How Hitler and the NSDAP Gained Power in Germany

The rise of Hitler and the NSDAP did not happen overnight, but their rise was rapid. They went from not being in existence in 1918 to being the largest party in the Reichstag in July 1932, and Hitler was the chancellor by January 1933. Many events contributed to the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, and many were the methods they used to gain power. This essay will first of all examine the social, political and economic situation in Germany from 1918 onwards to Hitler being appointed chancellor. Following on from that the methods and events Hitler and the NSDAP used to gain popularity among the German people will be examined. Finally a conclusion will be made about the main issues examined in the essay.

Firstly the resentments and strains which developed because of the First World War caused the fall of the German empire in the revolution in 1918, and also greatly contributed to the political developments of the next fifteen years. The Weimar Republic replaced the German empire after the humiliation of the First World War. The Weimar Republic was created out of military defeat and the social distress caused by world war one. The treaty of Versailles didn’t make the situation any better but humiliated the Germans even more by making them accept blame for the war, this to most Germans was totally unacceptable. “The peace settlement imposed on Germany in 1919 provoked bitter nationalist resentment which permanently undermined the new Republic” (Overy, 1996, pg 14). Shirer says of the treaty” Before the drafting of the Weimar Constitution was finished an inevitable event occurred which cast a spell of doom over it and the Republic which it was to establish. This was the drawing up of the treaty of Versailles.” (Shirer, 1991, pg57). The treaty of Versailles was hated by Hitler, and was to make perfect breeding ground for his political message. The German economy all through the 1920’s had been very fragile and was already in decline before the Wall St Crash in October1929.  This economic slump for many Germans was just too much to handle after the defeat in the First World War, revolution and inflation.  Overy says of the German slump “The Economic slump in Germany was a social and political catastrophe, which opened the way to popular radical movements committed to overthrowing the Republic” (Overy, 1996, Pg16). In 1932 eight million people were out of work and with the rise of the radical left moderation was longer the answer and it was time for the more nationalist extremes. This economic slump created the perfect environment for the anti Republic forces to flourish in. The Weimar Republic had survived the crises of the French occupation of the Ruhr, and the Great Inflation, but now it seemed that the time for democracy was running out fast. In 1930-1933 the number of voters who were in favour of democracy declined, and also the chance of saving the Weimar Republic from extinction. Layton says “Germany was already a semi dictatorship from September 1930. By 1932 only 43 per cent of the electorate voted in the July Reichstag elections for Pro-republican parties. In the light of this evidence, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that Weimar-style democracy was unlikely to survive” (Layton, 2000, pg 6).