Sixth Factor: Charisma and oratorical skills + Skillfulness at making deals with the politicans

Charisma and Oratorical skills

Hitler was a powerful speaker and communicator with a strong belief in himself. Firstly, He prepared and practiced his speeches beforehand, he knows how to gauge the mood of the audience, had the energy to do three to four speeches in a day. He appeared sincere to the people. Secondly, he made beer hall speeches. He knew people there were at ease and easily swayed. He always start his speeches logically and calm and only began to rant and rave when the audience got drunk. Lastly, he addressed people’s concerns. He knew what people concerns are and found the solutions to it. He used ‘November criminals’, communists and the Jews as scapegoats for Germany’s ills. Hitler also used his charisma and oratorical skills to his advantage in justifying the Germans' resent towards the Treaty of Versailles and sought to destroy the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler's ideologies were well-received by the German people. He aimed to reclaim national pride by speaking of establishing a greater Germany. In order to achieve his aims, he decided to re-organize the Nazi Party to make it strong. It would then be able to capture the hearts of the Germans in elections. Under Hitler's leadership; the Nazi Party became more efficient and gained the respect of voters. Hitler was able to gather the support of the Germans as he knew exactly what to say. Hitler's speeches and the way he was portrayed convinced many Germans that he was able to bring Germany to greatness .Hitler used propaganda very effectively. Hitler told people what they wanted to hear. And he offered the only realistic alternative to the extremism of the Communist party at the time. Both Hitler and Goebbels did such a good job, that Hitler was able to gain the position of Chancellor, allowing him to legally take over the government and complete his revolution.His speeches are masterpieces. He outlines people and conditions.

Hitler was good in his speeches. Hitler gave the Germans exactly what they needed which the Wiemar government failed to accomplish. This helped Hitler to garner support. If you watch closely, you would see that Hitler made use of simple yet strong words to invoke emotions of the audience, stressing certain words to get his point across. Hitler also used appropriate hand gestures throughout his speech to emphasize too. He appeared to be energetic thus making the people who are listening know he is not lying and trust him.

Hitler's skillfulness at making deals with the politicians

Hitler traveled the country delivering numerous major speeches, attending meetings which were organized by Joseph Goebbels. He was one of the key reasons why Hitler became famous. Hitler busied himself by meeting notable figures from each group, asking them about their suggestions. In January 1932, he gave speeches to industrialists in the Ruhr (Coal Mine) and pledged his commitment to provide capital and state support for large corporations. Many used their power within the citizens to support Hitler, while some provided hefty political donations so the NSDAP could continue its propaganda campaign during the Great Depression. At a meeting with The Reichswehr (army) generals in February 1932, Hitler promised to expand and re-arm the military, opposing the restrictions imposed by Versailles.

Hitler offered a very important thing to everyone: work to the unemployed; prosperity to failed business people; profits to industry; expansion to the Army; He promised to bring order amid chaos; a feeling of unity to all and the chance to belong, He also promised to end payment of war reparations to the Allies; tear up the treaty of Versailles and deal harshly with the Jews. Through this, he is able to gain the support of the citizens

Hitler’s position was stronger than many believed. Although Hindenburg disliked Hitler, there was no realistic alternative available. Few leading politicians supported the Weimar system of democracy; many feared a communist revolution.

In his first months as Chancellor, Hitler instituted what historians have called a ‘legal revolution’ to extend and strengthen his control. One of his first actions was to persuade President Hindenburg to call new elections to the Reichstag. In doing so, Hitler hoped to improve the number of seats held by the Nazi Party to create a government with the necessary majority to make changes to the Weimar constitution legally.

The election campaign lasted for five weeks. Hitler used this time not only to spread his propaganda message about the benefits of Nazi control, but also to undermine his greatest political enemies - the communists. He also persuaded President Hindenburg to allow the government to ban some of their political meetings and newspapers on the grounds.

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In conclusion, although Hitler used many propaganda to help him rise, he was still respected by many as he was great in his speeches and he knew what to do at the right time therefore he won the trust and respect from the Germans.

Citation: http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/elect.htm

                                                             http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Education/Pix/pictures/2007/11/13/Hitlerrally.jpg

                                                  http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/64023000/jpg/_64023960_parade.jpg

                                                              http://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/ahspeak.htm

                                                              https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090122125658AAj34li

Fifth Factor: Exploitation of the fears of Communism + Reorganisation of the Nazi Party

Exploitation of the fears of Communism

 He used propaganda to spread fear about the aims of the Communists. He said that the communists were only interested in disorder and starting a revolution in Germany. The communists would take away the rich people such as the landowners’ and leading industrialists’ property away and give them to the workers. 

Hitler also stressed that the Nazi Party was the only political party that could provide order and prevent the communists from setting up a communist dictatorship like the one in Russia. As a result, many rich people gave financial support to the Nazis as they wanted an anti-communist government. 

Also, Hitler made a promise to the farmers and businessmen that he would help them if he got into power. Hence with strong financial support, he was able to build an army called the SA. In the 1930s, there were unemployment, thus the economy were shattered causing much unrest. Hitler fought against the communist to break up their meetings, thus many began to feel the need for Nazis to bring order back into their communities. Promises were given that those unemployed will be given help as well those who suffered economic losses.

Reorganisation of the Nazi Party

 After Hitler’s release from prison, he concentrated his efforts in reorganising the Nazi Party. Initially, the Nazi Party has few supports from people. However with these three methods (increasing the Party membership, establishing the SA and SS, and also used Nazi propaganda), Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany due to the way he reorganised the Nazi Party.

Increased memberships

Membership grew to 100,000 by 1933. Set up youth organisations and created Hitler Youth in the 1920s.

The SA and SS                                      

 Extra income helped Hitler strengthen the SA. Membership grew to 100,000 by 1933. SA gave the impression of the Nazis having strength and order. The SS were Hitler’s personal bodyguards who also intimidated and showed order. The SA and SS broke up Communist Party meetings, which gained support of anti-communists. Also, the SA and SS broke up strikes, which gained the support of the industrialists.

Propaganda

 Hitler also used propaganda to reorganise the Nazi Army. Goebbels is the propaganda manager for Nazis. Easy scapegoats for Germany’s problems are the Jews, Communists, and the Weimar Republic for signing the Treaty of Versailles. In the 1930s, Hitler’s speeches were reported in 120 Nazi newspapers and was widely read. Most up-to-date technology used, including the radio, films, and gramophone records. Hitler kept in the public eye, always looking. Hitler flew by plane to different cities, allowing him to make speeches in up to 5 cities a day. Hitler created a clear image of strength for the party. Hitler is passionate. The spectacle mass of Nazi rallies. The impressive power of the SA and SS. Deliberately appealed to people’s emotion rather than intellect.

Citation:

http://www.acceleratedstudynotes.com/gcse/history/reorganization-of-the-nazi-party-1924-8/

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU9Sz0Evp_g

Fourth Factor: Weakness of the Weimar Government

   Introduction to the Weimar Government

      The Weimar Government was never popular with the Germans as it was set up by the Allies after the World War 1 so not many of them helped to support or maintain it and they were also not committed. Many Germans also hated them as the TOV  was seen as a harsh and unjust treaty by the Germans and they blamed the Weimar politician responsible for their treatment so some hated them.                                                                                                                                                                                     

      Proportional Representation     

       The Germans voted for parties rather then candidates so there were no party gaining majority as there were too many small parties competing therefore, it was a fair system but resulting in a weak government so they were seen as weak by the Germans                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                   

      Coalition Government                                                                                                                            Parties formed a coalition government but they each have many ideas and were not compromising so leading to frequent change in government. Therefore, it was difficult to pass laws. The proportional representation allowed a lot of small Parties into it so it was difficult to find a majority Party within the parliament as there were many Parties in the group with different opinion thus, they was seen as weak by the Germans.

      Opposition From The Right And Left Wings

      The Weimar Government was also targeted by the left wings and right wings group then to overthrow it, and also rioted in the streets of Berlin so there were chaos in Germany because of that. The Left and Right wings both have different aims and how they want the government to rule the country. The Right and Left-wing extremist uses violent to gain power and the Left-Wing extremist opposes to democracy but the Right-Wing extremist wanted the government to gain full power to control the country and wanted Germany to be strong again . As a result, there were chaos in the city such as rebellion to overthrow the government

      

      Weak Support

      The Weimar Government also lacked support as right-wing extremist wanted to overthrow the government so many Germans were mostly influenced by advisers thus, lacking supports from the Germans. Without support, the Weimar Government remained weak and struggle to gain power and authority

      How Did The Great Depression And Weakness Of The Weimar Government Helped Hitler To Rise To Power?

     During the Great Depression, the Weimar Government was not able to deal with the problems in Germany thus, allowing Hitler to be in a ideal position to rise to power. Due to the Great Depression, People turned to Hitler for help due to the Depression and the failure of the Weimar Republic to cope with the ongoing problems in Germany so Hitler was able to benefit  because of the failure of Weimar Republic and many people think highly of him because of that

      Website

      http://www.markedbyteachers.com/gcse/history/the-weakness-of-the-weimar-republic-was-the-main-that-allowed-factor-that-allowed-hitler-to-rise-to-power-between-1920-and-1933-do-you-agree.html 

      http://www.markedbyteachers.com/gcse/history/the-weak-weimar-government-was-a-major-factor-in-hitler-rise-to-power-however-it-was-not-the-only-reason.html

      PEARSON ALL ABOUT HISTORY Unit 2 : The World in Crisis (Textbook)

      Website Of Images

    https://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Falthistory.wikia.com%2Fwiki%2FFile%3AFlag_of_Weimar_Republic_(defence_minister_1919).svg&ei=OcCXVdWMAs-xuASwy4DgBA&bvm=bv.96952980,d.c2E&psig=AFQjCNElJQLZhEzhgxBUSRVirEIuRZnMAQ&ust=1436094483808985

      https://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmrvcle.weebly.com%2Fleft-wing-vs-right-wing.html&ei=wsCXVYaZKJaNuAT9v4ToBg&bvm=bv.96952980,d.c2E&psig=AFQjCNFK30cLFhsTk-6_2vtJOfmkyUwpLQ&ust=1436093840441380

  

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Third Factor :Hyperinflation

After World War 1, Germany had to pay a huge amount of reparation ( 132,000,000,000 gold marks / 132 billion gold marks).  But the Germany only paid 50 billion marks which was less than what did afford to pay.

Germany was also allowed to pay in actual materials such as coal, iron and wood etc. Most of the coal marks were payed in coal iron and wood. 

Under the Weimar Government, the economy of the country had gone from bad to worse as the workers went on strike. The government had to do the worse possible thing that they could do – to print more money. They had print more money in order to cover the cost. The striking workers were paid and the people expelled from their home were taken care of  with the money that were printed.

Furthermore, Germany printed more money to buy foreign currency to pay for the reparation. The more money that was printed, the lesser the value the money is. This affected greatly to the wealthier Germans and the middle class as their savings were wiped out overnight and their savings became useless.

Also, due to hyperinflation, the prices of food also went up quickly and Germany were known to the other countries that she did not have enough money to pay for their daily needs

E.g. in 1922 a loaf of bread  cost 163 marks.

By September 1923, a loaf of bread cost 1,500,000 marks and by November 1923 ,  a loaf of bread cost 200,000,000,000 marks.

( Refer to the picture below)

As the time passes the same amount of money could barely buy anything in the future. Hence, the poor would have to starve as they can barely afford anything.

While the wealthier people or the middle class would actually had a hard time adapting as they spent their earlier lives spending money on things that they could afford but as the time passes, they live like the poor while the poor just live even poorer. Life was harsh on them as the money they had became worthless overnight.

The same amount of money could even barely afford them a loaf of bread or even a cup of coffee.

Furthermore, the prisoners are also suffering as the pension that the received did not increase even though the amount of money currency increased. Hence, the prisoners could not afford a single thing. Not even a cup of coffee.

 Even though they are ‘‘billionaire’’ , they are actually poor. Some ‘‘billionaire’’ could barely afford a cup of coffee or a loaf of bread to satisfy their hunger. Almost everyone in that time were ‘‘billionaire’’ ,but they could barely afford anything such as their basic  daily supply, food , toiletries etc.

Money became worthless by the minute as people were paid hourly as people rush to give the money to their family and love ones before the value of the money became worthless.

As the Government printed money really quickly, the money actually became so worthless that the children started playing with it. 

Additionally, due to hyperinflation, people in Germany were unemployed and they were starving. Therefore, this led to violence within the people. The people had to steal and fight for food in order for them to survive.As the Germans were angry and disappointed with the Weimar Government due to hyperinflation since they were greatly affected, they went on and supported Hitler. As Hitler was able to shape a better Germany, leading to his rise of power.

In conclusion,  Germany was greatly affected after World War 1, and they had to print more money in order to pay off their debt to the Allies. By doing this, the Germans were also affected as they were trying hard in order to survive. The Germans were having a harsh time as they could barely afford anything to eat as the government printed more money, the value of the money decreased drastically.

In my opinion, I think that Hitler used the situation as an advantages as he promised the people that he would solve the problem, Therefore , the Germans would support him and thus leading him to rise to power.


Videos on Hyperinflation:

Website on the videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI1i5yhwOz8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-7YCcZUXmw
Website on Hyperinflation:
http://econc10.bu.edu/Ec341_money/Papers/Hubbard_paper.htm

http://www.usagold.com/germannightmare.html

Second factor: The Great Depression

On October 29, 1929, the stock market collapse on Wall Street and it sent financial markets worldwide into a chaotic mess.

 Since the German economy was built upon foreign capital, it was very vulnerable. It was very dependent on foreign trade, too.

 As production levels fell, German workers were dismissed and fired. Along with this, banks failed throughout Germany. Savings accounts, from the result of years of hard work, were instantly wiped out. Inflation soon followed making it hard for families to purchase expensive necessities with devalued money. Overnight, the middle class standard of living that so many German families enjoyed was ruined by events outside of Germany, beyond their control. The Great Depression began and they were thrown into poverty and deep misery and began looking for a solution, any solution as they were desperate to get the good lives they once have.

Adolf Hitler knew his opportunity to rise to power had arrived and definitely, he had to take advantage of the whole situation.

 His main qualities were his speech making ability and being good at saying the speeches that are relevant to everyone’s liking.
By mid-1930, among the economic pressures of the Great Depression, the German democratic government was beginning to unravel.

Gustav Stresemann, the outstanding German Foreign Minister, had died in October 1929, just before the Wall Street crash. He had spent years working to try to restore the German economy and stabilize the republic and died, having exhausted himself in the process.

The crisis of the Great Depression brought disagreement to the political parties in the Reichstag. Instead of forging an alliance to enact desperately needed legislation, they broke up into squabbling, uncompromising groups. In March of 1930, Heinrich Bruening, a member of the Catholic Centre Party, became Chancellor.

Despite the overwhelming need for a financial program to help the German people, Chancellor Bruening encountered stubborn opposition to his plans. To break the bitter stalemate, he went to President Hindenburg and asked the Old Gentleman to invoke Article 48 of the German constitution which gave emergency powers to the president to rule by decree. This provoked a huge outcry from the opposition, demanding withdrawal of the decree.

As a measure of last resort, Bruening asked Hindenburg in July 1930 to dissolve the Reichstag according to parliamentary rules and call for new elections.

The elections were set for September 14th and this is when Hitler and the Nazis sprang into action. Their time for campaigning had arrived and the days of democracy was going to end.
The German people were tired of the political disputes in Berlin. They were tired of misery, tired of suffering, tired of weakness. These were desperate times and they were willing to listen to just anyone, even Adolf Hitler.

Hitler was a powerful speaker who attracted a wide following of Germans desperate for change. He promised the discontented a better life and a new and glorious Germany. The Nazis appealed especially to the unemployed, young people, and members of the lower middle class (small store owners, office employees, craftsmen, and farmers).
This appealed to the German people as they believed that Hitler would bring prosper, pride and change to Germany.

In conclusion, Hitler used the great depression to his advantage by attracting the support from the Germans so that he can rise to power. Germans were sick and tired of living in poverty due to the great depression so when Hitler came to their lives and gave them a promise that they are not going to live in poverty again, they believed him and supported him. This caused him to gain popularity and made him rise to power.
Citation:
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/begins.htm

First factor: The Nazi Ideology

The Nazi Ideology was one of things that appealed the German people. National Socialism or commonly known as Nazism was the ideology and practice of the German Nazi Party. In 1919, Adolf Hitler joined a small right-wing group called the German Workers' Party. He took over as its leader, and changed its name to the National Socialists (Nazis). Unlike other political ideologies it was not articulated in much detail but was broadly defined in Mein Kampf and the NSDAP’s 25 points.

The Nazi Ideology:

Nationalism: The party was only interested to be included in Germany and German’s interests: reviving the German economy, achieving economic self-sustenance, rebuilding its military and providing for the German people. The Nazis had little interest in forming or improving international relationships, except to advance German interests. They did not like International groups like the League of Nations. Hitler had no intention of honouring or following existing foreign treaties
Expansionism: The Nazis and Hitler wanted to unify the German-speaking Aryan peoples of Europe into a German state. Additionally, there was claims that Germany was facing an overpopulation problem after World War I. Hence, Hitler believed that they need to acquire lebenbsraum or living space, to accommodate the needs of the new Germany by providing resources necessary to its people’s well-being. Expansion was needed to end the country’s overpopulation within existing confined territory.

Racialism: In its racial grouping, Nazism viewed what it called the Aryan race as the master race of the world, a race that was better than  all other races. According to Nazi racial theory Aryans were physically stronger, more intellectually advanced and more culturally gifted than other European races. The Nazis saw races like the Jews, Slavs and Romany to be untermensch (‘inferior men’).

Economic: Economic power, prosperity and self-sufficiency were priorities for the NSDAP. The Nazis sought the creation of jobs for unemployed Germans, the restoration of national prosperity, the recovery of industrial production and the rearming of the military. The Nazis promised that they would deal with the problem of unemployment. Additionally, Hitler believed that private ownership was useful in that it encouraged creative competition and technical innovation, but insisted that it had to conform to national interest.

Authoritarianism: The Nazis desired a strong government and extensive state power. They believed that government could not function effectively if it lacked the means to impose itself on society and enforce its policies. All decisions should be rested by the leader. Other political parties that is other than NSDAP is not allowed. Any groups that influence politically would be eliminated.

Militarism: Hitler and his followers believed that re-arming and expanding Germany’s armed forces was essential for the defence of the nation. Rearmament would be carried out in opposition of the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles.

Was Nazi Ideology the major factor that helped Hitler rise to power?

It is a partly a factor that helped Hitler gain popularity and also rise to power because Hitler promised to solve the problem of unemployment and unemployment was a huge problem since there was the Great Depression. His policies and ideologies also appeared to offer everyone something. His policies was also seen to be able to help the Germans as many of the Germans were in poverty after World War 1.

Mein Kampf is an autobiographical manifesto by National Socialist leader Adolf Hitler, in which he outlines his political ideology and future plans for Germany

Citations;
http://alphahistory.com/nazigermany/nazi-ideology/
http://www.nazism.net/about/nazi_ideology/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazism
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/germany/nazibeliefsrev1.shtml

Introduction

Was it favorable circumstances or Hitler's leadership abilities that led to his rise in prominence in the late 1920s?

There were many factors leading to Hitler's rise in position in the late 1920s. There were favourable circumstances for Hitler to rise after the disastrous World War 1 for Germany that ended in 1918 however Hitler also showed exceptional leadership skills that made him got the support of the German people and made him rise to become the leader of Germany.

Look at following posts about the factors that helped Hitler rise to power and see our conclusion on whether it was the favourable circumstances or Hitler's leadership abilities that led to his rise in prominence in the late 1920s.

Hitler delivering one of his speeches to the German people