In 1929, the Great World Depression hit Germany hard with rising rates of unemployment and later, the collapse of the Grand Coalition and President Hindenburg comes into power.
The government was now plagued with intrigue as Papen conspired with Hitler against his rival Schleichler, and consequently Hitler was appointed Chancellor by a reluctant Hindenburg. However Hindenburg too had his reasons for appointing Hitler. He did not pose a threat anymore as the number of seats of the NSDAP had decreased and he could use Hitler as a puppet. All the right wing parties feared a communist takeover and hence the other alternative being Hitler, an ultra-right winger, Hindenburg had little or no objection or choice. By the Harzburg Front, Hitler had the support of all industrialists and right wing conservative, coming together against the communists. Hence agreements between the NSDAP and DNVP were made which ensured when the democracy would collapse, Hitler would be taken into consideration for appointments. Therefore, with the support of the industrialists and Papen, along with the popularity among the masses, Hitler had a second chance to grab power.
However we could also say that had Hitler not developed popularity among the people, NSDP could have still be considered a ‘lunatic ‘ part that it was before Hitler took over. After the Munich Putsch, Hitler made many changes in the strategy of his party. He tried to appeal to different parts of society and won the appeal of the middle and the right by attacking socialism and the left, hence broadening his political base. He also maintained relations with the conservative right especially DNV, emphasizing now on the ‘stab in the back theory’ and siding with them against the dreaded communists. He adopted a more flexible and pragmatic policy by making specific pledges to each class. He also judiciously made use of propaganda in promoting his party. Along with the SA or ‘Storm Troopers’, to intimidate his opponents, Hitler ensured the rise of his part. Hence Hitler gained widespread support which led to his appointment as Chancellor.
In my opinion, had Hitler not been able to rise in popularity, none of these circumstances would have helped in his appointment as Chancellor would be inconsequential. For the last ten years people had seen the apparent ineffectiveness of democracy through the Weimar government and therefore the Nazi ideas and philosophy were extremely appealingto them, at least for the first six years. The downfall of the Weimar, and disintegration of democracy, along with the intrigue of Papen, would be of no consequence to Hitler, had he not acquired the popularity that he did by 1933 thanks to his change in strategy post Munich Putsch. Hence previous political problems did help in Hitler’s rise to power to a certain extent, however, it was Hitler who took advantage of the situation, taking steps to ensure that once previous political problems consumed Germany, he could step up and lead his country to victory.
Q2. Evaluate the role of ideology in the policies of one right wing, single party ruler, where social organization was concerned.
A1.
Nazi philosophy consists of many basic concepts and principles that Hitler and his followers were firm believers in. One can easily see how, taking control of the media, education system, etc the Nazi philosophy was systematically being indoctrinated among the German people.
Hitler believed in the Social Darwinism theory which promulgates the survival of the fittest in nature where not only physically fit, but mentally, emotionally and ethically, people, or rather races survive. If you have inferior races intermingling with Aryan blood then the future generations will be weak and the state will degenerate. Hence Hitler wanted to organize the entire German nation on the basis of racial purity, or Volk- Gemein-Schaft. The Deutschland glorified meant that the Fatherland of Germany was glorified above all others and above all classes, thereby denying any existence of class struggles. The Nazis were completely anti-communists as they did not believe in any class struggle as that would divide the nation, whereas they saw all classes as doing their part to make up society. The conservative right and the ultra radical right came together supporting Hitler and therefore the new Nazi institution integrated with the old institution in order for them to organize Germany on the basis of purity of race. This was known as Gleich-Schal- Tung. Hitler also demanded living space or Lebensraum for the Aryan race, hence it was not expansion of Deutschland but the expansion of the Aryanic race by expanding into Russia, Poland and Czechoslovakia. The people believed that they needed a Fuhrer Prinzip, or a Leader by Principle to lead them and they thought that Hitler’s personality made him fit to be the leader of Germany.
Hitler used certain ‘Instruments of Control’ to put these ideologies into practice amongst the masses. The indoctrination had the instrument of propaganda through which it would propagate itself effectively. The Ministry of People’s Enlightenment and Propaganda under Joseph Goebbels spread the Nazi message through a wide variety of means, the most successful being the radio, giving people regular access to Hitler’s speeches. Loudspeakers were used in factories and public places, encouraging Hitler’s ‘crowd psychology’ people were converted to believers of the Nazi philosophy simply by listening to one speech. Events like the Nuremberg rallies of 1934 and the Berlin Olympics were spread through films. The theatre, art and literature that was produced was also used as a means of spreading the Nazi philosophy.
The Ministry of education under Robert Ley, saw a complete change in the syllabus thanks to the Nazi regime. There is no doubt that the new Nazi curriculum helped close minds than open them. New subjects like race study, eugenics and health biology were introduced. The teachers were part of the NSLB or National Sozialistische Lehrer and were told not to deviate and not to question the Nazi philosophy. The free time that children had, was also organized systematically by the government. Separate institutions for boys and girls ranging from the age of 8 to 18 years of age, were established and most successful in brainwashing the young, the most successful group being the Hitler Youth. The groups carried widespread appeal as it gave the youth a sense of collective power. The philosophy also propagated the organization of the family. It was drilled into the minds of the people that the men were the bread winners of the house and the woman’s place was not earning, but staying at home and raising as many Aryan children as she possibly could. Since only men were earning, as women were gradually removed from all professions, the competitiveness of jobs decreased and unemployment rates decreased. Separate schooling for girls and boys instilled these stereotypical roles into young minds as well.
The Nazi philosophy never recognized any class struggle, foreseeing instead, a single nation united by its Aryan tradition, where each person has their place in society. To embrace the social cohesion that the Nazis emphasized on, i.e. Volksgemeinschaft, different labor organizations were established by the Nazis like the RAD, SdA and KdF, and banning trade unions, and strikes, along with the KPD and SPD. The workforce was therefore organized by these groups and told how to go about with their work along with giving them strictly monitored and compulsory recreational activities to accomplish in their spare time, all the while broadcasting the principles of the Nazi regime. Journalists too received guidelines from the DNB as well as detailed instructions and censorship if those instructions were not followed.
The Nazi system also affected the Jews in a big way. Before 1940, the anti-Semitic persecution aimed at exclusion of Jews from society. They were not allowed to hold positions of importance such as positions in the military, civil service, judiciary and medical sciences. They were also prevented from marrying Germans as according to social Darwinism, the pure Aryanic blood would be contaminated. By 1940, Jews were confined to ghettos and deprived of German citizenship, ordered to wear the Star of David and their whereabouts known at all times. The ‘Final Solution’ was drawn up in 1941 that was permanent removal of the Jews by ‘extermination’. Mass deportation of Jews took place as they were sent away to concentration camps. Along with these, homosexuals, gypsies, colored people and religious people were sent to concentration camps as they were either ‘social deviants’ or people who did not succumb to the Nazi ideologies.
Hence we see how the thoughts and ideals that made up the Nazi Philosophy was translated into policies that were carried out all over Germany, having either an effect of indoctrination or rebellion. Hitler and his subordinates made full use of the instruments of propaganda and education, organized the working classes as well as families, had control over the journalists and teachers as well as set up groups for recreational activities for youth. Finally, the social Darwinism theory and the belief in the supremacy of the Aryanic traditions prevailed at the cost of thousands of lives.
