Hitler's rise to power 1919–33
The Nazi Party 1919–28
Hitler joined the DAP (German Workers' Party) in 1919 → renamed NSDAP 1920. Tactics:
- Created the SA (1921) — brown-shirted street fighters led by Ernst Röhm
- 25-Point Programme (1920): nationalist + socialist + antisemitic
- Strong oratory + mass rallies
- Munich Putsch (1923) failed; trial gave Hitler a national platform; Mein Kampf written 1924
After release, Hitler shifted strategy to constitutional path to power. Through 1924–28 the Nazis were a fringe party (12 seats in May 1928 election).
The Depression — turning point
Wall Street Crash, 24 October 1929: US loans recalled. German economy collapsed:
- Unemployment: 1.4M (1928) → 6M (Jan 1933)
- Industrial production halved
- Banks closed (Darmstadter und National Bank, July 1931)
- Three-quarters of all small businesses failed by 1932
Brüning (Chancellor 1930–32) ruled by Article 48 emergency decrees — Reichstag became dysfunctional. Voters lost faith in democracy and turned to extremes:
| Election | NSDAP seats | KPD (Communist) seats |
|---|---|---|
| May 1928 | 12 | 54 |
| Sep 1930 | 107 | 77 |
| Jul 1932 | 230 (largest party) | 89 |
| Nov 1932 | 196 | 100 |
Why people voted Nazi
| Group | Reason |
|---|---|
| Middle class | Fear of communism (KPD growing); savings wiped out by inflation |
| Industrialists | Anti-communist; Nazis promised to crush unions |
| Farmers | Promised price supports + protectionism |
| Young men | SA gave purpose, uniform, food |
| Unemployed | Hitler promised "work and bread" |
| Women | Image of stable family life (despite later anti-feminist policies) |
| Nationalists | Promised to overturn Versailles |
The Nazi appeal — propaganda
Joseph Goebbels ran propaganda from 1929. Techniques:
- Mass rallies (Nuremberg)
- Radio broadcasts (cheap "people's radios")
- Posters, films
- Hitler flew between cities — first politician to use planes
- Simple, repeated messages: "Work and Bread", "One People, One Nation, One Leader"
January 1933 — the back-room deal
By late 1932, Nazis were the largest Reichstag party but not a majority. Hitler had lost the presidential election to Hindenburg (April 1932). Hindenburg refused to appoint Hitler Chancellor.
The deal: Conservative politicians (von Papen + Hindenburg) believed they could "control" Hitler — install him as Chancellor with conservative ministers around him. Von Papen famously said "we have hired him".
30 January 1933: Hindenburg appointed Hitler Chancellor. Initial cabinet had only 3 Nazis (Hitler, Frick, Göring) of 11 ministers. Conservatives expected to constrain Hitler. They were wrong.
⚠Common mistakes
- Saying Hitler "won" 1932 — the Nazis were the largest party but did NOT win a majority. Hindenburg beat Hitler in the presidential election.
- Calling the appointment "democratic" — it was a back-room deal during a constitutional crisis, not a popular mandate.
- Forgetting the depression context — Nazi support without 1929 Crash is unlikely. Compare: ~3% support 1928, ~37% 1932.
- Confusing SA and SS — SA was the brownshirt street force (Röhm). SS was Hitler's bodyguard, expanded later.
AI-generated · claude-opus-4-7 · v3-edexcel-history