3.

2 To what extent, if at all,

did Hitlers rule benefit the
people in Germany?

To what extent, if at all, did

Hitlers rule benefit the people
in Germany?

Hitlers Chancellor Speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obx_m
iszsBM

Watch from 1.22 onwards

Why did many Germans vote for

the Nazi Party?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7urZxq
xJzKw

To what extent, if at all, did

Hitlers rule benefit the people
in Germany?
Benefit

Improve the standard of living

Improve the economic conditions
Bringing political stability to
Germany

People in Germany

German citizens
Supporters of the Nazi Party
People who did not support the
Nazi Party

Jews and non-Jews (Aryans)

Industrialists

Jews
Jews:
Religion: Judaism
-- Belief in only one God
-- Spiritual leaders are
known as rabbis
-- Worship in synagogues

Kippah Men wear

kippah to cover their
heads as a show of
respect to God.

Famous Jews

They are all JEWS yup.. The ones

that Hitler detested and sought to
eliminate when he was still alive..

If Hitler was still alive and had his

way.

These people would be:

banned from parks, swimming pools and
restaurants (1936)
barred from studying in universities (1934)
evicted from their homes for no reason and
notice (1939)
forced to sew a yellow Star of David on their
outfits (1941)

German Jews being escorted to

concentration camp by SS soldiers

Most well-known impact of

Hitlers rule: Holocaust
Holocaust extermination of Jews and other
minority groups which Hitler considered to be
racially impure.
6 million Jews died because of this campaign.
Did these people benefit from Hitlers rule?
Why did the bystanders not try to help the
German Jews?

1932 election results

The number of seats in the Reichstag won by the major
parties in Nov 1932 elections
Total number of seats: 584
Nazis
Communists
Social Democratic Party
German Nationalist Party
Centre Party
Others
What does the table tell you about:
The Nazis position in the Reichstag?
The Nazis strongest rivals?

196
100
121
52
70
45

1932 elections: Nazi Party had most number of seats in

the Parliament.

Hitler became the Chancellor in Jan 1933, start of the

Third Reich (Third German Empire).

Although the Nazis were in power, they still faced political

competition from other political parties such as the
Communists.

Hitlers goal: to consolidate power! (increase power and

authority of the Nazis.)

Hitler called for another election in March 1933, hoping to

achieve full control of the Reichstag.

How did Hitler become the

absolute dictator (Fuhrer) of
Germany?
(Political impact of Hitlers
Rule)

What is a dictator?

A person who?

27 Feb 1933: The Reichstag Fire

Reichstag Fire: 27 Feb 1933

Marinus van der Lubbe, a Dutchman, was arrested
near the building that day.
The Nazis accused him of being part of a communist
conspiracy, and arrested him along with several
leaders of the Communist Party.
They were then charged with arson and attempting to
overthrow the government.
Hitler made full use of the Reichstag fire for his own
benefit.

Reichstag Fire - Video

Claiming that Germany was facing grave

danger, he convinced President
Hindenburg to invoke Article 48 of the
constitution and establish emergency
powers.

He also convinced Hindenburg to sign the Reichstag

Fire Decree.
As such, civil rights and liberties such as freedom of
the press, freedom to form societies or associations
and freedom to assemble in public were suspended.
Hitlers SA arrested communists, broke up their
meetings and shut down their newspapers. Those
who spoke against Hitler were also beaten up.

This greatly affected the election

campaigns of the other political parties in
preparation for the March 1933 elections.

Results of March 1933 elections

654 seats in total
Nazis
German Nationalist Party
Centre Party
Social Democratic Party
Communists

288
52
74
120
81

Communist Party now out of the

way!

23 March 1933 the Enabling Act

To further strengthen his position of authority, Hitler now planned

to pass the Enabling Act, which would enable him to pass laws
without the Presidents approval.

On 23 March, when the Enabling Act was to be voted on, SA and

SS men surrounded the building where the vote was to take place.
Only Nazis and their supporters were allowed into the building.

The Enabling Act was therefore passed.

In addition, the Communist Party and the Social Democrat Party

were banned from taking part in any future elections.

As a result, the Enabling Act greatly increased the political

authority of Hitler and the Nazis in Germany..

One Party Rule, July 1933

Hitler made use of the Enabling Act and passed a law making
the Nazi Party the only legal political party in Germany.
Soon after this, Nazi officials took charge of local governments in
the individual states of the German federation.
Trade unions were dissolved and their leaders were imprisoned.
Anyone who stepped out of line was brutally dealt with by the SA
and the SS. As a result, most of Hitlers political opponents were
either sent to concentration camps or had fled Germany.
Germany was now a one-party state with Hitler being its legal
dictator.

June 1934 the Night of Long

Knives
As Hitler consolidated his power, it had been the
SA which helped him in disrupting the meetings
of other political parties and break up strikes.
The SA was under the leadership of Ernst
Roehm and there was nothing to suggest that
Roehm was anything but loyal to Hitler.
However, some others in the Nazi Party
convinced Hitler that Roehm was indeed a
threat to him.

SA Uniform

SA Logo

SA Recruitment Poster

SA: marching in Nrnberg, September 1933

Night of Long Knives

Night of Long Knives:

Hitler arrested Rohm and other
SA leaders on the pretext of fake
documents that the SA were
planning a coup.

How Rohm
met his end

2 of Hitlers men asked at the

reception desk to be taken to
Rohm. They handed over a revolver
to Rohm, who once again
requested to speak to Hitler. They
ordered him to shoot himself. If he
did not comply, they would come
back in 10 minutes and kill him.
When the time was up, the men
reentered the cell, and found Rohm
standing with his chest bared.
Immediately one of them shot him
in the throat, and Rohm collapsed
on the floor. Since he was still alive,
he was killed with a shot point-blank
through the temple.

June 1934 Night of Long

Knives

June 1934: the SS arrested and killed Roehm and other

SA leaders. This was known as the Night of Long Knives.

Hitler also made use of this opportunity to remove other

political opponents who angered him, even though they
had no connection with the SA.

An estimated 400 men were executed. Many more were

arrested and imprisoned.

By doing so, Hitler had removed threats from within his

party.

Creation of the Fuehrer position,

Aug 1934

President Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934.

Instead of calling for new elections for the
President, Hitler combined the posts of Chancellor
and President and proclaimed himself Fuehrer, or
supreme leader, of the German people.
The merging of the offices of Chancellor and
President meant that Hitler now had the authority
to invoke Article 48, which he could not when he
was merely the Chancellor.
With the Enabling Act also leaving the powers of
the President intact, Hitler was now above the law.

In addition, the German army was made to

swear a personal oath of allegiance to
Hitler instead of the German constitution.

Hitler had achieved total control of

Germany.

C) Threats to Hitler from within

the Nazi Party were removed
(p.105)

Hitler also made use of this opportunity to eliminate

other political leaders who opposed him. At least 200
people were executed. Many more were arrested and
imprisoned.

Recall

What were the 4 events leading to Hitler

becoming the absolute dictator of
Germany? (Draw timeline)

Political Policies
Emergency Powers &
Reichstag Fire Decree

Enabling Act

One Party Rule

Positive Effects

Negative Effects

Political Policies

Positive Effects

Negative Effects

Emergency Powers &

Reichstag Fire Decree

Peoples civil rights such

as freedom of
expression, freedom to
assemble peacefully
and freedom to form
associations or societies
were suspended.

Enabling Act

Dissolution of
democracy in Germany
as Hitler was able to
pass laws without the
Presidents Approval

One Party Rule

Increased political
stability.

Germany became under

the rule of a dictatorship
system.

Overall evaluation
Hitlers political policies led to the crushing of
political opposition and consolidated his
authority and power as leader of Germany.
The German people saw greater political
stability but had their civil liberties suspended.
Hitlers political policies ultimately benefitted
Hitler more than the German people.

Death of Democracy!