showed this when he refused to join a coalition unless they gave him the top job of chancellor. They eventually did. He had great political skill, as he was so sure that he would get the job eventually. Hitler had the enabling law passed to get rid of democracy in Germany and put all the powers he needed into his own hands. This was undoubtedly due to his individual personality. He wanted all power and total control over the government. Overall, Hitler's oratory, personality and leadership were vital to his rise in Germany. This was obviously a
Long-term cause to his rise as he was born with these qualities. He would rely on them all the way through his life. It is fair to say that if Hitler did not have these qualities, he would not of been noticed in Germany. All of these natural born skills were extremely important in Hitler's rise.

The weak Weimar government was a major factor in Hitler rise to power, however it was not the only reason.

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