In 1924, The Dawes Plan gave Germany some financial relief and over the next several years, their economy slowly recovered and enjoyed relative stability until 1929. However, in 1929, the Great Depression began. Industrial production was reduced by fifty percent in the first three years of the Great Depression. The next year, unemployment reached six million. The banks were in danger of implosion when the government bailed them out in 1931. By the next year, about one million unemployed Germans were no longer receiving benefits from the government. The drop in tax revenue forced the government budget to drop as well.
The sitting president mandated several reformative economic policies necessary to bail out Germany’s economy and keep the nation out of bankruptcy. Unfortunately, his policies were poorly received as they cut wages. The main cause of outcry among German citizens, however, was the raise in multiple taxes as well as the creation of a handful of new taxes. Heightened taxes and lower wages bailed the government out while impoverishing the working class. Voters lost faith in their elected officials and began to identify with different political factions.
While the Weimar Republic struggled financially, Adolf Hitler began his political career. He joined the short lived German Workers Party in late 1919 which later became his Nazi Party. He recalls this moment in his personal work, Mein Kampf, while describing the party’s meager possessions, “aside from a few directives, there was nothing, no program, no leaflet, no printed matter at all, no membership cards, not even a miserable rubber stamp…”. By 1921, Hitler had transformed and rebranded the party into the National Socialist Party, commonly called the Nazi Party. Their main supporters were the working poor in Germany, who came to represent an ever-growing percentage of German workers throughout the 1920s.
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Low-class workers turned to the National Socialists for a solution to the decaying economy. While the public turned their attention to issues such as unemployment and poverty, Hitler claimed that under his rule Germany could eliminate unemployment. Adolf Hitler stated he would revitalize the German economy if given the opportunity. He understood that as the economy continued to languish, voters would turn away from the current leaders, opening the door for his Nazi Party. Germany’s financial struggles forced voters to turn away from the mainstream parties and seek drastic solutions. The widespread economic crises primed the political scene for Hitler’s radical Nazi party.
The political climate in The Weimar Republic became erratic and radical, giving rise to extreme parties such as Hitler’s National Socialist Party. Economic problems caused voters to grow irritated with the Weimar Republic and the mainstream parties. Their irritation and discontent led voters towards the National Socialist and Communist parties. Hitler and the Nazis rose to prominence during the short-lived Weimar Republic, established in 1918. Leadership in the republic was weak from the start and instability became an immediate concern.
The unpopular government struggled economically as well as politically. It utilized a parliamentary system where each party sought to control a majority of seats in the Reichstag, Germany’s main legislative body. Presidential elections were held every seven years and the president had the right to appoint a chancellor. The chancellor was the head of the government and ran the country while the president focused mainly on external affairs. The Weimar Republic was plagued with multiple issues as soon as it was established and thus set the scene for Hitler.
Hitler’s Nazi party focused on the needs of the low class workers. As Thomas Childers writes in The Third Reich, a History of Nazi Germany, “These groups responded positively to Hitler’s denunciations of big business and government, promises of intensive development of Germany’s own economic resources, support of private property”. Adolf Hitler took advantage of the discontent brewing within Germany.
He responded to the cries of the poor and the working class since the Nazis ultimately wished to build a powerful, nationalist state comprised mainly of working-class individuals. However, Hitler struggled to gain traction for several years and the Nazi Party remained a fringe group; in 1924, the Nazi Party received just three percent of the vote. But when Germany’s condition worsened, the Nazi’s popularity expanded. Nazi support grew exponentially to thirty-one percent in the July elections of 1932, as the mishandling of the economy stirred discontent among the people. Confident from the July elections, Hitler threw his hat into the presidential race later that year.
Adolf Hitler was the runner up to incumbent Paul von Hindenburg. Hitler’s popularity was building across Germany and his increasing vote count reflected the discontent across Germany. With thirty-one percent of the electorate, the Nazis now held a the most seats in the Reichstag, further showcasing the strong views of the people. The migration of votes from moderate parties to radical parties reflected the political sentiment of Germany in the early 1930s. Voters needed a new solution.
Internal governmental problems forced Von Hindenburg to shuffle through several chancellors during 1932. After another poor appointment and under mounting pressure from right wing politicians, Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler to the post of chancellor on January 30, 1933. National Socialists and low-class workers celebrated the appointment with bonfires and marches across the nation. Hindenburg understood Hitler’s radical nature and without a majority, it seemed the new chancellor would be unable to advance his own agenda.
Magazines across Europe and in America weighed in on the topic. The French magazine Le Temps wrote, “it is possible that the new Chancellor will be quickly exhausted by this exposure and his reputation as a worker of miracles will vanish”. They further asserted, “it will be impossible for the new Chancellor to make good the madly demagogic program that succeeded in attracting the support of the German people”.
The French publication doubted Hitler’s ability to perform under the pressure of being chancellor. The author believed Hitler would soon be forgotten and drowned out by opposing viewpoints within the German Government. Also of note, the New York Times published a newspaper headlined, “Nationalists to Dominate in Government Led by National Socialist”. The mainstream media found little cause for concern over Hitler’s appointment. To them, Hitler was another fringe party from the mainstream parties similar to the Communist Party. In contrast, German publication Frankfurter Zeitung warned readers to come “to the defense of the rights of the working population, fundamentals of democracy, freedom of thought and justice and social economic rationality.”
Seeing first hand what Hitler had already accomplished, this German publication provided the most accurate portrayal of what was feared to come. However, this cautious viewpoint was drowned out by the more skeptical opinion that Hitler was not capable of accomplishing anything. Thomas Childers commented on how the public tended to see Hitler as a mere figurehead. Few saw Hitler as a man who could completely change the political climate in Germany. Even though Adolf Hitler was now chancellor of Germany, he still lacked the majority required to advance his political agenda and struggled against a government in opposition of his ambitions.
However, with no other party holding a majority in the Reichstag, the government scheduled the next elections for March 5, 1933. Hitler turned his attention to these elections, promising a massive campaign. Through the use of violent voter suppression and aggressive campaign tactics, the Nazis prevailed and established a Majority in the Reichstag, completing Hitler’s rise to power. The radical political environment coupled with discontent among citizens of Germany forced voters to seek new solutions that mainstream political parties failed to provide. While the political environment gave Hitler a platform, it was his effective speaking which enabled him to take advantage of this opportunity.
For Hitler, the key elements to galvanizing Germany and eventually gaining political traction and power were increasing the people’s enthusiasm and national pride through political rallies and persuasive speeches full of nationalist ideals and hope. Germany suffered a humiliating defeat in World War I and was punished harshly in the Treaty of Versailles. The allied powers of France, Great Britain, and the United States came to an agreement on June 28th and set in motion extreme reparations. These reparations impoverished the nation and compounded Germany’s humiliation. As the government failed, Germans lost pride in their nation. Adolf Hitler sought to pick a defeated country up and once again establish German dominance in Central Europe.
While living in Vienna, he became enamored with prominent anti-semite and mayor of Vienna, Karl Lueger. Adolf Hitler studied Lueger’s actions and learned from his success in the political sphere. One author wrote, “Hitler admired Lueger, a powerful politician, for his speech-making skills and effective use of propaganda in gaining popular appeal.” Leuger indirectly demonstrated to Adolf Hitler how important oration and mass popularity among the working class was to an ascension through government, and the best way to reach the German populace was by using speeches given at political rallies.
Exciting speeches and nationalist rallies helped to convert millions of working class men and women from mainstream thoughts to the Nazi ideology. Adolf Hitler understood the importance of charismatic oration and how it could contribute to his ascendence. He wrote in Mein Kampf, “I know that men are won over less by the written than by the spoken word, that every great movement on this earth owes its growth to great orators and not to great writers”. In the passage, Adolf Hitler noted the importance of clear writing but attributed his and the success of others to oration.
He believed that the reader, not the author, possessed the ability to reach the listener. Adolf Hitler would give over five thousand political speeches during his Third Reich at various venues and rallies. He saw each as an opportunity to promote his beliefs. His voice was even described as “mesmeric”. As Hitler explained, however, he believed his delivery to be more important than his content. In an article about Hitler’s speaking for Business Insider, Amanda Macias writes, “Hitler workshopped his delivery, hand gestures, and body language while practicing his speeches”. This careful preparation made Hitler a more effective speaker.
Also regarding Adolf Hitler’s preparation, Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s chief minister of propaganda, claimed that Adolf Hitler watched himself in the mirror as he read his speeches and analyzed each syllable and motion. The chancellor perfected and maximised the effect of each speech he read. These powerful speeches enthralled German men and women. Hitler catered well to the working class with a nationalist mindset, and they celebrated his rise by attending his rallies in vast numbers, bringing with them national pride and enthusiasm. Hitler’s rallies were marked by enthusiastic turnout and excitement and he used these rallies to motivate the masses to support him on election day. Nazi rallies frequently lasted over a week. Crowds flocked eagerly to listen to Hitler and other Nazi figureheads as they gave speeches.
National Socialist soldiers and officers paraded through cities surrounded by energetic crowds. Large rallies also included musical performances and occasionally fireworks. These community events were Hitler’s presentation of his Nazi Party to the outside world as well as to the German people. By increasing national pride, Hitler appealed to downtrodden Germans who still remembered the humiliating defeat suffered in World War I. Hitler’s message of hope served to excite voters who eagerly elected him. Hitler roused the German people and bolstered pride across the nation. Adolf Hitler used effective oration and exciting gatherings to promote his popularity among German voters and to rise to power in post World War I Germany.
The newly formed Weimar republic was ill-equipped to deal with the economic issues they faced following World War I. Their mishandling of the economy caused poverty rates and unemployment rates to skyrocket. These financial issues led to discontent among the voting base. Frustrated voters searched for politicians to represent their ideals and champion their needs. As voters radicalized, they ripened the scene for Adolf Hitler and his extremist National Socialist Party. Hitler took advantage of difficult times by spewing nationalist ideals and using powerful rhetoric. He revitalized a defeated country following a humiliating loss in the First World War.
Adolf Hitler’s rapid ascendence to power was fueled by the Weimar Republic’s mishandling of the economy, an increasing discontent and radicalization among the voting base, and a nationalist message perfect for rousing a broken state. Adolf Hitler was able to gain extraordinary power in under a decade in post World War I Germany. Ultimately, Germany was not enough for Hitler, and he invaded Poland several years after the German congress passed the Enabling Act, combining the powers of the president and the chancellor. Hitler sparked World War II and began the most damaging conflict in human history, lasting six years. He committed suicide in 1945 as allied troops marched on Berlin to end a conflict which would claim the lives of over 80 million people.
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