RISE OF NAZISM IN GERMANY

                         

                RISE OF NAZISM IN GERMANY

                

                                       

CAUSES:

·         Humiliating Treaty of Versailles:

Defeat in the First World War and the conditions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles made the Germans feel humiliated and helpless. Germans looked down upon the Wiemar Republic that had signed such a disgraceful treaty. Germany was forced to seize large chunks of her territory to France, Belgium, Poland and Denmark. Her overseas possessions (colonies) were taken away and divided among the Allies during the War. Germany was forced to pay heavy reparations to the tune of 33 billion dollars and the total strength of the German armies was fixed at 1 lakh. The treaty hence was much resented by the Germans who eagerly looked for an opportunity to avenge the same. These sentiments were fully exploited by Hitler who welcomed the Germans into a new promise for living i.e. to consign the Treaty into the waste paper basket, rebuild The GERMAN EMPIRE, and to recapture the lost colonies.

·         Growing fear of Communism:

After the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, the Communist influence in Germany and Europe in general increased considerably. They were able to organize themselves effectively and won a number of seats in the Reichstag. Hitler warned the people that the communists in Germany would be the servants of their masters in Russia and would follow the dictates of Communists. He, therefore, tried to persuade the people of Germany that Nazism would alone check the rising tide of Russian Bolshevism.

·         Economic Crisis:

             As the result of the harsh treaty of Versailles, Germany had to suffer in agricultural production, colonies, foreign investments, trade contracts, etc. The foreign countries raised tariffs against the German goods. The number of unemployed people increased. The conditions of the farmers were miserable. By June 1931, debts on farmers had risen to $300 million.

Hitler promised the farmers that he would condone their debts. He won over the Capitalists by assuring that the industries would not be nationalized. Nazis exploited the situation and assured the people that if they would abide by the Nazi ideology their economic misery would come to an end and Germany would regain his lost glory.

·         Resurgence of Militant Nationalism: The Germans would not reconcile with the democratic parliamentary system prevailing in the country. They preferred prestige and glory to liberty and freedom. They felt that only a strong could restore the past prestige of Germany and check the rising popularity of Communism. When Hitler promised them all glory, they welcomed him with open arms.

·         Anti-Semitic Propaganda-

The anti-Semitic propaganda carried out by the Nazi party also contributed to Hitler’s popularity. The Nazis described the Jews as traitors to their fatherland. They said that the Jews had conspired with the Allies during the War and could commit treason against Germany. They impressed upon the Germans that their hardship was due to the exploitation by the Jews, who dominated German economy. Due to this anti-Semitic propaganda many Germans rallied behind the Nazi party.

·         Establishment of Volunteer Corps:

Under the Treaty of Versailles, Germany’s military force was reduce to only one lakh and hence a large number of German soldiers were thrown out of service. Hitler roped in all these soldiers and organize them into Volunteer Corps that served as the party army. These Volunteers propagated the Nazi ideology and worked for safeguarding its influence.

·         Charismatic Personality of Hitler: Hitler had a charismatic personality. He had all the qualities required for a popular leader. He was a shrewd politician and a brave soldier. He knew the art of moulding public opinion according to the circumstances. He was a gifted orator who captivated the Germans with his emotional speeches. He told what the Germans wanted to hear i.e. the betrayal of Germany by the Jews and the Jewish-Communist plot to conquer the world. The Germans nourished a feeling of resentment to the insulting behaviour meted out to them by the Allies. He openly encouraged the Germans to consign the treaty to the waste paper basket, rebuild The German Empire and to recapture the lost colonies. He assured the Germans that if they abide by Nazism then their economic misery would come to an end. This greatly appealed to the Germans who extended full support to Hitler and his Nazi party.

Nazi Ideology

KEY ELEMENTS OF NAZI IDEOLOGY

National Socialist Program Racism Especially anti-Semitism, which eventually culminated in the Holocaust. The creation of a Herrenrasse (Master Race= by the Lebensborn (Fountain of Life; A department in the Third Reich) Anti-Slavism Belief in the superiority of the White, Germanic, Aryan or Nordic races. Euthanasia and Eugenics with respect to "Racial Hygiene" Anti-Marxism, Anti-Communism, Anti-Bolshevism The rejection of democracy, with as a consequence the ending the existence of political parties, labour unions, and free press. Führerprinzip (Leader Principle) /belief in the leader (Responsibility up the ranks, and authority down the ranks.) Strong show of local culture. Social Darwinism Defense of Blood and Soil (German: "Blut und Boden" - represented by the red and black colors in the Nazi flag) "Lebensraumpolitik", "Lebensraum im Osten" (The creation of more living space for Germans) Related to Fascism

RISE OF NAZISM

After the defeat in the First World War, Germany becomes a democracy. Social Democrats and Liberal parties form the new government. The enormous costs of the war cause rampant inflation. Unemployment rises to over five million. Large parts of the population live in fear of falling back into 19th-century poverty. Nationalist parties and the newly founded National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) blame the democratic constitution, the parties supporting the new republic and the unjust provisions of the peace treaty of Versailles for the chaos. But above all it is "the Jew" who is being blamed: The German worker is being ruined by "Jewish Capital" and threatened by "Jewish Bolshevism" that wants to turn him into a slave.

The Nazi party under the leadership of Adolf Hitler gains more votes in every election. It promises to "restore honor" to the Germans, to renew political order and to bring back "work and bread."

The Nazis pursue their political aims with aggressive propaganda and violence. In 1930 - twelve years after its founding - the parties that supported the republic lose their majority. Right-wing parties take over the government and begin to dismantle the democratic system.

In the elections of 1932, the NSDAP becomes the strongest party. The votes of the National Socialists are now needed to form the next government. On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler is named Reich chancellor. In February, his democratically elected government passes a law suspending civil rights and political freedoms. In March, the government is empowered to rule without parliament, to pass laws and govern by decree. Germany becomes a dictatorship ruled by Hitler and the Nazi Party.

IMPACT OF NAZISM

         Establishment of a Totalitarian State: Hitler had no faith in the parliamentary form of government. Therefore he eradicated all those elements which offered opposition to his authority. He concentrated all powers into his own hands, suppressed all opposition and propagated the Nazi ideology at will. He changed the federal form of government into a unitary one. Hitler himself became the governor of Prussia. By 1934 all State legislatures were abolished and the sovereign control of the central government established. Various political parties were abolished. A ban was imposed upon the press, and restrictions imposed on public speeches and writing of articles and cinema. A secret police called the Gestapo kept a check on the activities of the citizens. Those suspected of disloyalty to the state were arrested or executed without trial.

·         Economic reforms:

Hitler introduced a number of reforms to meet the economic crisis. He launched the first Four Year Plan to have greater production. The objectives of the reforms were to remove unemployment and making the nation self-sufficient. The reforms are:

Ø  Factories were set up to provide work for the labourers.

Ø  Industries and agricultural productions and trade were encouraged.

Ø  A Food Corporation was established to control food production, pricing and distribution.

Ø  Price controls were introduced and incentives were provided for farmers.

Ø  Capitalists were encouraged to increase production and strikes were banned.

Ø  Imports and exports were controlled to maintain favourable balance.

Ø  The production of heavy armaments, planes, tanks and naval ships was increased on a large scale.

Ø  Projects of public works, building government offices, stadiums, art galleries; housing development, etc.; were undertaken.

Ø  The trade unions were dissolved. All the workers were put under one Union whose chief was a Nazi. He assured the workers of safeguarding their interests and rights. 

Thus, Hitler freed Germany from the economic crisis and put an end to the problem of unemployment.

·         Militarism and Compulsory military training:

Special efforts were made to increase the military force of the country. Military training was made compulsory training was made compulsory which again created more employment. Hitler believed that nations can become great and influence other nations only on the pride of their military strength. He started re-armament in Violation of the Treaty of Versailles. This pleased the army officers who felt humiliated by the terms of the treaty.

·         Acquisition of Territories:

Hitler tried to acquire more territories for the surplus German population. Hitler said, “Germany within her existing frontiers could attain only limited self-sufficiency in raw materials and none at all at food stuffs. The only remedy lay in the acquisition of greater living space…” His objective was Pan-European Lebensraum (living space). Hitler tried to expand in the south and in east of Europe because that area was economically useful for Germany as it contained huge potentials for wheat, oil and coal. To attain this objective, Hitler used force and rejected all compromises. He entered into a non-aggression pact with Poland for a period of ten years in 1934 for the safety of his eastern frontiers. He reclaimed and remilitarised the territory of Saar and Rhineland from France. In 1938 he annexed Austria by force and concluded a non-aggression pact with Russia with secret protocols of dividing Poland.

·         Racial Supremacy:

Hitler believed in the doctrine of racialism which presented Germans as the master race (Harrenvolk) with the right and destiny to dominate the world. This race he said would rule all other inferior ones. For this, he wanted Germany to cleanse itself of contamination of the Jews and Communists.

·         Negative Aspects:

Hitler put an end to the civil liberties. Those who were suspected of opposing him were harshly treated with. Strict censor was imposed upon books, the press and the cinema. All Anti-Nazi books and magazines were consigned to fire.