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Start and Beliefs of the NSDAP/Nazis
The Nazi State came out of the previous German government, the Weimar Republic. There were many political parties fighting to get elected, including the Nazis. Their party was mainly pushing for nationalism and anti-Jewish ideas. -
Hitler Assumes Control of Nazis
Hitler joined the Nazis and declared himself leader of the party. Then, he ordered an enforcement group to deal with opponents. Hitler began blaming different groups for Germany's problems in each of his speeches. -
Hitler is Arrested and the Nazis Gain Support
Hitler tries to overthrow the government and got caught. As his trial was happening, it got more and more publicity. He managed to make the NSDAP into a legitimate party. Their publicity increased but its representation did not because the economy was booming and their message was not appealing. -
The Great Depression
Eleven months after the Great Depression began, the NSDAP was able to increase its share of the Reichstag vote almost ninefold. They then had the highest number of seats (won) during the Weimar period. -
The Chancellor Deal
Hitler continued to gain support for himself and his party. President Paul von Hindenburg offered chancellorship to defense minister Kurt von Schleicher, but Hitler did not want anyone as chancellor other than himself. Hindenburg agreed, offering the chancellorship to Adolf Hitler and inviting him to form a government. -
The Reichstag Fire
There was a destructive fire in the Reichstag building in Berlin, their congress building. Investigators found flammable material scattered around the building, but no one knows who set the fire. This helped Hitler gain power over Germany. He could remove political opponents by putting restrictions on the press, banning political meetings and marches, and intercepting communications. -
The Enabling Act
The Nazis introduced the Enabling Act into the Reichstag. The Enabling Act allowed Hitler to govern without reference to the Reichstag. The Nazis rigged the vote by arresting dozens of members of other parties. More than 24 Reichstag representatives did not attend the vote, after being intimidated. -
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Anschluss
In the mid - 1930's Austria had its own Nazi group. Due to their pressure, the Austrian chancellor held a vote on independence. Claiming the vote was rigged, Hitler told him to give up his power to the Nazis. The chancellor looked for help from Britain and France but didn't, so he resigned. Soon, Hitler joined Austria and they had one government. -
Dealing with Protesters and Presidents
Hitler authorized the construction of concentration camps. They were for political prisoners who were against Hitler's beliefs and ideas. When President Hindenburg died, Hitler assumed he had control of the government. Hitler had a public voting, and most went in favor most likely because it was rigged. -
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Rearmament
In 1935, Hitler reintroduced the draft. Then the next year he introduced his Four-Year Plan. It was a schedule to prepare the nation’s military for war. By 1939, Germany’s armed forces increased tremendously. -
The Rhineland
The Rhine River (and the land around it) was a separation between Germany and its neighbors: France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Holland. The Versailles treaty stopped Germany from stationing any military forces in that area. Hitler ordered German troops back into the Rhineland to go against the treaty, but France and Britain did nothing. -
New Foreign Policy
Hitler shared his concerns about Germany’s economic growth and how the need for self-sufficiency. Hitler proposed a military solution, expansion into Eastern Europe so Germany could access land and the materials there. -
Czechoslovakia and the Munich Agreement
Hitler showed interest in Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia). He began claiming that Germans there were being persecuted by Czechs. British prime minister Neville Chamberlain intervened, meeting with him multiple times. At the first one, Chamberlain agreed to Hitler’s demands. At the next one, Hitler demanded German forces be given access to that region. Then, Hitler and the other leaders met to resolve the crisis. They signed the Nazi takeover of the Sudetenland, as long as he stopped there.
