Emergence of Authoritarian Germany by Soren Hansen

shansen8 — 2023-12-01 12:08:45 UTC

Big Picture: How did the different factors lead to Hitler’s rise to power?

In pairs you will have to investigate the individual factors and present them in class.

For each factor you must keep in mind - what was the situation - how did it influence Germany - How was it significant for Hitler’s rise to power

The established government, the Weimer Republic, was weak. This was due to a revolting population requesting basic needs such as food and shelter. The poor economy and massive debt prevented the government from fulfilling its part of the social contract, and the weak army, being limited to a capacity of 100,000, could not support the state. These factors contributed to the emergence of authoritarian Germany.

2023-12-01 13:16:05 UTC

summary:

Unhappy/revolting population --> need for food/shelter
Poor economy due to debt, the government cannot fulfil the social contract
Proportional representation represents a weakness in the government
The small army cannot protect the government
Considerable power to the president --> Article 48 + appointed the chancellor (who ran the government)

short term consequences:

Collapse of Wiemer republic
support for right wing

Debt

2023-12-01 13:16:33 UTC

The debt put Germany in a poor position where they had to lend money from the US to be able to repay it, since they were not strong enough to collect that large amount of money.

Huge economic debt

2023-12-01 13:17:10 UTC

War expenses and debt to the triple entente
Hyperinflation

Loss of territory

2023-12-01 13:17:34 UTC

lost to Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Poland, France + colonies
- resentment
loss of power

High casualties

2023-12-01 13:21:44 UTC

Demographics swayed due to men dying while fighting the war
Poverty and starvation
High birth rates to maximise survival and equal out the demographics

Veterans

2023-12-01 13:23:39 UTC

lost the war
- resentment remained towards other countries
- wasn't 'worth the war'
- Germany was forced to take the blame
many joined the fascist party
still had power - worked with the police against revolutionaries

The German Communist Party posed a particular danger from this point of view. Communism revolution in Germany. Weimar republic challenge by communism revolution and we get right wing. The supporters of the Republic had to resist pressure from the radical left and right.

2023-12-01 13:26:09 UTC

Summarise

Was a radical socialist group whose members became the founders of German Communism, established at the Congress in Berlin.
The collapse of the Weimar Republic
Division into two wings

The collapse of the Weimar Republic : The founders of the Weimar Republic, socialists, liberals, other figures were accused of undermining the war effort .
The left wing in Germany consisted mainly of socialists and communists.The right wing in Germany consisted mainly of nationalists They opposed left-wing socialist and communist ideologies, believed in a strong army and a capitalist system.

Economic instability (hyperinflation included) was explained by the jew`s existence in the society. Unemployment, debt, and persuaded guilt for the committed actions became the causes of the polarization in Weimar Germany; therefore, the fascist party originated. The low morality of the people, was neglecting the possibility of future aggression

2023-12-01 13:30:36 UTC

Economic instability (hyperinflation) = jew`s existence
Uneployment, reparations and persuaded guilt led to the polarization in Weimar Germany.
The low morality of the people, was neglecting the possibility of future aggression

Russia - Revolution

shansen8 — 2023-12-05 13:55:34 UTC

Revolution spreading to Germany

Instability
Polarization
state to weak to defend itself

Versailles Treaty

shansen8 — 2023-12-05 13:58:00 UTC

Loss of territory & war guilt clause caused resentment among veterans

Weimar Constitution

Multipartisystem - many small parties
Republic - somewhat powerful President
Article 48

Reparations

drained the economy
disagreement among the allied

shansen8 — 2023-12-06 05:32:00 UTC

List the short term & long term significance/consequences

Short and long term consequences

2023-12-06 07:43:20 UTC

---Long term:

Blame on Jews - the future reason of unhappyness
US depended -
Polarization - instability of the state (Hitler directed the flow of the people thoughts, rising fascism)
Persuaded guilt
---Short term
Crisis
Unemployment

2023-12-06 07:55:36 UTC

Conservative elite:

war veterans, ex-army officers, judges, university professors, aristocratic land owners…
despise the Wiemer republic
valued the development of right-wing extremists

short term consequences

2023-12-06 08:01:23 UTC

hyperinflation
veteran power
- fighting the communist revolution
change in demographics

Revolution in Berlin/Germany

2023-12-06 08:01:25 UTC

•Novembre revolution(09/11/1918)

•Abdication of Emperor Wilhelm II->Germany becomes a republic

• Proclamation of “Free socialist republic”-> power struggle between the social democrats and communists

•Spartacus strike

•Help of Freikorps(independent unit of voluntary soldiers)

•Murder of two leaders of the Spartacus strike, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxembourg->End of uprising

Long term consequences

2023-12-06 08:06:49 UTC

Led to the rise of fascism, which would scar the world
Germany's demographics shifted after the First World War and that would take a long time to correct
Long term political instability