A vast majority of historical speeches are more or less instantly forgotten but Otto Wels’ speech against the Hitler Regime and more specifically the “Law to Remedy the Distress of the People and the Reich” was one to look out for. The main significance of this speech is not only the fact that it addressed one of the most controversial laws of all time but also because it was one of the only times someone had the courage to stand up against Hitler during his prime and when he was backed by almost everyone in Germany.
Otto Wels was only 18 years old when he became a part of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) of Germany, which he later became the President of, he also served for the Reichstag (German Parliament) for over 20 years. He was the only German Parliamentary leader that openly opposed the Enabling Act, which gave the power to pass laws Hitlers’ ruling coalition for 4 years. Following the establishment of the Weimar Republic, the German parliament which showcased the end of the Imperial Era in 1918 and the beginning of the Hitler Rule in 1933, Wels’ was the co-president of the SDP and used his powers to combat extremism and strengthen egalitarianism. He even established an organization called the Iron Front, using the Reichsbanner and the communist front, to combat the increasing violence of the Stormtroopers and to match the support that they had already received. Following the induction of Hitler as chancellor on January 30,1933, Wels was the sole defender of the German Republic. After the law was passed and the Nazi regime had started its systemic shutdown of the SPD, Wels fled to Prague and then Paris and then died in 1939.
After being appointed chancellor in 1933, Hitler had no intention of being part of a democracy instead he always wanted to crackdown the political parties using “traditional politics”. The Reichstag Fire was one event that boosted his confidence to go through with what he wanted. Although, Marinus van der Lubbe, a Dutch Council Communist, was blamed for this fire, it is widely believed that this was a false flag operation which was orchestrated by authorities that would benefit from the event- The Nazi Regime. It became very easy for Hitler to convince the German Parliament that this was an act of communism and that there was a dire need for a Nazi Germany to prevent any attacks like these happening in the future.
127 our experts are availableright now
In his speech, Wels pointed out the several oppressions of the SPD and urged the Reichstag members of the party to not vote in favor of the Enabling Act. He also stated that the current coalition government comprising of the Nazis and conservatives already had a governmental majority and could simply rule within the boundaries of the constitution. He openly accused the Nazi Regime of wanting to bring this law into effect because of their efforts towards a “national revolution”.
The major differences in Wels’ speech and Hitlers speech was that Hitler was arguably the best orator in German history and probably one of the best the world had ever seen. He showcased a lot of strong expressions in his speech and that awakened the audience to realize that he actually made sense. Secondly, it is believed that Wels’ speech was leaked to the media before the actual meeting at The Kroll Opera House and made it easier for the Nazis to pre-write a rebuttal for it. Lastly, The Kroll Opera House being smaller in comparison made it easier for Hitler to have some of his stormtroopers stand there and applaud at every word he said and that had a psychological effect on the audience that believed every word he said.
Nevertheless, Otto Wels has gone down in history as one of the bravest men to stand up against the oppressions of the Nazi Germany before they actually came into power, if not as a great orator. He spoke for justice and even if it did not impact the decision as much , he is widely appreciated for it.
