Adolf Hitler’s Rise To Power
Adolf Hitler was born in Austria in 1889 and moved to Germany in 1913, where he became heavily involved with the nascent Nazi party. Throughout his early political career Hitler had a great deal of difficulty in achieving power. After several failed attempts to gain power in 1919 and 1923, Hitler was finally appointed Chancellor of Germany in January 1933.
Hitler was by no means the only leader of a political party in 1930’s Germany, but he was the only person capable of effectively exploiting the political and economic grievances of the German people amid a period of extreme social struggle and economic instability.
Many commentators point to the Law for the Reconstruction of the National Economy, which was passed by President Paul von Hindenburg in March 1933, as a crucial factor in Adolf Hitler’s rise to power. This law allowed for the suspension of civil and legal rights for those who had not had their “Germanness” authenticated. This was accompanied by a law that effectively granted one leader the power to pass laws without consulting the Reichstag.
However, it was Nazi propaganda methods that proved to be the key to popularising Hitler and the Nazi party. Propaganda, propaganda posters and rallies were used to foster an atmosphere of fear, while at the same time imploring the German people to believe in Hitler’s leadership and trust in his ability to bring about an economic recovery.
The tactic of scapegoating Jews and communists was also hugely effective in gaining popular support and unifying the German people under the banner of a powerful Führer figure. Hitler was able to use growing anti-Semitic sentiment and fear of communism to his advantage, creating an emotionally charged atmosphere in which the Nazi party appeared to be the only solution to the problems facing Germany at the time.
Hitler’s political maneuvering also played a part in his rise to power. On the 30th of December 1932, for example, Hitler’s party gained 11 per cent of the votes in the national elections. This was a significant victory for the Nazi party and helped to legitimise Hitler’s position as leader of the party.
The following year, Hitler’s popularity continued to rise, culminating in his appointment as chancellor of Germany on 30th January 1933. This appointment was made by President Paul von Hindenburg and was the result of a political deal with the centre-right Nationalist Party, who sought to prevent further electoral success of the left-wing parties.
Hitler’s meteoric rise to power in 1933 was not achieved without significant effort and the exploitation of political, economic and social opportunities. The combination of mass propaganda, a weakened economy and the willingness of Hindenburg to use his presidential powers to appoint Hitler as Reich Chancellor gave Hitler the platform he needed to take full control of Germany and the Nazi party.
Hitler’s Consolidation of Power
Hitler’s appointment as chancellor of Germany in 1933 enabled him to consolidate his power in a number of ways. He quickly used the passing of the Enabling Act to assume full control of the government and its decisions without the need to consult the Reichstag or the President.
He then immediately re-established a unitary state with a new executive cabinet, the Reichsregierung, and abolished the opposition parties. This ensured that Hitler’s control of the political structure was total and that all decisions were made in consultation with the cabinet.
Hitler also sought to consolidate his power through controlling the media. For this purpose he created the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, which was tasked with controlling all media outlets, including newspapers, radio, books and films.
Hitler also sought to control the education system, introducing the Hitler Youth and youth leadership training. The focus of education was also changed to indoctrinate students with Nazi ideology.
Finally, Hitler also sought to control all aspects of German society in an effort to strengthen his own power. This included the banning of all trade unions, the nationalisation of industry, and the widespread control of citizens through a powerful secret police force, the Gestapo.
Hitler’s Oppression of Opposition
Hitler’s iron-fisted control of Germany did not simply rely on his consolidation of power, but also on the systematic oppression of any opposition to his rule. Hitler was ruthless in crushing all dissent, criminalising a wide variety of political activities and imprisoning thousands in concentration camps.
He also used fear and intimidation to discourage any opposition to his rule. Most famously, he orchestrated the Night of the Long Knives in June 1934, using his personal guard, the Schutzstaffel (SS), to murder opponents and consolidate his own power.
Under the Nazi regime, thousands of dissidents and political opponents were imprisoned in concentration camps, and cases of torture and execution were widely documented. Even those who had no direct involvement in political activity were subject to imprisonment and persecution, as Jews, homosexuals and other social ‘outsiders’ were all targeted by Hitler’s regime.
Hitler’s Impact on the German People
Adolf Hitler’s tyrannical rule had a profound impact on the lives of the German people. Hitler’s obsession with racial purity and his hatred of the Jewish faith led to the implementation of a number of discriminatory laws, including the denial of citizenship to Jews, the exaction of a ‘Jewish tax’, and the prohibition of certain professions to Jews.
Hitler’s regime also sought to control the population through instituting a form of mandatory conscription. Young men were expected to join the military service and those who refused faced serious punishment.
Moreover, Hitler’s rule was accompanied by the spread of an extreme form of nationalist ideology. The cult of the ‘Aryan race’ was heavily propagated and children were taught to revere Hitler as the leader of the German nation.
The economic consequences of Hitler’s rule were also significant. Whilst he brought about some improvements in the German economy, especially during the period of the ‘Greater German Campaign’ in 1933-1936, his long-term policy of rearmament and militarisation destroyed Germany’s economic future, leaving the country ruined by the end of the Second World War.
Hitler’s Legacy
Adolf Hitler’s legacy remains one of the most controversial and contested issues of the twentieth century. Whilst some scholars argue that his reign was central to the rise of fascism and Nazism, others argue that he was simply a symptom of the malaise that existed in Germany at the time.
It is inarguable, however, that both before and after his ascension to office, Hitler was a powerful political figure with the ability to mobilize and manipulate the masses. His oppressive rule left lasting scars on the German nation, and many of the practices used by the Nazi regime, such as concentration camps and the persecution of political opponents, live on as lasting legacies of his rule.
International Reactions to Hitler’s Rise to Power
Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 was met with a range of international reactions, both positive and negative. The emergence of the Nazi regime was seen by some as offering a strong alternative to Communism and Fascism, whilst others viewed it as a threat to democracy and human rights.
In the US, President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration sought to maintain cordial relations with Hitler during the early 1930s, while in Britain the Government sought to prevent any international confrontation with the new regime.
In the Soviet Union, Stalin adopted a more hostile attitude towards Hitler, regarding him as an enemy of Communism. As a result, Stalin instructed the Communist International to launch a campaign of anti-Hitler agitation.
In other parts of the world, Hitler’s rise to power was seen as a sign of hope for those who sympathised with Fascism or Nazism. Supporters of National Socialism in Japan and Latin America welcomed Hitler’s reign, seeing it as a potential ally in their own ambitions.
Hitler and World War II
Adolf Hitler’s reign was not without its consequences. His ambition to expand Germany into a greater nation, the so-called Grossdeutschland, led to the Second World War and a period of unprecedented destruction.
Hitler’s expansionist aims were also responsible for the Holocaust and the systematic extermination of millions of Jews and other minority groups. His foreign policy decisions also led to a breakdown in diplomatic relations with the main European powers, and ultimately to the Allied invasion of mainland Europe in 1944.
Hitler’s actions during the Second World War also had a dramatic effect upon the fate of Germany. Despite gaining early victories in Europe, Hitler’s policy of militarisation and expansion was to prove a costly mistake. In 1945, following the Allied invasion and occupation of Germany, Hitler was deposed and the Nazi regime brought to an end.
Hitler’s legacy remains one of controversy and darkness, and the consequences of his reign continue to haunt the world to this day.
