Hitler's Rise To Power

Adolf Hitler was well known for being Germany’s dictator and the leader of the Nazi Party. After his failure on overthrowing Germany’s government in 1923 he was imprisoned, but during this time he planned his own strategy; The Mein Kampf (My Struggle) in attempt to seize power over Germany by creating solutions to its complex problems and concerns. Adolph Hitler blamed Jews, government and non-Nazis for Germany’s defeat. After being released, Hitler start up his plan. He quickly gained popular support thanks to his speaking skills and his Nazi Propaganda Campaign which promoted anti-communism, self-sufficiency and promised glory and courage by bringing Germany’s honor back. At the same time, Hitler took advantage of every circumstance he could such as the Treaty of Versailles, The Great Depression and people’s oppression and guilt for loosing WW1.

With Germany’s defeat on WW1 and the conditions established on the Treaty of Versailles many people felt guilty, oppressed and worthless believing there was no hope for their country, however they still believed on a leader that would return Germany its greatness. As WW1 ended, Germany was left in ruin and there was a huge lack of encouragement. The resulting Treaty of Versailles imposed terrible and harsh conditions on Germany as they were deprived from their overseas colonies including its Coal-Rich Saar region. At the same time Germany was forbidden of rearmament and limited to a small army. Germany also experienced a severe economic depression as it had to pay for war reparations to U.K and France. Germany was angry at the Treaty of Versailles and Hitler eventually took advantage of this to raise up his popular support. He created a new political party that offered a new period of reconstruction promoting self-worth and courage. On his political campaign known as the Nazi Party he promised to avoid any actions from completing the terms of the Treaty of Versailles such as the deprivation of rearmament. Hitler used people’s oppression and worthless to make them believe he would help on rising the country from ashes.

Hitler also saw the impact of the Great Depression in America as an advantage to gain popular support. America’s Wall Street Crash affected Germany because it used to lend money for paying war reparations to Britain and France. As America faced a severe economic depression, Germany was affected as well. Many people were unemployed while some other, in extreme cases, starved to death. Hitler took advantage of people’s despair and worries to promote a solution. With his political party he promised to help people overcome poverty and decrease unemployment. At the same time he also promised to overthrow the Weimar government which was hated by the Germans for not helping them and instead have a brave and strong leader who would help oppressed and poor people overcome the effects poverty, depression and despair.

Before Hitler, the government was known as the Weimar Republic which was communist. After WW1 communism created countless controversy as people felt the government had sold Germany by agreeing to the Treaty of Versailles. Communists thought of private ownership of land as extortion and thievery. Many middle-class business owners had heard about discrimination to people like them. For instance many owners of big industries feared the Communist state would introduce control of businesses. Besides peasants were fearful as they heard Communist were planning to take over their lands by killing and imprisoning them all. Communists wanted German industry nationalized and for it they would take out private lands and place them under the government’s control. Yet, industry owners didn’t wanted to lose their businesses. In contrast, Hitler’s party known as the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) fiercely opposed to communism and promised to help peasants and land owners against the policies of it, this led many of them support the Nazis. Besides their policies of better pensions and reducing unemployment quickly appeal to many traditional socialists. Plus the Nazis proclaimed they would reject the Treaty of Versailles which they thought it punished Germany. Hitler’s campaign promised he would totally eliminate unions of the Communist Party if elected.

As Hitler became Germany’s chancellor in 1933 the elections for the German Nazi Reichstag parliament were going on. The incident known as the Reichstag fire occurred on February 27 1933, in the middle of the new elections. The Reichstag was the heart of the German politics as it was the place where the parliament sat, as well as debates, political struggles and political scheming took place. Clearly this incident defined one of the early moments of the Nazi Germany days. The destruction of such an important place created concerns and had a symbolic significant meaning for many people. Hitler feared he might not get as many support as in the previous elections. He was playing a dangerous game where he risked his political career. During the night of February 27th Goebbels and Hitler were having dinner at Goebbels place when he got a call from Dr. Hansfstaengl informing him about the incident occurred. Hitler used this event to gain supporters as he blamed on communists for the Reichstag’s devastation. This event made Hitler really upset as he ordered that every communist official should be shoot if possible showing no mercy at all. The S.A rounded about 4,000 people; arrests upon arrests. People were told that the communists had burned down the seat of government

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