Hitler and the Nazis - Term Paper Example

Q: The Nazis had to be all things to all people in order to win power. That was precisely the problem once they had achieved it. Discuss. Ans The1930s saw the rise of Adolf Hitler, the Nazi Party and fascism in Germany. The Nazis were instrumental in catapulting and thereafter sustaining Hitler’s dictatorship as well as enforcing his territorial expansionist ambitions for Germany. The meteoric rise of the Nazis in the 1930s was largely due to the problems and discontent of the German public in general against German political institutions, the harsh terms of the treaty that emerged after World War I, the depressed economic condition of the time and other anxieties of the Germans brought about by the different ideologies that emerged before WW II. The rise of the Nazi Party to power therefore can be attributed to its exploitation of the German sentiments prevailing in those times and its astuteness to present itself to the German people as their hope and savior. The Nazis became initially appealing because it presented itself as an alternative to all that was weak and wrong with the then status quo, projecting a strong, energetic, decisive and powerful image which provided a stark contrast to the then collapsing democratic processes of the Weimar Republic and the schism of its political opponents. It was important therefore that German public perceived Hitler and the Nazis as a strong alternative and the ultimate hope of the disillusioned populace. Thus the Nazis deliberately cultivated the face of power and strength to lend credibility to its ability of deliverance of the German people and get the public’s support for its hold to power. Once ensconced in power, Hitler and the Nazi Party’s fulfillment of their promises to the German people became the catalyst that brought the horrors of the devastation of World War II. Background to the Nazi Party’s Rise to Power The Nazi Party’s rise to power was not attributable to its own merit as a party but because it became a symbol of hope to the Germans who were rendered hopeless and disgusted with the weaknesses of their government in addition to all other concerns that contributed to feelings of general dissatisfaction and hopelessness: the harsh terms of the Versailles Treaty; the illegitimacy, inherent weaknesses and the ultimate collapse of the Weimar Republic, and; the Great Depression which brought untold economic woes to the Germans. The Nazi Party recognized these and exploited them to gain a foothold on power. The Versailles Treaty and its Harsh Terms. The First World War ended in a controversy for the German military leadership when they surrendered to the Allies and ended the war. The Germans were winning the war but reinforcement from America suddenly shifted the tide against them. This was not however, evident to the German public who was surprised at the sudden turn of events. Thus, the surrender had been perceived as a “stabbed in the back”, an act of betrayal against Germany and the German people. This feeling of betrayal was aggravated when the terms of the Versailles Treaty was finally revealed. The Treaty mandated Germany to cede many of her colonies and territories to the victors. In addition, it was ordered demilitarized, deprived of supervision of the left bank of the Rhine for fifteen years, and to top it all it was to pay reparation fees to the victorious parties in exorbitant and periodic amounts. The reparation fees as well as the loss of territories which were loss of sources for Germany contributed to the lack of success of the intermediary democratic government that was that was put up as the war ended (Fulbrook 24-26). The Weimar Republic. Amidst the suspicions and anger that accompanied the end of the WWI, a new republic was set up in the country. This was called the Weimar Republic which was besieged by problems from its birth from all quarters and its inability to really stabilize itself contributed to the anxiety of the German people. In addition to the burden imposed by the Versailles Treaty, the government was beset domestically by frequent demonstrations, coup attempts, strikes, and assassinations to which it responded with force and violence (Fulbrook 27). The Constitution itself was inherently weak as it allowed an extreme form of representation where even the smallest party is allowed representation in the Reichstag as a result of which the President was, for balancing effect, given emergency powers under Article 48 (Blanning 168). The justice system was likewise perceived as unfair and society was pulled apart by the right and left ideologies, leaving the Weimar Republic, which represented the democratic groups, almost alone and friendless (Fulbrook 27). The policies imposed by several administrations of the Weimar government were likewise controversial. The “policy of fulfillment” which was aimed to rigidly comply with reparation obligations under the Versailles Treaty, for example, exposed the country’s economic inadequacy. The country’s economic misery was complicated when it was deprived control over the left bank of the Rhine, per the terms of the Versailles Treaty, which was a rich economic source for the country. This economic situation of Germany subsequently compounded and resulted in a wild inflation that saw the German money ultimately became worthless (such that 4 trillion German marks was equivalent to only one dollar) (Sherman & Salisbury). The Economic Depression in 1929. Just when the fledgling government showed signs of stabilizing brought about by the Dawes Plan which aided German recovery as part of the American expansionism in Europe, the departure of the French from the left bank of Rhine, the entry of Germany into the League of Nations and the signing of a treaty with Russia, the Wall Street crashed in 1929 paving the way for a global Great Depression. The United States reacted by refusing to cancel debts and imposing huge tariffs to keep imports from coming in. The German banking system collapsed along with many of its industries. Unemployment grew but the members of Weimar government coalition refused to cut unemployment payment. This eventually caused the final collapse of the Weimar Republic (Fulbrook 29). The Appeal of Hitler and the Nazis The appeal of the Nazi Party and the reason why they suddenly became popular to the German people after 1929 was that they presented a front of energy and power that the people perceived as a good alternative to the weak Weimar Republic, the depressed state of the economy and inability of the other parties to organize themselves into a united and solid group. The Nazis exploited the deep wounds that ailed pre-WWII Germany and played on the people’s fears and dissatisfaction. In all his campaigns, Hitler was accompanied by pomp and spectacular parades to project the image of energy and power in stark contrast to the state of the country in general and his political opponents’ equivocations (Lee 32). Hitler and the Nazis always strived to project to the people this sense of glorious power. Mass meetings were choreographed to stir up excitement and a sense of belonging by the masses. Hitler’s entrances to his public appearances were always staged and dramatic and his speeches long and emotionally charged (Sherman & Salisbury). The popularity of the Nazi Party also largely stemmed from the fact that they promised the German people what the latter wanted to hear. These promises played on the feelings of discontent, anger and fears of the masses. Thus, the Nazis had to revive the German’s disgust over the war reparations and promised to remove them as well as the purported “betrayal” of the German people in the WWI by its military leaders and promised to regain Germany’s military greatness (Brautigam 207). Hitler and the Nazi Party made sure that they appeal to all classes of people by playing on each and every person’s fears and weaknesses. Thus, Hitler promised the working classes that the Party will end their oppression by the capitalists, reform the economy and through the discipline of the Nazi Party, not labor organizations, their problems will be solved. On the other hand, Hitler promised the middle class, which feared both capitalists and communists, that the Nazi Party will rid both while similarly appeasing the fears of the upper classes of their fears of communism and the working classes. In addition, Hitler used Jews, a helpless minority, as a rallying point for Germans and appeal to their racist streak, redirecting German anger against them by associating them to betrayal, communism and capitalism (Lee 32). Thus, in a series of acts that started a war of conquest that would show off Germany’s military and racial superiority, Hitler deliberately marched German military forces to the supposedly demilitarized zone, under the Versailles Treaty, west of the Rhine in 1936 which made a mockery of the Treaty. Hitler then moved to annex Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland. The Allies at this time went for appeasement rather than confrontation and decided not to act against Germany, underestimating Hitler’s real intent which was territorial expansionism and German supremacy. However when Germany finally attacked Poland, France and Great Britain could no longer sustain their appeasement policy and subsequently declared war against Germany. Thus the horror of WWII began (Sherman & Salisbury). References: Blanning, T. C. W. The Oxford History of Modern Europe Edition: 3, illustrated Oxford University Press, 2000 Brautigam, Jeffrey. 5 Steps to a 5 AP European History, 2008-2009 Edition McGraw Hill Professional, 2007 Fulbrook, Mary. History of Germany, 1918-2000: The Divided Nation Edition: 2, illustrated Blackwell Publishing, 2002 Lee, Stephen & Reynoldson, Lee Fiona & Shuter, Paul. Weimar and Nazi Germany. Heinemann, 1996. Sherman, Dennis & Salisbury, Joyce. The West in the World, 3rd Edition New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2008. Read More