PlanetPapers.com RSS Feedhttps://www.planetpapers.com/ assess albert speers role in the nazi war machine Assess Albert Speer’s role in the Nazi War Machine Albert Speer was appointed as minister for Armaments and munitions in February 1942. Speer played an invaluable role in the Nazi War Machine during the next three years of the Second World War. His effectiveness as minister for armaments and munitions led to phenomenal increases in the production of armaments, and ultimately prolonging the war for another one to two years which greatly impacted on the functioning of the War Machine. Speer’s major accomplishments as minister for armaments and munitions were, the standardization of weapons and specialization of factories. Implementing a Total War policy in Germany. The mobilization of the workforce in relation to the armament production. It became clear to Speer that the war would not be over quickly and the German War machine needed a sustained domestic war production. When Speer was given the position of minister for armaments and munitions, he knew nothing of armaments, weapons and war but he was a genius at organization. He mobilized the German industry by introducing principles of mass production, “democratic” economic leadership, improvisation and a general anti-bureaucratic approach which resulted in a phenomenal increase in the German war production rate. In the first 6 months in office Speer was able to increase the production of guns by 27%, tanks by 25% and ammunition by 97%. This was significant for the war machine as by 1944 armament production in general increased by more than 300%, and it must be noted that this had been achieved by Speer in 1944 during the height of the allied Strategic bombing campaign. (Kaldor) “Speer’s administration in the course of the following two and a half years was the single great success within the German war economy can record…”. Due to the increase in armament and munitions production in general this meant that the Germany military would be able sustain battles as a result of more munitions and weapons available and its strong supply. “He (Speer) is usually credited…with prolonging the war for several months in Giving the German military a new lease of life by sharply raising the efficiency of the German arms industry” (Professor Winston Higins). Then is must be stated Speer’s had an important role in the Nazi War machine as he greatly contributed to the Nazi war effort as there was an increase in armaments and munitions, which greatly increased the fighting efficiency of the 2007-08-06T03:56:58-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/assess-albert-speers-role-in-the-nazi-war-machine-6747.aspx Assess Albert Speer’s role in the Nazi War Machine Assess Albert Speer’s role in the Nazi War Machine Albert Speer was appointed as minister for Armaments and munitions in February 1942. Speer played an invaluable role in the Nazi War Machine during the next three years of the Second World War. His effectiveness as minister for armaments and munitions led to phenomenal increases in the production of armaments, and ultimately prolonging the war for another one to two years which greatly impacted on the functioning of the War Machine. Speer’s major accomplishments as minister for armaments and munitions were, the standardization of weapons and specialization of factories. Implementing a Total War policy in Germany. The mobilization of the workforce in relation to the armament production. It became clear to Speer that the war would not be over quickly and the German War machine needed a sustained domestic war production. When Speer was given the position of minister for armaments and munitions, he knew nothing of armaments, weapons and war but he was a genius at organization. He mobilized the German industry by introducing principles of mass production, “democratic” economic leadership, improvisation and a general anti-bureaucratic approach which resulted in a phenomenal increase in the German war production rate. In the first 6 months in office Speer was able to increase the production of guns by 27%, tanks by 25% and ammunition by 97%. This was significant for the war machine as by 1944 armament production in general increased by more than 300%, and it must be noted that this had been achieved by Speer in 1944 during the height of the allied Strategic bombing campaign. (Kaldor) “Speer’s administration in the course of the following two and a half years was the single great success within the German war economy can record…”. Due to the increase in armament and munitions production in general this meant that the Germany military would be able sustain battles as a result of more munitions and weapons available and its strong supply. “He (Speer) is usually credited…with prolonging the war for several months in Giving the German military a new lease of life by sharply raising the efficiency of the German arms industry” (Professor Winston Higins). Then is must be stated Speer’s had an important role in the Nazi War machine as he greatly contributed to the Nazi war effort as there was an increase in armaments and munitions, which greatly increased the fighting efficiency of the 2007-08-06T02:48:37-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Assess-Albert-Speer’s-role-in-the-Nazi-War-Machine-6746.aspx Assess Albert Speer’s role in the Nazi War Machine Assess Albert Speer’s role in the Nazi War Machine Albert Speer was appointed as minister for Armaments and munitions in February 1942. Speer played an invaluable role in the Nazi War Machine during the next three years of the Second World War. His effectiveness as minister for armaments and munitions led to phenomenal increases in the production of armaments, and ultimately prolonging the war for another one to two years which greatly impacted on the functioning of the War Machine. Speer’s major accomplishments as minister for armaments and munitions were, the standardization of weapons and specialization of factories. Implementing a Total War policy in Germany. The mobilization of the workforce in relation to the armament production. It became clear to Speer that the war would not be over quickly and the German War machine needed a sustained domestic war production. When Speer was given the position of minister for armaments and munitions, he knew nothing of armaments, weapons and war but he was a genius at organization. He mobilized the German industry by introducing principles of mass production, “democratic” economic leadership, improvisation and a general anti-bureaucratic approach which resulted in a phenomenal increase in the German war production rate. In the first 6 months in office Speer was able to increase the production of guns by 27%, tanks by 25% and ammunition by 97%. This was significant for the war machine as by 1944 armament production in general increased by more than 300%, and it must be noted that this had been achieved by Speer in 1944 during the height of the allied Strategic bombing campaign. (Kaldor) “Speer’s administration in the course of the following two and a half years was the single great success within the German war economy can record…”. Due to the increase in armament and munitions production in general this meant that the Germany military would be able sustain battles as a result of more munitions and weapons available and its strong supply. “He (Speer) is usually credited…with prolonging the war for several months in Giving the German military a new lease of life by sharply raising the efficiency of the German arms industry” (Professor Winston Higins). Then is must be stated Speer’s had an important role in the Nazi War machine as he greatly contributed to the Nazi war effort as there was an increase in armaments and munitions, which greatly increased the fighting efficiency of the 2007-08-06T02:48:16-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Assess-Albert-Speer’s-role-in-the-Nazi-War-Machine-6745.aspx How Did Hitler Come to Power in 1933? Adolf Hitler was a very lucky man throughout his lifeÉ It was November 1918 and Germany signed the armistice ending the First World War. Private 1st Class A. Hitler was in an army hospital being treated for a shrapnel wound to the head when he heard the news. Like many other Germans, he was shocked and angry about the surrender as the fighting never reached Germany. Soon after the Treaty of Versailles was signed which detailed the handover of German land and colonies and the reduction of armed forces. The majority of Germans felt, Hitler included, that this was highly unfair; they suffered and starved for nothing. This document provided him a voice with which to address his views to the German public. Hitler could not have come to power without two main events that happened in the run-up to 1933: The Great Depression in 1929, in which Germany was hit hardest because the USA withdrew their loans to them (Dawes Plan), saw unemployment rise rapidly and trade plummet. As in most cases, faced with an extreme problem, people search for an extreme answer; it came in two forms: The Communist Party and the NSDAP (National Socialist German WorkerÕs Party) or Nazi for short (Nationalsozialistische). The communists were a left-wing party who believed in equality of the people, abolition of the middle classes and the working proletariat to rule. This did not suit the tastes of the Middle and upper classes, as they would lose a considerable chunk of their wealth if the Communists came into power. The Nazis on the other hand, with which Hitler was a member, were a very right-wing party. They blamed others for GermanyÕs problems and appealed to a large spectrum of people by using deliberately vague policies about how they could improve Germany. In HitlerÕs speech on becoming elected as chancellor, he said that he would increase workersÕ wages and increase profits for the companies. This does not make sense, as Hitler would have to pull money out of nowhere to maintain this promise. They also built on peopleÕs fears of communism and made scapegoats of the ÔNovember criminalsÕ, the Weimar government that signed the Treaty of Versailles, the Nazi seats in the Reichstag over the Depression rose from 12 by just less than 2000% to 230. Headed by the most charismatic leader of the time, Hitler, the Nazis looked favourites over the Communists as the winner 2006-04-20T07:46:57-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-Did-Hitler-Come-to-Power-in-1933-6477.aspx How the Nazis are Portrayed in Films The Nazi Party has been filmed and chronicled since its creation and since the defeat of fascism in the Second World War; the Nazis have been portrayed in many different films and remain today a subject of criticism. The Nazis instigated a program of genocide against the Jews, Slavs and many other groups such as gypsies and homosexuals as well as removing, imprisoning and executing German opposition to their policies. Since the defeat of the Nazis, Western cinema, upholding the rights of the individual and freedom of speech, has used Nazism as its adversary. The following four scenes from films all show the Nazis in a different way: ÒTRIUMPH DES WILLENSÓ - This monochrome film was made for the Nuremburg rally in 1934, while the Nazis were in power. It is a German film directed by the very talented Leni Riefenstahl. It glorifies Hitler, the new Germany and the Nazi policies by use of symbolism and imagery, cinematography, association and propaganda so as to convince the German public that Adolf Hitler was worthy of their leadership. It does this by only showing the happy people in the crowd and the well-disciplined Wehrmacht but not the groups of people deemed to be in opposition with Hitler and the Nazi Party. When this film came out, five years before the war, Germany and Britain were on fairly peaceful terms. In fact, in the film you can see the representatives from Britain sitting watching Hitler inspire his people. Some people in Britain at this time liked Hitler and thought that some of his policies had a point to them. The filmÕs title refers to the German philosopher Nietzsche and his book called ÔThe Will to PowerÕ, which explains that living things are not just driven by the need to stay alive, but by the need to use power, to dominate others, and to make them weaker. This subtle information reveals much about HitlerÕs goals for the German ÔVolkÕ. The film starts with a few words introducing the film. It begins ÒOn September 5th 1934, 20 years after the outbreak of the World War, 16 years after the beginning of our suffering, 19 months after the beginning of the German renaissance, Adolf Hitler flew again to Nuremberg to review the columns of his faithful followersÓ. This introduction explains a great deal about HitlerÕs views. The third sentence Ò16 yearsÉÓ (talking about the Treaty of Versailles in 2006-04-11T20:35:11-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-the-Nazis-are-Portrayed-in-Films-6471.aspx Thoughts on Elie Wiesel's "Night" “To hate would be to reduce myself” is what Elie Wiesel told Opera in an interview. After all Wiesel had been through during the holocaust, he could not bring himself to hate. He demonstrates his respect for all human kind through his written work and public speeches; he understands the key interactions needed to make a society run. “Someone who hates one group will end up hating everyone – and, ultimately, hating himself or herself.” By following this statement Elie Wiesel came to terms with the atrocities that were brought down upon him and lives his life with compassion today. Elie Wiesel said, “Thou shalt not stand idly by.” He himself does not stand idly by; he is very active in the international community in places like Africa, where people are being oppressed. Where there is a call for help, Elie Wiesel is there to hear and to aid in stopping it. His personal account of the holocaust Night outlines his feelings about good and evil, God and his father during their captivity in the concentration camps. Good usually prevails over evil, or does it? Many gross atrocities were committed against the Jews for no good reason. At the first concentration camp, Buna, Elie witnessed babies being thrown into a pit and burned without being knocked out. The German officers just burned the babies, a symbol of complete innocence, in large pits like they were firewood and did not heed to their cries of fear and anguish. Another incident of conflict between good and evil is when Elie sees his kapo with the Polish girl and laughs. The next day Elie is called out and is whipped 10 times, the kapo used Elie as a scapegoat in front of all the other prisoners and humiliated and demoralized him because he had caught the kapo performing an immoral act, since the kapo and Elie already had conflicts with each other. A blatant example of good versus evil exists when the German’s make the prisoners go on an impossible run through the country. The German’s killed anyone who could not keep up, and made the prisoners run without food or water. During this time people had little to keep their moral high and were further demoralized by the Germans. In the end, the Jewish people were liberated, but they went through so much just to prove the statement that good always prevails over 2006-01-17T08:31:47-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Thoughts-on-Elie-Wiesel-s-"Night"-6375.aspx Oskar Schindler's metamorposis “In the film ‘Schindler’s List’, Oskar Schindler undergoes a dramatic metamorphosis”. Discuss. The film ‘Schindler’s List’ depicts the transformation of its main protagonist, Oskar Schindler, from an opportunist war profiteer to the saviour of over one thousand Jews. He is originally depicted as a womanizer and a Nazi sympathizer, however he becomes an ‘accidental saviour’ through his plan to utilize Jewish workers for his own gain. His metamorphosis is triggered by the exposure to atrocities committed by Nazis. Schindler becomes a genuine saviour motivated purely by saving as many lives as he can. His compilation of ‘the list’ and eventual support of the “Schindler Jews” in Brinnlitz is evidence of his pure humanitarianism and transformation In the beginning of Schindlers List, Schindler is portrayed as suave, opportunistic, manipulator whose main motivation is to profit in any way he can from the war. In the first five scenes we see (through the clever use of camera angle) Schindler’s assessment of Nazi officers. He uses money to bribe waiters and changes from an unknown observer of the party to the life of the party. He is able to use social engineering to buy items from the black market, keep Stern from being sent to a camp and also to manipulate Nazi officers into approving his Jewish slavery-based company. He is a womanizer, and enjoys the fine thinks in life. In a discussion with his wife he says, “I want to do something extraordinary”. He considers this to be coming to Poland with no money and leaving as a rich man. He does indeed accomplish something extraordinary, however it is not what he initially imagines it to be. Schindlers enamel factory, while only a place for Jews to work, creates a safe haven for its Jewish workers, and this only results in Schindler becoming an ‘accidental hero’. Schindler is still motivated by money; he hires cheap Jewish labour, which means more money for him. Being an opportunist, the war is in favour of him, as he is only interested in the money. Whilst there is perhaps evidence of a slow transformation occurring, Schindler is still unwilling to take responsibility of the good he has done for the Jews in his factory, like hiring the one armed worker. When Schindler saves Stern from going to a death camp he indicates that it is purely for his own benefit – as mentioned with ‘now what would 2005-10-25T09:05:28-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Oskar-Schindler-s-metamorposis-6256.aspx The growth of Himmler's power in the years 1933-39 Note: This Essay also uses additional sources which are not necessarily required to understand this essay. ----------------------------------------------- Using the evidence of Sources 1, 2 and 3 and your own knowledge, what do you consider explains the growth of Himmler's power in the years 1933-39 With Himmler's appointment to Head of the SS, in order to explain the growth of Himmler's power, we have to ask; 'How did the SS become so powerful?', because essentially the more the SS grew, the more powerful Himmler became. The purging of the SA on the 'Night of Long Knives' and other decrees and acts that the SS used to their advantage and Himmler's personality and characteristics are important factors to look at when answering the question. At the end of WW1, bitter at Germany's defeat, Himmler joined a nationalist paramilitary group and participated in the Munich Putsch. For the first couple of years he wasn't very active but in 1925 became more active as he was appointed head of the SS; Hitler's personal bodyguard and a part of the SA. It was the SS that catapulted Himmler to the top of the Nazi political ladder. Over the next four years Himmler worked on increasing the membership of the SS and successfully did so, increasing the number of members from 280 to 50,000 by 1933. It is important to note that the tension between the Army and Hitler was always strong even though the former supported the rebuilding of the army and the occupation of the Rhineland. What's more, the SA hadn't always agreed with Hitler and had tried on numerous occasions to rebel against him, for example in March 1931 when, the then-leader of the SA, Walther Stennes and some of his members refused to obey the Law. With that in mind, in addition to the fact that the SS used to be Hitler's personal bodyguard, the latter's trust in the SS would logically be greater than that of the Army and the SA. Thus, by increasing the SS and making it more of a recognised and important organisation in the Nazi state, Himmler was increasing his own power as well as Hitler's trust. Over the next few years Hitler's trust in Himmler played a very important part in his rise to power. The next move Himmler made was to get into the political scene. Before Hitler's appointment into the office of Reichs Chancellor in 1933 the SS 2005-04-01T18:21:18-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-growth-of-Himmler-s-power-in-the-years-1933-39-6089.aspx Evaluate the Impact Albert Speer had on Germany during the period 1918 – 1945 Albert Speer, Reich Minister of Munitions and Armaments throughout Germany’s course in World War II, had a profound impact on Germany during the period 1918-1945. This is due to the fact that as an architect, he had been responsible for the redevelopment of Berlin and other major German city centres. Also, because of his status as a senior member and a minister of the Reich parliament, he was chiefly responsible for the prolonging of the war by initiating a rapid increase in the production of armaments. He had also played a contributing effect to Germany’s violation of the Geneva Convention in the sense that he had advocated the deprival of Jewish ownership of housing properties, as well as the widespread use of Jewish and POW forced labour. As Hitler’s favourite architect, Speer was able to carry out the plans for Hitler’s Reich Capital in Berlin. It was through Hitler’s desire to impress and bring prestige to the power of the Reich upon the rest of the world that Speer’s architecture would achieve a significant impact in Germany. He was responsible for the design of the Nuremberg stadium, convincing Hitler that constructions out of monumental masonry were more elaborate than that of using iron and steel reinforcements, as stone would lend to a quiet magnificence as time elapsed. Additionally, Speer was able to improve on Hitler’s ideas from time to time. An instance of this was shown in the documentary ‘Hitler’s Henchmen – Speer’, where when Hitler commissioned a building to be 100 meters long, Speer added ‘at least 200 meters Mein Fuhrer’ . More importantly, him and Hitler both share the same passion for architecture; in an essay written by Speer himself, he stated that “our cities today lack a towering symbol of the community, and one cannot therefore be surprised that one’s own city also lacks such a symbol…….We know from his speeches the importance Hitler puts on improving the social conditions of every German such that they will be able to take pride in the community’s larger accomplishment. ” For Speer’s organisational and planning skills that he had demonstrated in front of the Fuhrer, Hitler became increasingly confident of entrusting Speer with massive construction projects, such as the task of redesigning Berlin. From 1937, enormous demolition works of 52 000 apartments in Berlin were carried out under Speer’s orders. Because of both Speer and Hitler’s taste for monumental masonry, 2004-04-20T13:16:43-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Evaluate-the-Impact-Albert-Speer-had-on-Germany-during-the-period-1918-–-1945-5582.aspx Evaluate the Impact Albert Speer had on Germany during the period 1918 – 1945 Albert Speer, Reich Minister of Munitions and Armaments throughout Germany’s course in World War II, had a profound impact on Germany during the period 1918-1945. This is due to the fact that as an architect, he had been responsible for the redevelopment of Berlin and other major German city centres. Also, because of his status as a senior member and a minister of the Reich parliament, he was chiefly responsible for the prolonging of the war by initiating a rapid increase in the production of armaments. He had also played a contributing effect to Germany’s violation of the Geneva Convention in the sense that he had advocated the deprival of Jewish ownership of housing properties, as well as the widespread use of Jewish and POW forced labour. As Hitler’s favourite architect, Speer was able to carry out the plans for Hitler’s Reich Capital in Berlin. It was through Hitler’s desire to impress and bring prestige to the power of the Reich upon the rest of the world that Speer’s architecture would achieve a significant impact in Germany. He was responsible for the design of the Nuremberg stadium, convincing Hitler that constructions out of monumental masonry were more elaborate than that of using iron and steel reinforcements, as stone would lend to a quiet magnificence as time elapsed. Additionally, Speer was able to improve on Hitler’s ideas from time to time. An instance of this was shown in the documentary ‘Hitler’s Henchmen – Speer’, where when Hitler commissioned a building to be 100 meters long, Speer added ‘at least 200 meters Mein Fuhrer’ . More importantly, him and Hitler both share the same passion for architecture; in an essay written by Speer himself, he stated that “our cities today lack a towering symbol of the community, and one cannot therefore be surprised that one’s own city also lacks such a symbol…….We know from his speeches the importance Hitler puts on improving the social conditions of every German such that they will be able to take pride in the community’s larger accomplishment. ” For Speer’s organisational and planning skills that he had demonstrated in front of the Fuhrer, Hitler became increasingly confident of entrusting Speer with massive construction projects, such as the task of redesigning Berlin. From 1937, enormous demolition works of 52 000 apartments in Berlin were carried out under Speer’s orders. Because of both Speer and Hitler’s taste for monumental masonry, 2004-04-12T04:43:30-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Evaluate-the-Impact-Albert-Speer-had-on-Germany-during-the-period-1918-–-1945-5566.aspx Why did the Weimar republic fail? After World War One ended and Germany was defeated, they returned to their country with heavy losses, a 6.6 billion pound reparation cost and a feeling of being let down. The country suffered huge economical losses and the country fell into poverty and starvation. Any government ruling a country like this already would have a very hard time keeping alive. At this point the Emergency Weimar Republic constitution was adopted by three parties, the Social Democratic Party, the Catholic Center and the German Democratic Party, in early 1919 they won 76 percent of the vote and began to govern Germany. The Weimar Republic was modelled around the imperial constitution and was written in Weimar. People had to blame someone and they blamed the republic for everything, for loosing the war, to the situation they were in now. One of the main reasons the Weimar republic fell from power was the treaty of Versailles, the German people thought all the bad things that had happened to them and their country were a result of it. In addition to this there were parties from the left and right challenging them. A bi product of the treaty of Versailles was the huge economic lose in their country; this gave the German people more reason to blame and loathe the Weimar republic. The third and final main reason was Hitler’s raise to power, he offered the countries people freedom from the Weimar rule and they gradually accepted it. After world war one ended and the treaty of Versailles was signed, German troops returned home feeling angry. They felt that there was no need to call an end to the war, as it didn’t seem as though they had the lower hand and Germany had not been invaded. They were bitter because they couldn’t fight on and knew it had all been for nothing and they hadn’t gained anything. In fact they lost a lot; during the peace conference they were forced to, most importantly; redefine their Western borders and give over a lot of land (13%), pay for damages amounting to $33 billion us dollars, hugely diminish their army and navy and destroy their air-force, donate some of their coal mines (26%) to France as compensation for destroying theirs and accept full responsibility for the war. The German people found the treaty hugely unfair and unjust. They felt as though they had been pushed into 2002-11-04T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-did-the-Weimar-republic-fail-5104.aspx To what extent was Hitler's foreign policy consistent and planned? A subject of continuous interest in historical debate is whether Hitler’s foreign policy aims, as outlined in Mein Kampf, was indeed a blueprint for the years to follow or infact a premeditated aversion from genuine foreign policy direction. Some may argue that Hitler’s foreign policy through the inter-war years was merely an extension of Stresemann’s policies and therefore consistent with the German aim. However opposing this belief are those who see a calculating, underhand opportunist whom spectacularly managed to camouflage a developing foreign policy and present it as consistent and ultimately unplanned. When Hitler was appointed German chancellor on 30th January 1933 Germany was still feeling the effects of the Great War. The military was very weak and the economy was in desperate need of recovery and reform. Many Germans had felt that along with the devastating effects resulting from the war, the Treaty of Versailles had been too harsh a measure. Hitler called for peace and, more significantly, equal treatment of Germany in European affairs, ‘If other nations are not willing to carry out the disarmament stipulations of the Treaty, then Germany must at least maintain her claim to equality’. Britain respected the German grievances and felt sympathy with its cause. Along with most other European countries it was felt that Hitler’s foreign policy appeared to represent continuity rather than an unfavourable and radical approach to post war European affairs. In contrast to Stresemann’s foreign policy was Hitler’s attitude toward the Soviet Union, ‘ when we speak of new territory we must principally think of Russia and the border states subject to her.’ Since the signing of Rapallo in 1922 Germany and the Soviet Union had been on fairly relaxed terms, to the extent that German armed forces were permitted to engage in secret training on Soviet soil. However, on coming to power Hitler adopted a far cooler approach to the Soviet Union. This supports the notion that Hitler looked to the Soviet Union for his additional ‘living space’ lebensraum. Perhaps more fundamental to the argument is that from as early as 1924 Hitler had envisaged, or even planned, his future invasion of the Soviet Union. This suggests that a blueprint was being put into operation. Further is the fact that in September 1933 the German foreign minister actually questioned the wisdom of Germany adopting an anti-Russian position and suggested it best to maintain favourable relations with Stalin’s regime. Hitler dismissed 2002-10-30T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/To-what-extent-was-Hitler-s-foreign-policy-consistent-and-planned-5097.aspx To what extent did propaganda influence Nazi consolidation of power 1933-1939? The Nazi regime in Germany implemented itself swiftly and effectively – the National Socialists had only three Nazis in a cabinet of twelve in January 1933, yet within two months Hitler had consolidated his political power by entirely legal means . With this, came the need for support from the German public. For a regime to ‘consolidate’ its power people could be too afraid to rebel against it, or they could be convinced of the value of the regime, or a combination of both. In the National Socialist era, the latter was used. In the period of 1933-1939, this was achieved by a number of methods, notably the use of propaganda, the various legislative and administrative changes, Hitler's personal charisma, the achievement of economic recovery and the 'reign of terror'. The extent to which each contributed to the consolidation of National Socialist regime is an issue that has remained in discussion, and is to be addressed in this essay. Although the relative importance of factors is in debate, it is certain that propaganda was one of the major causes of consolidation of power. As the historian Ian Kershaw emphasises, “It was plain from the beginning that the regime would attach a high priority to the steering of opinion .” However, the exact extent that propaganda affected the Nazi consolidation of power is extremely difficult to gauge, for a number of reasons. For instance, although the Nazi film ‘Triumph of the Will’ by Leni Riefenstahl may have been a success (and regarded as a brilliant achievement in today’s film industry), there is no evidence to suggest that the film depicting Nazi strength affected a great deal of people. For instance, many Germans felt the film was too long and was extremely repetitive. In addition, market research was non-existent, and there were very few non-Gestapo polls to analyse the success of this enormous propaganda campaign, which was conducted primarily by one man. Joseph Goebbels, master propagandist of the Nazi regime was seen as man who represented the propaganda campaign. As he said himself on 25th March 1933 “The Ministry has the task of achieving a mobilisation of mind and spirit in Germany. ” It was Goebbels that created the ‘Hitler myth’ – which portrayed an image of the Messiah-like figure and a man who was the saviour of Germany, in line with the publicising of the economy and so forth. In doing so, Goebbels, 2002-05-26T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/To-what-extent-did-propaganda-influence-Nazi-consolidation-of-power-1933-1939-4783.aspx Racism in Nazi Germany <H2>Explain how Hitler made use of racism to carry out domestic and foreifn policy between 1928 and 1941</H2> Throughout Nazi Germany in the period 1928 through to 1941, racism was utilized by Hitler, and in turn his Nazi party, most predominantly to secure Hitler?s position as dictator, and secondly to unite the German people against a common enemy, which would lead to a united powerful state, ready and able to exert its national will. Whether or not his aims were totalitarian in nature is debatable, however, his aims for racial purification and domination over Eastern Europe are made obvious before Hitler?s assumption of power, primarily in the racist crude writings of Mein Kampf, and even from Moellers? Des drittes Reich from the 1920?s. It can be said, therefore, though Hitler may not have been successful in achieving a totalitarian state, he may certainly have desired it. Constantly, it is made obvious, through his use of racism in both Domestic and foreign policy that Hitler?s ultimate aim, was total power, both for himself and his master race - the Volksgeminschaft. Hitler's use of racism is continually evident from the beginning of his comings to power, through till his attack on the Soviet Union in June of 1941. Racism, was initially used by Hitler to identify his sympathizers, and most predominant to unite the German people again public internal enemy number one - The Jews. Anti-semitism, anti-communism and attacks on several other minority groups ranging from slavs to democrats, provided Hitler with the Stab-in-the -back theory post World War One, and provides and excuse for defeat with the treaty of Versailles. Being that Nazi philosophy is essentially social dawanism targeted again the Jews and Bolsheviks, providing valid excuses and moral reasons for any attack on, or failure of the German race, the fittest of them all, against minority groups was a legitimate claim and justification for exclusion of these peoples. Hitler used racism to appeal to the pre existing bitter and aggressive side of German nature, thus securing his position as dictator and reuniting his people. Securing his position as the all powerful dictator, or Führer, is central to all of Hitler's policy decisions, be they foreign or domestic, and this was achieved through his, and the Nazi?s use of racism. Initially, Hitler used persecution and hatred of minorities such as Jews and communists to identify his sympathizers and supporters throughout the Government and 2002-04-21T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Racism-in-Nazi-Germany-4665.aspx Who Voted For the Nazis? <b>1. Review the evidence concerning who voted for the Nazis in the elections in Germany of 1928 to 1933. Consider the different groups in society and the reasons why they may, or may not, have voted for the Nazis.</b> Since 1928 the Nazi leaders had deliberately directed their propaganda at rural and middle class/lower middle class audiences. This therefore made it obvious that they were very likely to vote for the Nazis. Also, it has been estimated that the party attracting new voters and persuading many people who had not previously participated in elections to support their cause won nearly half of the Nazi seats. Hitler had a lot of support from the conservative right who had dominated Germany politically since 1929. Hitler seemed to appeal to each class and sector within the electorate by making specific pledges to suit each group. The middle classes made up the largest single proportion of Nazi support. It is thought that the reason for this is something to do with the Great Depression. They felt that they would not be able to cope with a second economic crisis so they moved to the more radical fringe. By middle class I mean artisans, small retailers, peasant farmers, civil servants and teachers. The upper classes-landowners, businessmen and industrialists-saw that Hitler would protect them from trade unions and the threat of communism and socialism on the left. The unemployed, peasants and young people supported Hitler but the party was weak in the south and in industrial cities. <b>2. Read the extracts below, which are taken from a variety of historians’ views. What are their answers? To what extent do they agree?</b> The answers, which are given by these extracts, tend to be along the same line. All of them seem to agree that the Nazis were very successful in protestant rural and middle class Germany. They also agree that it was big businesses, the young and the well off that were most likely to be in favour of the NSDAP. However the point at which some of them disagree is to do with the workers. The question seems to remain-did the workers vote for the Nazis? On one hand it seems obvious that they didn’t because of what the Nazis offered (it was aimed at the middle classes and above), but on the other hand it was said by J. Falter in his work, “How likely were workers to vote for the NSDAP?” that 2002-04-06T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Who-Voted-For-the-Nazis-4608.aspx To what extent was Hitler's success in coming to power due to the depression? Hitler became chancellor in January 1933. By March he had full dictatorial power. There is no doubt that the impact of the depression on the German people gave way to the rise of Hitler. It was the single most important factor of Hitler's coming to power, however it wasn’t the only factor. Hitler had remarkable speaking abilities, which helped him woo the public. His use of force with the SA and the inability of the Left wing political groups to combine, also contributed in his rise. Hitler also used the weakness of the constitution the signing of the Versailles treaty to bring down the Weimar Republic. With all these advantages on his side, and with the depression hitting Germany hard in 1929, it was just a matter of time before Hitler would "claim his throne". The Depression was the single most important factor in Hitler's rise to power. In 1929 a shockwave began in New York the affected the entire world. Germany was affected the most. Many historians, including Mckibbin and Taylor, believed that the depression was the turning point for Hitler and the nazi party. Germany's economy after World War I had been built on foreign loans, especially loans from the United States, and on world trade, which was also based on a system of loans. Thus when the depression hit, the German economy collapsed. By 1932, 6 million Germans were unemployed. The German people and lost all hope in the Weimar republic, and started looking for a radical change, brought forth party radical parties…the communists and the nazis. As a result of 1929, Hitler became remarkably popular. He made promises to the military and to industrialists saying that he would return Germany back to greatness once again. Hitler exploited the trust of the German public to its fullest during these times of hardship so he could gain the support he needed to gain full control of the German state. The weakness of the Constitution of the Weimar Republic significantly helped Hitler establish and develop the Nazi party. Whilst the Weimar constitution was said to be one of the most democratic constitutions of all time, there were still major flaws in it. In the eyes of Howland and Barr, the section on proportional representation and article 48 considerably helped Hitler on his quest for absolute power. As a consequence of proportional representation, it made it easy for anyone to form 2002-04-06T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/To-what-extent-was-Hitler-s-success-in-coming-to-power-due-to-the-depression-4610.aspx History of Nazi Germany National Socialism between 1920 and 1945 can best be described as an era of constant change. Hitler's enrollment in the German Worker's Party provided him the foundation needed to propel his idealistic views of anti-Semitism and Aryan superiority. Soon after Hitler's enrollment the party's name was changed to the National Socialist German Worker's Party and in the summer of 1921 his talents as an orator and propagandist enabled him to take over the leadership of the Nazi Party. Hitler's initial following - stemmed from German hyper-inflation and devaluation of the mark - included unemployed workers and the lower class, his keen ability to organize rallies to hear his speeches were instrumental in raising monies for the Nazi Party. Although the majority of his followers shared his dislike of the Weimar Republic's liberal democracy and anti-Semitic agenda, his party support, due to it's small size, was limited to the Bavarian region of German, this would prove to be a limiting factor when Hitler attempted to seize control of the provincial Bavarian government during his Beer Hall Putsch in November 1923. Hitler's ill-fated attempt of treason proved to work to his advantage; thus, giving him national status as a patriot and a hero in the eyes of many. As a result, Hitler served 9 months in prison for the Beer Hall Putsch and wrote a book titled Mein Kampf (My Struggle) outlining his vision for the future Germany. By late 1924 Hitler was release on parole, after serving a portion his five year sentence, and quickly regained control of the Nazi Party, noting that any future seizure must come by legal measures through Parliamentary elections. Faced with a temporary improvement of the German economy by the Weimar Republic's ability to secure loans and investments (mostly from America), Hitler was forced to wait until economic conditions worsened to propel his Nazi agenda. In 1929 Hitler finally got his chance, the American stock market crash of 1929 affected nearly every nation in the world and German prosperity soon came to an end as a result of the Great Depression, vast unemployment and hunger that followed. President Hindenburg’s Weimar Republic soon found itself obligated to repay debts owed to countries that once provided assistance during times of prosperity. Discontented German people wanted change and Bruening (Chancellor) believed that a stable parliament majority for his party could deliver the change required, so new elections were held. 2002-04-02T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/History-of-Nazi-Germany-4599.aspx The Changing Political fortunes of the Nazi Party <H2>“Account for the changing political fortunes of the Nazi Party from November, 1923 until January, 1933.”</H2> The main political changes that the Nazi Party or the NSDAP endured during the period of November, 1923 until January 1933 was its rise from a small extreme right party to a major political force. It is vitally important that the reasons behind this rise to power also be examined, to explain why the NSDAP was able to rise to the top. However first a perspective on the Nazi party itself is necessary to account for the changing political fortunes of the Nazi Party. In late 1923 and early 1924 the German economy seemed to experience a mild period of economic stabilisation and “prosperity”. In November, the government issued a new currency and ensured that tight restrictions were imposed. The economy was further stimulated by loans principally from the USA. However despite all this there simultaneously, was increasing numbers of unemployed persons. A well cited example of this is the coal mining industry where the introduction of more efficient machinery meant that one in four miners lost their jobs. No doubt that increased unemployment meant that the German population grew increasingly discontent with the Weimar government and this is the beginnings of the swing towards more radical political voting. Hitler knew that he had to have attractive political policies in order to attract a greater pool of voters, looking for alternative parties, and he recognized a possible solution to this was to attract the attention of the farming and rural community. The Nazi Party took this opportunity quickly and campaigned hard to win over the votes of the farmers and rural workers by promising tax reductions, cheaper electricity and a promise to rebuild the farming industry. "The peasants, the Nazis said, were of true German blood and their life was the true German life. They had shamefully been neglected by the Weimar Republic." Hitler told the people of the land that under a Nazi Government, rural people would be the most important people in Germany. The rural Germans were on the brink of bankruptcy, constituting approximately 11 Billion marks by 1932. The Nazi’s promise of a return to rural prosperity was too good for them to resist. Yet this adoption of the rural Germans also proved useful in another sense because it allowed the Nazi party to use the Jewish people as a scapegoat towards 2002-03-15T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Changing-Political-fortunes-of-the-Nazi-Party-4537.aspx Why was Hitler able to rise to power in Germany in 1933? On 30th January 1933, Hindenburg received Hitler in audience and appointed him chancellor. It came as a shock to some people but many believed that Hitler’s rise to power was inevitable. Some state that Hitler could not have risen to power in any country other than Germany, implying that he was nothing more than a product of German culture. Others say that Hitler rose to power by means of his political genius. And yet still others claim that it was the weak democratic government of the Weimar Republic, and Germany’s social and economic scene in the 1930’s that made the people restless and ready for a dictator to come to power. There was no single reason for Hitler’s rise to power. However the main reasons were that the political and economic chaos of the 1920’s and the 1930’s joined forces with German culture that enabled Hitler to rise to power. Both play an equal part. Together, both created a unique situation for Hitler’s rise. Hitler was in part a product of German culture. German culture at the time stood out as particularly aggressive and racist. The values and ideas found in this culture’s history inspired Hitler to do many things that he did and can explain in part why he felt the way he did on certain issues. For example there were talks of the master race in the past history of Germany by the German philosophers, which might have given Hitler his ideas on the Aryan race. Many people believe that German culture is by nature racist, militaristic, and anti-Semitic. Germany was an opportune place for Hitler to come to power. German people, feeling confused by the social and economic chaos of the 1920’s and 1930’s could do nothing but gravitate towards someone like Hitler. Hitler had answers for everyone’s problems. He promised to restore order and greatness. And many people accepted Hitler with open arms. Which was partly due to poor alternatives and due to the fact that Hitler told the people what they wanted to hear. Since at the time the German people were without jobs resulting from the crises and were open to anyone who promised to bring back social order and economic control. Hitler promised both of these things. The German people would have supported almost any candidate who could have made them feel as Hitler did. They wanted to feel good about themselves and 2001-11-09T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Why-was-Hitler-able-to-rise-to-power-in-Germany-in-1933-4011.aspx Hitler's Foreign Policy <b>Question: Discuss Hitler’s eventual gaining of Lebensraum. Was it mealy oppurtunistic or astutely planned? </b> The argument that Hitler’s objectives were to expand the Reich is one that cannot be argued against. In 1920 the German Workers’ Party changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party ( or the Nazi party ). It also published its manifesto ; “We demand ....the revocation of peace treaties. We demand land and territory to feed our people and settle our surplus population.” Again 17 years in an address known as the ‘Hossbach memorandum’ Hitler stressed his goal that gains in land mass must be made. There can be no argument that Hitler and the Nazi’s were primarily seeking land. Hitler’s eventual gaining of land around Europe is a subject of ongoing debate. Did Hitler plan the expansion of the Reich or was this goal of his carried out by fortunate circumstances. It essential to concentrate on Hitler’s own words to gain insight into this question. This essay will focus on two reputable historians who have strong arguments for and against the question at hand. A J P Taylor presents an argument that Hitler “ ..did not make plans- for world conquest or anything else. He assumed that others would provide opportunities and that he would seize them.” H. R. Trevor- Roper has put forth an aggressive critique on Taylor’s notable work ‘The Origins of the Second World War’ that supports the oppurtunistic argument. Trevor - Roper dismissing his view as poorly researched and prematurely dismissing evidence that sways against his view. Although theses historians will be used to support the respective arguments personal research will make up the main structures, as there seems to be countless amounts of information that these historians have missed. The contemporary historic community seems fairly divided with a slight slant towards a more structuralist approach. In the later parts of the analyses the two fundamentals of the arguments will be presented with a personal conclusion drawn. In 1920 the German Workers’ Party changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party ( or the Nazi party ). It also published its manifesto. Policies two and three portray particular relevance to the topic at hand. “ We demand....the revocation of the peace treaties. We demand land and territory ( colonies) to feed our people and to settle our surplus population.” Hitler and the Nazi’s always had the premise objectives to 2001-10-24T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hitler-s-Foreign-Policy-3911.aspx Hitler's rise to power and Weimar weakness <center><b>Assess the extent to which Hitler’s rise to power was a result of Weimar weakness.</b></center> "One seldom recognises the devil when he is putting his hand on your shoulder." -Albert Speer 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 Weimar was a rushed and often referred to as a ‘mistaken democracy’. Its been said “The dysfunctional nature of Weimar democracy ... aided in the rise of Nazism. The Weimar republic started in chaos, spent much of its short life in chaos, and dissolved without putting up much resistance.” The treat of communism that had taken over large parts of Europe of the people were scared that it would happen in their hometown, so their solution was to sign the agreement of democracy. The fact that Germany had never experienced a democracy was major reasons in its downfall, histories have often said, “ Germany is used to ruling itself, rather that being ruled by a democracy”. During the late 20’s and early 30’s the hostility of the German people were growing at an exponential rate. Living in a constant state of depression and poverty made these people search for an answer to these problems. People linked all these problems with the Weimar government “They were tired of misery, tired of suffering, tired of weakness. These were desperate times and they were willing to listen to anyone, even Adolf Hitler." One historian said. Hitler promised these people the solutions they wanted. Once he gained he exploited all the flaws of the constitution such as Article 48 and proportional representation which helped him strive towards his ultimate goal, chancellor of Germany. The role of the German Army played a crucial role in the way that Germany was being run and controlled. With the new 2001-10-13T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hitler-s-rise-to-power-and-Weimar-weakness-3841.aspx SA Purge - June 1934 The Nazi consolidation of power was a gradual process that took place in many steps and was due to many factors, although a great deal happened in the first few months of Hitler's rule. However, the purge of the SA in June 1934 was a major turning point as it tremendously increased Hitler's power over the state. By the time Adolf Hitler was elected as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, the consolidation of power was not having the desired effect. Hitler immediately called another election, and using his newly acquired power, his first step was to ban all newspapers and political meetings, particularly those of the Communists (KPD). He also dissolved the Prussian parliament, which effectively gave Hermann Goring complete control of 60% of Germany's police force. The police support of the Nazi Party was the backing for a violent terror campaign against other political parties, again particularly against the KPD. This campaign of terror resulted in the Reichstag fire, blamed on the Communists. Some historians believe the fire was started by the Nazis, and was all a ruse to lose more Communist votes and exploit fears of a mass left-wing uprising. Whatever the case, Hitler claimed that the Communists were trying to intentianally thwart the Nazis' election campaign. He asked President Hindenburg for extra powers to deal with any potential hazards, prompting Hindenburg to issue the Decree for the Protection of People and State. This law allowed the government to arrest people at will and also take over provincial governments, and was the first step towards a totalitarian government. It allowed the Nazis to completely smash the Communist election campaign and gain more seats in the Reichstag. Despite this mass terror campaign, the nazi party still failed to win the majority of seats in the election, gaining under 44% of the votes. However, a majority was eventually gained by the Nazi's winning the support of the Nationalist Party, as well as continuing campaigns of intimidation and scare-mongering. In the March election the Nazi party claimed just over half of the seats in the Reichstag, making them the largrest political party in Germany. However, the Nazis were not voted for in many Catholic and working-class areas of Germany. This did not stop their drive for power – they simply took control of the state governments and persuaded the Reichstag to pass an Enabling Law, which would give Hitler national power for the next 2001-06-25T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/SA-Purge-June-1934-3538.aspx Hitler's Victory at the 1936 Summer Olympics Adolf Hitler, the leader of Greater Germany, August 1, 1936, opened the 1936 World 11th Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. Adolf Hitler was a perfect host; he welcomed the world’s athletes to the Berlin Olympic Stadium, which was designed to seat an audience of 110,000. During the 1936 Summer Olympic Games, Hitler applauded both German and American athletes, as well as winning athletes from all other nations. Even though a perfect host at the 1936 Summer Olympics, Adolf Hitler was still the leader of Greater Germany. Yes, one could be a great host, and still support the home team, as other world leaders were demonstrating at that time. Each world leader, at that time, wanted their nation’s team to win at the 1936 Summer Olympics. Adolf Hitler felt the same towards the German team. Hitler wanted to demonstrate two concepts at the 1936 Summer Olympics: 1. An all White Nordic Christian Olympic Team could come in first place. 2. Working Class Participants could raise their status in the world through their own efforts. Participants in all situations, could be judged on their individual actions, not on the economic status of their parents or ancestors alone. The German 1936 Summer Olympic Team did not let Hitler down. The German team, consisting completely of White Nordic Christian members, came in first place during the 1936 Summer Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany. Among the working class German athletes to win a Gold Medal during the 1936 Summer Olympics, Karl Hein, a carpenter, won a Gold Medal for the Olympic event called: THE HAMMER THROW. Karl Hein broke a world record, which was held for 24 years. During the 1936 Summer Olympics, held in Berlin, the German team won 33 Gold Medals, and 89 Medals in total Olympic categories. Adolf Hitler was very proud of the German 1936 Summer Olympic Team. Hitler was able to prove that an all White Nordic Christian Olympic Team could come in first place, and an individual could raise one’s status in life through individual efforts, in spite of coming from a humble working class background. The American team came in second place at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games. Hitler was very impressed by all American athletes at the 1936 Summer Olympics and applauded them. The Olympic Team from France, impressed by their host, Adolf Hitler, gave the Nazi solute as they entered the Berlin Olympic 2001-05-27T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Hitler-s-Victory-at-the-1936-Summer-Olympics-3407.aspx The Rise of Nazism in Germany Germany’s defeat in World War One created political, economic and social instability in the Weimar Republic and led to the rise of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) or Nazi party. The First World War placed increasingly heavy strains and sacrifices on the German people. The gap between the rich and poor widened and divisions between classes increased. It had direct effect on the workers’ living standard as earnings fell and food shortages grew. Food was sold on the growing black market but the prices were high and the poor could not afford to buy. This led to a crisis in the cities and as many as 700 000 died of hypothermia and starvation in the winter of 1916-17. In order to force the German people to bear the hardship of the war, chancellor Bethmann Hollweg promised political reform in a speech in the Reichstag in February 1917. This promise led to political unrest and an organised strike of 400 000 ammunition workers in Berlin, which threatened to cripple arms production. However, as long as the military held their dominant position and the possibility of victory remained, the prospects of reform seemed remote. After the chancellor was forced to resign in July 1917 military repression increased. There were severe restrictions on the right of assembly, stricter control of meetings to discuss grievances, a return to military service for striking workers and the banning of all anti-war material. In September 1918 the military effort suddenly collapsed. The allied powers, in particular President Wilson of the United States, demanded that Germany be transformed into a democracy. On November 1918 the SPD declared the abdication of the Kaiser and the birth of the new Weimar Republic. On 28 June 1919 the German government signed the Treaty of Versailles imposed on it by the victorious powers. Clause 231 blamed Germany for causing the war and vast majority of Germans rejected this. They blamed the Weimar government for losing the war and signing the outrageous Treaty. Linked to this was the demand for financial compensation for the cost of the war paid to France and Britain. This shocked the Germans severely as it would be hard to pay reparations since the war had weakened the country. Germany’s army personnel was to be reduced to 100 000 and was forbidden to produce “offensive” weapons. There was to be no air force or submarines and the navy was to 2001-04-13T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Rise-of-Nazism-in-Germany-3195.aspx Nazi consolidation of power in Germany Like most nations of Europe in the mid 1930’s, Germany was suffering from the consequences of the Great Depression. During this period of economic and political diffculty, the country had become more susceptible to extreme political parties promising solutions to the problems which faced the country. The Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler, was one such group, and came to power in 1933 with the promise of making Germany great once more. Propaganda was used intensively by the Nazis as a means of achieving power in 1933, and again was the main method of tightening their hold on power. Propaganda was an inescapable part of life in Germany under Nazi rule - the press, the radio, literature, theatre, film and other forms of art and culture hammered the message, sometimes crudely and sometime subtly (Walsh, p.2). The Nazi propaganda of the 1930s was an instrumental part of persuading the German people to believe in Nazi doctrine and its foundation issue of loyalty to the state. Hitler and the Nazi party consolidated their hold on Germany (1933-36) by instilling fear in the German people, as well as preying on existing fears, and achieving surrender of individual rights through an intensive propaganda campaign. Germany under Hitler was a society with little personal choice, and few individual rights. Only in this way could Hitler be sure that his power would not come under threat. Suppression of individual rights and liberties could be seen in a number of ways, and is illustrated in White & Hadley’s Germany 1918-1945 (see appendix 1). This illustration shows Hitler and his subordinates standing on a platform which is supported by bound and gagged German people, each representing religious freedom, academic freedom, labour and trade unions, and freedom of the press. This illustration, featured in American newspaper The Nation, would imply that surrender of individual rights was demanded, and that this suppression was part of the basis of the Nazi party’s success. The bias in the illustration is apparent - to an outsider it would seem that Hitler ‘restored honour and freedom to the German people’ by suppressing their basic rights. This was done by distributing propaganda that would have the populous believe that their sacrifices were for the economic and social good of the country. Being in the midst of economic instability, the German people did not oppose sacrificing their rights for a more stable economy and future. Further 2001-04-11T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nazi-consolidation-of-power-in-Germany-3191.aspx Nazism: How Was it Possible? <center><b>Reasons for the increasing support given to NSDAP by the German people in the period 1923 - 1936.</b></center> The NSDAP (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), who were in the early 1920s, “a small and not particularly distinctive element in the multifarious and fragmented German volkisch movement” had become by 1936 the ruling organisation of German society. There were many factors influencing the German mass support to swing towards the party during 1923-36. In the face of economic turmoil, the overbearing influence of foreign countries on their Fatherland and the inability of presiding governments in dealing with crisis, the German people lived in national outrage and desperation. These feelings were further heightened by events such as the French invasion of the Ruhr, hyperinflation, and the depression. The period’s lack of continuity and lack of progressive change under the Weimar Republic had caused Germany’s people to lose confidence in their country’s future and they began to believe that under the Republic, Germany will never be able emerge from the chaos to it’s rightful position in the world stage. In the background of such social turmoil, the ruthlessly opportunistic Nazi leadership began accumulating support as a result of desperate people searching for desperate solutions. Willing to use any situation to their own advantage they portrayed themselves as the only solution to Germany’s problems. No where else to turn, the people began giving their support to the NSDAP. In addition to the social conditions of post-war Germany, the party’s well-organised and closely controlled nature, enabling strong and enthusiastic following behind the leadership was also an important factor in drawing public support, and so was Hitler’s extraordinary gift for speech making, which the Nazis used to the highest possible advantage. Later after 1933 with the Nazis in power, support was maintained through aggressive propaganda, which made much of Hitler’s domestic, and foreign policy successes. Although the achievements of the Nazi administration were quite extraordinary it was this constant propaganda that persuaded the people that all was well in the Third Reich. There are three key events that broke the continuity of post-war Germany and led to great social unrest. This loss of continuity corresponds to changes in the relationship between NSDAP and the German people. The period progressed through three different phases as a consequence of these events. Firstly there was the French takeover of the Ruhr in 1923, sparking off an era of hyperinflation, renewed nationalist outrage, 2001-03-21T13:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nazism-How-Was-it-Possible-3111.aspx A Fooled Nation: Hitler’s Rise to Power With a lock of hair falling over his forehead and a square little mustache on his often, somber face, Adolf Hitler seemed a comical figure when he first entered into politics. He was a public speaker who ranted and raved until his voice was hoarse and sweat dripped from his brow. Hitler was an evil genius. With the help of fanatic disciples and gullible masses, he profoundly changed Germany and the political face of Europe; unleashing the most terrible war in history and unprecedented genocide in which more than six million Jews died. Hitler is called mad; but were the men around him also mad? They were cultivated, educated, learned men. Germany wasn’t a backward country, preyed on by ignorance, but one of the most advanced nations in the world; renown for great scientific and cultural achievements. His program was one for evil and destruction and yet the majority of the people in Germany accepted it. How did Hitler come to power? His ideas have lived on, unfortunately. Many around the world still find inspiration in his words. Also have lived on, the memories. Time has not dimmed the terms storm troops, gas chambers, death camps, and holocaust. A new generation asks, why? On the morning of September 15 1930, early editions of newspapers across Germany brought the first reports that Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) had scored a stunning electoral triumph. Only two years earlier, the party had languished in obscurity. The appeal of the Nationalist Socialists was so small that most commentators, those who recognized them at all, saw them as a minor and declining party. Yet, when the polls closed on the evening of September 14, 1930 the NSDAP had become the second largest party in the Weimar Republic. The NSDAP was founded as “Deutschearbei Partei”, the German Workers Party (DAP) in Munich, during January 1919. It was one of a number of German political parties clustered along the outskirts of German politics in the immediate post-war period. Initially, it was hardly more than a debate society. It had less than thirty members, only three of which were active political speakers. The organization would probably have remained this way had it not been for the extraordinary leadership and propagandistic talents of Adolf Hitler who joined the party in 1919. Adolf Hitler was born in Austria in 1889. He stood out in no way as a boy and didn’t finish 2000-12-12T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/A-Fooled-Nation-Hitler’s-Rise-to-Power-2678.aspx The Rise of the Nazi Party There is no single answer as to why the Nazis were able to gain so much support during the 1920's; there are several, and people still argue about them. Some people - especially during the Second World War - suggested that the Nazi movement grew out of something basically wrong in the German character. However, modern historians recognise that a combination of factors such as Hitler's personality and mesmerising oratory skills, the problems with the Weimar Republic, the Nazi's effective use of propaganda, Hitler's exploitation of the Dolchstoss myth and the German people's fear of communism and the Great Depression all aided the National Socialist Workers' Party (NSDAP, or Nazi Party) in attracting growing support throughout the 1920's. According to Robert Gibson and Jon Nichol in their book Germany, the reasons for Hitler's success were: 1. The Nazi Party was well organised; 2. People feared the Communists; 3. Hitler was a good speaker; 4. Few people like the governments of the Weimar Republic; 5. Hitler's ideas were popular; 6. There was an agricultural depression; 7. There was mass unemployment; 8. The Communists thought that the Social Democrats were a greater danger than the Nazis; 9. Industrialists supported Hitler. These and other factors all contributed to the increasing support of the Nazi Party in the 1920's. Hitler, the leader of the NSDAP, was suave, charismatic and always impressive. He would always arrive at functions and meetings in a Mercedes and had extensive visits to the most exclusive hotels in Germany. Hitler had a very memorable personality, and it has been stated that "There is no question that it was the personality of Hitler that held the NSDAP together ... and was the party's main weapon." Hitler was above all of this a passionate and emotive speaker who, some would argue, captured his audiences' attention with greater ease than any other figure in history. "He shone in print and positively dazzled on the lecture platform." Even an American journalist realised Hitler's ability to grasp people's attention with his speeches, and commented that "When, at the climax [of a speech] he sways from one side to the other his listeners sway with him; when he leans forward and when ends they are either awed or silent or on their feet in a frenzy." Hitler's remarkable ability to capture and entrance his audiences is demonstrated by the fact that Hitler, unlike any of his contemporaries, could actually charge admission for his speeches! Obviously, the fact that Hitler 2000-07-12T14:00:00-04:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Rise-of-the-Nazi-Party-2152.aspx The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich The Nazi party affected many people around the world through both the Holocaust and World War II. Hitler had a plan to exterminate all the Jews, and propelled this idea through the Holocaust putting Jews in concentration camps and killing them. Hitler's evil plan caused one of the world's biggest tragedies, World War II. Adolf Hitler, who was the leader of the Nazis, was born in Austria just across the border from German Bavaria. Hitler would begin to read his fathers history books about Native Americans and how they were slaughtered along with reading about battles between the Germans and Russians. This would make him familiar to racism at an early age. Hitler did not get along with his father when he was young because his father wanted him to get into politics and he like drawing instead, but he still got into art and the reason he started to hate Jews is because he could not sell his artwork but the Jews did (Shirer 3-14). Hitler still did business with Jewish shop owners in selling his paintings, however, the seeds of hate were planted and would be nurtured by events soon to come, laying the foundation for one of the greatest tragedies in all of human history. Adolf became a drifter for several years after both his parents passed away. Hitler volunteered for the German Army and in his first engagement against the British and Belgians near Pyres, 2,500of the 3,000 men in Hitler's regiment were killed, wounded or missing. This war experience gave Hitler what he needed to one day be a successful military leader. Adolf Hitler joined the committee of the German Workers' Party and entered politics. In the summer of 1920 Hitler chose the swastika for the National Socialist German Workers' Party, for short Nazi. At what is known as The Beer Hall Putsch a man by the name Kahr was giving a speech in front of some 3,000 supporters of the Bavarian government. Hitler shot his pistol in the middle of Kahr's speech and shouted, "The national revolution has begun." The "revolution" began when Hitler lied to the people saying the Bavarian Trumimvirate (Kahr, Lossow, and Seisser) had joined forces with him. When the people applauded the Bavarian Truimvirate joined him (Shirer 35). By the summer of 1923, the Nazi party had grown to 150,000 members. Hitler knew this was the right time to take over the government. 2000-02-08T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Rise-and-Fall-of-the-Third-Reich-1636.aspx The Role of Propaganda in the Nazi Takeover When one thinks of the term "propaganda", what comes to mind? Would it bring a positive response? Would it bring a negative response? When one thinks of "propaganda" in association with the Holocaust, what comes to mind? A positive response or a negative response? Most likely a negative response. Why is "propaganda" any different from what any political party or regime does, namely to disseminate its views? Is "propaganda" simply the name we give to views which we do not like or which we think to be untrue? And finally, was the role of "propaganda" in the Nazis' assumption of power overstated? (Daniel Goldhagen, 1996) As many people who are learned in the field of the Holocaust will agree, propaganda played an extremely vital part in the Nazis' rise to power, as well as their brain-washing of the German population into detesting all, of what they considered, "heretics" to the degree of accepting their murders. Validity of the accusations upon which they attempted to justify their action against the Jews was not an issue. The issue in this case was its power of persuasion. Although to achieve this goal the Nazi party deemed it necessary to monopolize the communications, media, and entertainment industries, Germany already had a strong anti-Semitic background. European anti-Semitism is an outgrowth of Christianity. Since the time of the Roman Empire, Christian leaders preached boundlessly against Jews. It escalated from generation to generation, for as long a the Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, the Jews "challenged" the whole belief system of Christianity. The idea that it was the Jews that killed their savior also evolved from that time period. Along those lines, the notion that all Jews of forever were responsible for Jesus' death, for they approved of the crime, would have certainly done it again (according to the anti-Semitics), and had always rejected his teachings. As the Medieval period came, the Christians' hatred for Jews further articulated and was brought to a new level. The Christians in the Medieval world saw Jews in twofold opposition to Christianity: they rejected his revelation and were his killers. In addition, church members had much detested the Jews on the basis that they should have accepted Jesus as their Messiah. Consequently, persecution and killing of the Jews became a part of everyday life, leaving many regions of Western Europe without any Jews by the end of the sixteenth century. Entering the nineteenth 1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/The-Role-of-Propaganda-in-the-Nazi-Takeover-347.aspx How the Nazi Party become the Largest Party in the Reichstag Hitler's Nazi party came to power almost entirely because of accidents. In 1929 the American Stock Market crashed, a powerful symbol of the growing depression. Germany was particularly badly affected, since Germany's economy was partly dependent on Americas prosperity and a large number of loans made by America to Germany were called back and the German economy crashed. Since the German government suffered badly in the depression the existing Weimar government, put in place by the victorious allies, was blamed. Without the depression the government was not particularly liked since it was indecisive and it had not central power. Hitler used his twenty-five points from the beginning of the Nazi party. These were a set of promises appealing to everybody, 1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/How-the-Nazi-Party-become-the-Largest-Party-in-the-Reichstag-365.aspx Nazism The National Socialist German Workers' Party almost died one morning in 1919. It numbered only a few dozen grumblers' it had no organization and no political ideas. But many among the middle class admired the Nazis' muscular opposition to the Social Democrats. And the Nazis themes of patriotism and militarism drew highly emotional responses from people who could not forget Germany's prewar imperial grandeur. In the national elections of September 1930, the Nazis garnered nearly 6.5 million votes and became second only to the Social Democrats as the most popular party in Germany. In Northeim, where in 1928 Nazi candidates had received 123 votes, they now polled 1,742, a respectable 28 percent of the total. The nationwide success drew even faster... in just three years, party membership would rise from about 100,000 to almost a million, and the number of local branches would increase tenfold. The new members included working-class people, farmers, and middle-class professionals. They were both better educated and younger then the Old Fighters, who had been the backbone of the party during its first decade. The Nazis now presented themselves as the party of the young, the strong, and the pure, in opposition to an establishment populated by the elderly, the weak, and the dissolute. Hitler was born in a small town in Austria in 1889. As a young boy, he showed little ambition. After dropping out of high school, he moved to Vienna to study art, but he was denied the chance to join Vienna academy of fine arts. When WWI broke out, Hitler joined Kaiser Wilhelmer's army as a Corporal. He was not a person of great importance. He was a creature of a Germany created by WWI, and his behavior was shaped by that war and its consequences. He had emerged from Austria with many prejudices, including a powerful prejudice against Jews. Again, he was a product of his times... for many Austrians and Germans were prejudiced against the Jews. In Hitler's case the prejudice had become maniacal it was a dominant force in his private and political personalities. Anti-Semitism was not a policy for Adolf Hitler-it was religion. And in the Germany of the 1920s, stunned by defeat, and the ravages of the Versailles treaty, it was not hard for a leader to convince millions that one element of the nation's society was responsible for most of the evils heaped upon it. The fact is 1999-01-22T13:00:00-05:00 http://75.150.148.189/free-essay/Nazism-373.aspx