There are many reasons why Hitler came to power in 1933.
There are many reasons why Hitler came to power in 1933. These reasons can be categorised in a variety of ways. One of the most important categories is the political. Lots of the other reasons stem from Hitler joining the Nazi Party on 14th September 1919. Hitler was a soldier in the Great War and was horrified when the German government signed the treaty of Versailles on 28th June 1919. He, like many other German soldiers felt that Germany was capable of winning the war. Hitler despised the government for giving in to the Allies and signing a treaty so unfair and detrimental to the future of Germany as a powerful country. Hitler felt unable to stand back while his country's economical and geographical wealth and power was given up so he joined a party that promised to ignore the Treaty of Versailles, the Nazi Party. It didn't take long until Hitler was leader of the Party. At first the Nazis did not have much public support, gaining less than a million votes in the elections of December 1924. Because of proportional representation they did have seats in the Reichstag but never enough to form a government. Their extreme views also excluded them from any coalition government formed. In 1923 Germany was hit with hyperinflation. This rocked the Weimar Republic and Nazi Propaganda in later years would use it to great effect. The Nazi party grew rapidly and by late 1923 had 55,000 members. Hitler was now one of Bavaria's best known politicians. In November he decide that the Nazis we strong enough to attempt a putsch in Munich, the Bavarian capital. This became known as the Munich Beer Hall Putsch but it failed and 16 Nazis were shot dead. Hitler was arrested and sent to prison and the Nazi party banned. Whilst in prison, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf, My Struggle, which became to many Nazi followers
and sympathises, like a Bible. The book was part autobiography and part Nazi political manifesto. It documented Hitler's views and his dream for a strong Germany under his rule. Hitler was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment but he served a total of 8 months and was allowed to re-found the banned Nazi Party. Although he was arrested and the putsch seemed to fail in was in fact somewhat of a success. The trial was front-page news for 24 days and this meant that the whole of Germany had now heard of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Public support grew ...
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and sympathises, like a Bible. The book was part autobiography and part Nazi political manifesto. It documented Hitler's views and his dream for a strong Germany under his rule. Hitler was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment but he served a total of 8 months and was allowed to re-found the banned Nazi Party. Although he was arrested and the putsch seemed to fail in was in fact somewhat of a success. The trial was front-page news for 24 days and this meant that the whole of Germany had now heard of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Public support grew even when the party was banned. In 1929 the stock market crashed and there was world depression. Germany was badly hit because the economy was relying on loans made by American banks. These banks now demanded their money back because the funds were needed in the US. As the economic situation worsened, more and more people became unemployed. The people lost faith in the Weimar Republic and began to vote for the more extreme parties like the communists and the Nazis. Many people were convinced that the only chance of a future for Germany was by voting for the Nazi party because of its strong leader, Adolf Hitler. In September 1930 the Nazis increased their seats to 107. The communists got 54 seats. The largest of the parties that supported democracy lost 10 seats. Success in these elections made the Nazis ambitious. Over the next two years they made huge efforts to increase their support further, doubling their vote in 1932. In particular, they spent huge amounts of money on propaganda. The Nazis released millions of pro-Nazi leaflets and there was a proliferation of propaganda posters. Eight Nazi-owned newspapers, mass rallies, or public meetings, to put across the message also spread Nazi ideas. From 1930 to 1932 President Hindenburg and Chancellor Brüning governed Germany by making decrees. This was not a democratic form of government but it was not illegal. However it did mean that democracy started to die in these years. It also meant that friends of the President, such as army officers, had more influence over law making than the elected Reichstag. Despite the backing of President Hindenburg, Brüning was very unpopular. His policies not only failed to end the depression, they also angered many people in high places, such as business men and land owners, Taking advantage of Brüning's unpopularity, a senior army officer, General Schleicher, persuaded Hindenburg to sack him. Another Centre Party politician, Franz von Papen, took his place. Papen's government failed in a November election. The election gave Papen even fewer seats, so he went to Hindenburg with a new plan. He suggested closing down the Reichstag, governing by decree, and using the army to crush any opposition. Hindenburg agreed. At this point, however, General Schleicher threw an obstacle in Papen's way. He told Hindenburg that Papen's plan would provoke the extreme parties. In short there would be a civil war. As no government can exist without the army's support, Papen resigned and Scleicher took over. He lasted 2 months. Two Chancellors had come to power in 8 months. Hindenburg now had to offer the job to the leader of the largest party. Hitler became chancellor on 30th January 1933. Hitler was now in power. On the 27th February 1933 the Reichstag was set on fire. There are different theories as to who started the fire. Some say it was a young communist called Marinus van der Lubbe on his own others that he had help from the communist party. Other people say that the Nazis started the fire. Regardless of who actually started the fire the Nazis used it to their advantage. It gave the Nazi election campaign a real boost. Hitler claimed that it was a communist plot against the government. He asked President Hindenburg for extra powers to deal with the plot. Believing that Germany was in danger, Hindenburg issued a "Law for the Protection of the people and the State". This emergency law suspended parts of the constitution. That allowed the Nazis to smash the Communist election campaign. Stormtroopers arrested 4,000 Communists, shut down Communist newspapers and broke up Communist meetings. General elections were held on the 5th March 1933. The results gave the Nazi party 44% of the vote. They still did not have a majority. Moreover the Communists still had 81 seats, while the democratic parties were almost unchanged. Hitler overcame this setback with the help of the Nationalist Party. He persuaded it to join forces with the Nazi Party. Their 52 seats, added to 288 seats of the Nazis amounted to just over half of the Reichstag. Although Hitler now had a majority in the Reichstag, he was still not satisfied. He wanted the Reichstag to pass an "Enabling law". This would give him the power of dictator for the next 4 years. By 1934 Hitler had wiped out most of his opponents. His only rival left was the SA. Many of them expected to benefit from Nazi rule. The unemployed wanted jobs and the leaders power. Ernst Röhm, the leader of the SA, wanted to merge with the regular army and have himself in charge. This would make him the most powerful man in Germany. Hitler and the Army leaders didn't like this idea. Hitler couldn't afford to lose the support of the army generals. Nor could he risk allowing Röhm gain so much power. On Hitler's orders, the leaders of the SA were arrested on the night of the 30th June 1934. They were taken to prison and shot. Over the following week hundreds of others were also shot. This was called "The Night of the Long Knives". Hitler also put the Gestapo in charge of the local government. On 2nd May 1933, Nazis broke into trade union offices all over the country and arrested thousands of officials. The unions were then merged into a "German Labour Force". At its head was a Nazi. On 10th May 1933 Nazis occupied the offices of the Social Democratic Party, destroyed its newspapers and confiscated its funds. Two weeks later they confiscated all the property and all the funds of the communist party. The other smaller parties suffered the same fate in June. By July only one party remained. The Nazi Party. Hitler made a law stating that the Nazi Party was the only party allowed in Germany. When President Hindenburg died Hitler declared himself Führer and Reich Chancellor. On the same day all of the army swore an oath recognising Hitler as their leader. Until 1933 the local state governments ran most schools in Germany. After the Nazis took power, control of the schools was taken the states and given to a Ministry of Education in Berlin. Many changes followed including the sacking of all Jewish teachers. Courses in history, politics, racial hygiene were introduced. RE was scrapped and PE doubled. Outside school, the Nazi party took control of Germany's many youth clubs. A law of 1936 merged all youth groups into the "Hitler Youth Movement". Two further laws made membership compulsory. Nearly everyone belonged to the Hitler Youth. These laws practically guaranteed that everyone in Germany would always vote for the Nazis because they were indoctrinated. I think that the most important factors are Hitler joining the Nazi Party and the election of 1933. I think that these two events are the most important in Hitler's rise to power. If he had not joined the Nazi party he wouldn't have been able to lead it and, without Hitler, the Nazi party was nothing. The election gave the party power. I think that if Hitler had not joined the Nazi Party that there would have been a communist revolution in Germany because the Weimar Republic was unable to cope with so many problems.