Rise of Hitler and German Fascism
The Rise of Hitler and German Fascism
I. The Weakness of Weimar Democracy * Why did Weimar Implode? * The legacy of WW1 tainted the new government with military defeat * The “stab in the back” legend – betrayed by left * Economic Turbulence * Hyperinflation to pay reparations * It lacks a strong popular mandate * The Extreme Left and Right both oppose Weimar – battling each other in armed street battles and attempting coups * 1920 Kapp attempted right wing coup * 1923 Beer Hall Putsch by Hitler in Munich * French Occupation of the Rhineland * Part of the reason Hitler attempts his putsch * From 1923-29 The Golden Age of Weimar * The Government appeared to be stabilizing, however with this a shift to the right as evidenced by the Election of President Hindenburg (a monarchist). * An Un-purged Judiciary * Led to strong right wing sympathies legally * Paramilitary Groups * Grew strong and in this period * The End of Weimer * The end of German Democracy occurred in 1930 * It makes the end of the center coalition parties in the Reichstag i. No one party from 1930 has a large enough majority to rule nor can any alliances be made * How does Weimar Germany ‘Survive’ from 1930-33? ii. It becomes more presidentially based with emergency decrees and by extension a proto-type for Nazism. While it was meant to be temporary, in the end it undermined Weimar democracy. Ex: if Hindenburg didn’t make decrees, the government would have collapsed
II. The World Economic Crisis * Begins in the United States 1929 Black Tuesday and the Crash * Because US loans and investment dried up, they could no longer support the loans to Weimar Germany. * Leading to destabilization of Germany
I. The Weakness of Weimar Democracy * Why did Weimar Implode? * The legacy of WW1 tainted the new government with military defeat * The “stab in the back” legend – betrayed by left * Economic Turbulence * Hyperinflation to pay reparations * It lacks a strong popular mandate * The Extreme Left and Right both oppose Weimar – battling each other in armed street battles and attempting coups * 1920 Kapp attempted right wing coup * 1923 Beer Hall Putsch by Hitler in Munich * French Occupation of the Rhineland * Part of the reason Hitler attempts his putsch * From 1923-29 The Golden Age of Weimar * The Government appeared to be stabilizing, however with this a shift to the right as evidenced by the Election of President Hindenburg (a monarchist). * An Un-purged Judiciary * Led to strong right wing sympathies legally * Paramilitary Groups * Grew strong and in this period * The End of Weimer * The end of German Democracy occurred in 1930 * It makes the end of the center coalition parties in the Reichstag i. No one party from 1930 has a large enough majority to rule nor can any alliances be made * How does Weimar Germany ‘Survive’ from 1930-33? ii. It becomes more presidentially based with emergency decrees and by extension a proto-type for Nazism. While it was meant to be temporary, in the end it undermined Weimar democracy. Ex: if Hindenburg didn’t make decrees, the government would have collapsed
II. The World Economic Crisis * Begins in the United States 1929 Black Tuesday and the Crash * Because US loans and investment dried up, they could no longer support the loans to Weimar Germany. * Leading to destabilization of Germany