Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
13 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
1. Describe the night of the long knives |
1) When: Summer 1934 2) What: The wipeout of the SAs and anyone who angered Hitler. + the army's oath that he needed 3) Why: After all the power Hitler had with Enabling Act, he still felt threat by some in the Nazi Party. + the regular army did not swear an oath of allegiance. He had little respect in the army hierarchy as a corporal. 4) Ernst Rohm was the head of the SA. The SA had 2 mil. people. -The SA was a threat to the regular army, it exceeded the number of men in the regular army. + Röhm had openly spoken about taking over the regular army by absorbing it into the SA. This alarmed the army’s leaders. - Hitler had to choose between keeping the regular army or keeping the SA. 5) Summer 1934: Hitler decided that Röhm was a "threat" and he made a pact with the army. - Röhm and the other SA leaders were removed, the rank and file SA men would come under the control of the army. - In return, the army had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler June 29th – June 30th 1934: units of the SS arrested the leaders of the SA and other political opponents. e.g. Gregor Strasser, von Schleicher and von Bredow were arrested and none of them had any connection with Röhm. The arrests carried on for 2 more nights. |
|
|
2. Explain what happened at the reichstag fire |
When: 10pm on 27th February 1933 What: the Reichstag building was on fire. A Dutch Communist, van der Lubbe, confessed that he started the fire. Communist plot - Hitler claimed that it was a communist plot against the state and it was proof that the Communists were trying to take over, spreading public fear. How: There were many theories as to how the fire started. Many people thought that it was the SAs themselves who started the fire. Result: President Hidenburg was persuaded by Hitler to issue an emergency decree. |
|
|
3. Explain how the reichstag fire was useful to Hitler |
Result: President Hidenburg was persuaded by Hitler to issue an emergency decree. The decree gave Hitler a lot of power. He used it to deal with the "state of emergency" after the Reichstag Fire. - Took control of the police - It gave the police excuse to arrest Communists. In Prussia over 4,000 were arrested in the days immediately after the fire. The decree stopped freedom of speech and the right of assembly. Took control of the newspapers: He shut down the communist newspapers. The power that Hitler had gave the public fear of both the Nazis and the Communists. The SA were used to intimidate political opponents. Result: The Nazis gained 288 seats. To have enough elected support to have complete control of Germany, he needed to pass the Enabling Act. To do this, he needed 2/3 of votes from the Reichstag members. The Nazis had to be a majority party. Hitler gained the Nazis seats by expelling 81 Communist members of the Reichstag and continued ordering the SA to intimidate opposing political parties. Only the Social Democrats dared to opposed the measure. The Act was passed by 441 votes to 94. This allowed Hitler to dictate, and pass laws for four years without consulting the Reichstag. In July 1933, he banned all other political parties, and Germany became a one-party state. May 1933: 1) Trade unions were abolished. 2) Leaders were arrested 3) Funds were confiscated. 4) Strike action was illegal. 5) Workers belonged to the German Labour Front. 6) The civil service excluded all Jews. 7) Democratic Weimar Republic was destroyed. |
|
|
4. Describe the Nazi 25 point plan: listing specific goals |
1) Lebensraum - the need for "living space", for the German nation to expand. 2) A Strong Germany - the TOV should be abolished and all German-speaking people should be united. 3) Führer - the idea that there should only be one leader with complete power rather than democracy. 4) Social Darwinism - the idea that the Aryan Race was superior and that Jews were "subhuman" 5) Auturky - the idea that Germany should be "self-sufficent" 6) Germany was in danger - from Communists and Jews and that they should be destroyed. 7) Socialist - e.g. 1. farmers should be given their own land. 2. pensions should improve 3. public industries such as electricity and water should be owned by the state. 8) Nationalist - a strong Germany + there should be special laws for foreigners. 9) Racist - Jews should not be German citizens and immigration should be stopped. 10) Fascist: A strong central government and control of the press. |
|
|
5. Describe the successes and failures of the Munich putsch for the Nazis |
Not very successful 1) The trial gave Hitler the opportunity to gain publicity for his ideas. 2) He used his time in prison to write Mein Kampf. This emphasised the superiority of the German (Aryan) race, especially in comparison with Jews and Slavs. The dangers of communism. The need for 'lebensraum"/living space. Germany's rise to be the dominant state in Europe, and that (He learnt that) power could not achieved by the use of violence. 3) He had sympathisers within the judiciary. Failures: 1) Did not overthrow the unpopular Weimar Government. 2) The army (Kahr - Prime Minister of Bavaria) remained loyal to the Weimar government. 3) Hitler and Ludendorff were arrested and charged with high treason. An offence punishable with a death sentence. 4) The loyalty of the Bavarian politicians had been underestimated. 5) Hitler miscalculated the mood of the German people, they did not rise to support him. |
|
|
6. Describe how the Nazis exploited the Great Depression to win votes |
1) Germany was in an economic chaos and there was no government to solve the problem. - president Hindenburg ruled by decree. 2) Unemployment reached to 6 million by 1932. Hitler and the Nazis promised to get these people to get back to work and provide food. They gained support from all areas from the society, including powerful industrialists. 3) There was a fear of a communist revolution for some workers. This worried many industrialists and farmers. They turned to the Nazis who opposed the Communists. |
|
|
7. Who were Von Papen and Von Schleicher? |
Von Papen: The chancellor of Germany in July 1932, appointed by the president Hindenburg. In Nov 1932, he remained as Hindenburg's adviser. Von Schleider: Chancellor of Germany in Nov 1932. One of Hindenburg's advisers and a bitter rival of von Papen. Resigned within 1 month. *Proved that the Weimar Govt was not working. |
|
|
8. Explain ‘political maneuvering’ as a factor in hitler’s appointment as chancellor |
Von Papen found that it was still impossible to form a stable government. + Von Schleicher experienced similar problems to Von Papen. Jan 1933: von Papen managed to persuade Hindenburg to agree a political deal - for Hitler to become the chancellor with von Papen Vice-Chancellor. They were confident that Hitler could be controlled with only a few Nazis in the Cabinet/ |
|
|
9. Who is Hindenberg and why was he significant in Hitler’s rise to power? |
Hindenburg was the president of Germany. He appointed Hitler as chancellor. This also allowed Hindenburg to be persuaded by Hitler to use the emergency decree which allowed Hitler to gain power and get the Enabling Act after he expelled the Communists in the Reichstag following the Reichstag Fire. |
|
|
What was the Munich Putsch? |
1) Occurred in 1923 2) Nazi attempt to overthrow the government 3) Nazis were stopped by police and arrested 4) Party was banned 5) Hitler jailed. |
|
|
How did the Munich Putsch help Hitler rise to power? |
1) Showed the Nazis were eager to control/run Germany. 2) People would have heard about the Nazis. |
|
|
What was Hitler's trial? |
1) Occurred in February 1924 2) Judge was lenient -> reduced Hitler's sentence to house arrest 3) Only a few months |
|
|
How did Hitler's trial help Hitler's rise to Power? |
1) Publicised, so people found out about the Nazis 2) Hitler wrote Mein Kampf in jail. 3) Changed Nazi tactic to win power by gaining votes -> To enter parliament |
