A Level History Germany Independent Study Term 5
Nazi Rise to Power
De ni ons
An -Semi sm - Hatred of Jews. It became the most signi cant part of Nazi racist thinking. For Hitler,
the ‘master-race’ was the pure Aryan (the people of Northern Europe).
Authoritarianism - A broad term meaning government by strong non-democra c leadership.
Backstairs Intrigue - Hindenburg was desperate to appoint a Chancellor who had Reichstag support,
and to avoid the possibility of violence from the SA. Hitler was therefore appointed with Papen as Vice
Chancellor. They felt Hitler could be controlled in a coali on. They were wrong.
Blut und Boden - ‘Blood and Soil’. Na onalist and racist roman cism which glori ed the rural role of
the peasantry.
Chancellor - Prime Minister of the German government.
Concordat - An agreement between Church and the state. A concordat was signed by the papacy and
the Nazi government in July 1933. Also known as the Reichskonkordat.
Demagogue - A leader who plays on the prejudices of the masses with populist emo ons.
Dualism - A government system in which two forces coexist, for example the the Nazi Party and the
German state.
Führerprinzip - ‘The leadership principle.’ Hitler upheld the idea of a one-party state, built on an all-
powerful leader.
Gauleiter - ‘Leader of a regional area.’ The Nazi Party was organised into 35 regions from 1926.
High Treason - The crime of betraying one’s country, especially by a emp ng to overthrow the leader
of the government.
Lebensraum - ‘Living space’. Hitler’s aim was to create an empire by establishing German supremacy
over the eastern lands in Europe.
March converts - Those who joined the NSDAP immediately a er the consolida on of power in the
me between January and March 1933.
NIght of the Long Knives - A crucial turning point when Hitler arranged for the SS to purge the SA
leadership. About 200 were murdered, including Röhm, Strasser and Schleicher.
Red-Front Fighter’s League - The paramilitary arm of the KPD; established in 1924 under the leadership
of Ernst Thälmann, and engaged in street ba les with the SA, the police and other right-wing
paramilitary groups.
, Second Revolu on - The aims of Röhm and the SA were for both social and economic reforms
alongside the crea on of a ‘People’s army,’ which would merge the army and the SA. These aims were
more a rac ve to ‘le -wing socialist Nazis’ or ‘radical Nazis’.
SS - Schutz Sta el (Protec on Squad); became known as the Blackshirts a er their uniform.
Volksgemeinscha - ‘A people’s community.’ Nazism stressed the development of a harmonious,
socially uniform and racially pure community.
Comprehension
1. Ini ally, the Nazi Party had some funding from the army and wealthy patrons, but most of its
money came from ordinary menbers through dona ons and charges for a ending mee ngs. The
party did receive funding from industrialists, most notably Thyssen. The party also bene ted from
upper class contacts such as Lundendor and Röhm’s links with the army, which helped arm the
SA. The Nazis saw support par cularly from rural areas who were a racted to the salva on o ered
by Hitler. The farmers had su ered from years of low prices and heavy indebtedness to banks. Nazi
propaganda therefore was targeted at these rural areas, seeking to be seen as the solu on to the
su ering endured by the farmers. Thus, Nazi support in rural areas grew strongly a er 1928.
2. The Backstairs Intrigue was the secret discussions held by Weimar poli cians that led to Hitler
being asked to be Chancellor.
• By November 1932 the Nazis had 196 seats in the Reichstag and 1/3rd of the votes in the elec on –
they were the biggest party.
• Von Papen failed to win support in two elec ons in 1932 and resigned.
• Von Schleicher could not get other par es to work with him and was sacked because some thought
he might give power to the communists.
• Von Papen convinced Hindenburg that if Hitler was Chancellor he would make sure Hitler did as he
was told – he said “he would make Hitler squeak”.
3. Hitler used many methods and capitalised upon certain events that took place in 1933 in order to
strengthen his posi on.
• Reichstag Fire and Reichstag elec on: on 27th of February the Reichstag building was set on re. A
Dutch communist, van der Lubbe, was caught red-handed in the burning building. Days later in the
elec on 44 per cent of the popula on voted for the Nazis, who won 288 seats in the Reichstag – s ll
not an overall majority. Hitler used the re to persuade Hindenburg to pass an emergency law
restric ng personal liberty. This was the Decree for the Protec on of the People and State.This enabled
him to imprison many communist leaders, which stopped them campaigning during the elec on.
• The Enabling Act (23rd March): with the communist depu es banned and the SA in mida ng all the
remaining non-Nazi depu es, the Reichstag voted by the required two-thirds majority to give Hitler the
Nazi Rise to Power
De ni ons
An -Semi sm - Hatred of Jews. It became the most signi cant part of Nazi racist thinking. For Hitler,
the ‘master-race’ was the pure Aryan (the people of Northern Europe).
Authoritarianism - A broad term meaning government by strong non-democra c leadership.
Backstairs Intrigue - Hindenburg was desperate to appoint a Chancellor who had Reichstag support,
and to avoid the possibility of violence from the SA. Hitler was therefore appointed with Papen as Vice
Chancellor. They felt Hitler could be controlled in a coali on. They were wrong.
Blut und Boden - ‘Blood and Soil’. Na onalist and racist roman cism which glori ed the rural role of
the peasantry.
Chancellor - Prime Minister of the German government.
Concordat - An agreement between Church and the state. A concordat was signed by the papacy and
the Nazi government in July 1933. Also known as the Reichskonkordat.
Demagogue - A leader who plays on the prejudices of the masses with populist emo ons.
Dualism - A government system in which two forces coexist, for example the the Nazi Party and the
German state.
Führerprinzip - ‘The leadership principle.’ Hitler upheld the idea of a one-party state, built on an all-
powerful leader.
Gauleiter - ‘Leader of a regional area.’ The Nazi Party was organised into 35 regions from 1926.
High Treason - The crime of betraying one’s country, especially by a emp ng to overthrow the leader
of the government.
Lebensraum - ‘Living space’. Hitler’s aim was to create an empire by establishing German supremacy
over the eastern lands in Europe.
March converts - Those who joined the NSDAP immediately a er the consolida on of power in the
me between January and March 1933.
NIght of the Long Knives - A crucial turning point when Hitler arranged for the SS to purge the SA
leadership. About 200 were murdered, including Röhm, Strasser and Schleicher.
Red-Front Fighter’s League - The paramilitary arm of the KPD; established in 1924 under the leadership
of Ernst Thälmann, and engaged in street ba les with the SA, the police and other right-wing
paramilitary groups.
, Second Revolu on - The aims of Röhm and the SA were for both social and economic reforms
alongside the crea on of a ‘People’s army,’ which would merge the army and the SA. These aims were
more a rac ve to ‘le -wing socialist Nazis’ or ‘radical Nazis’.
SS - Schutz Sta el (Protec on Squad); became known as the Blackshirts a er their uniform.
Volksgemeinscha - ‘A people’s community.’ Nazism stressed the development of a harmonious,
socially uniform and racially pure community.
Comprehension
1. Ini ally, the Nazi Party had some funding from the army and wealthy patrons, but most of its
money came from ordinary menbers through dona ons and charges for a ending mee ngs. The
party did receive funding from industrialists, most notably Thyssen. The party also bene ted from
upper class contacts such as Lundendor and Röhm’s links with the army, which helped arm the
SA. The Nazis saw support par cularly from rural areas who were a racted to the salva on o ered
by Hitler. The farmers had su ered from years of low prices and heavy indebtedness to banks. Nazi
propaganda therefore was targeted at these rural areas, seeking to be seen as the solu on to the
su ering endured by the farmers. Thus, Nazi support in rural areas grew strongly a er 1928.
2. The Backstairs Intrigue was the secret discussions held by Weimar poli cians that led to Hitler
being asked to be Chancellor.
• By November 1932 the Nazis had 196 seats in the Reichstag and 1/3rd of the votes in the elec on –
they were the biggest party.
• Von Papen failed to win support in two elec ons in 1932 and resigned.
• Von Schleicher could not get other par es to work with him and was sacked because some thought
he might give power to the communists.
• Von Papen convinced Hindenburg that if Hitler was Chancellor he would make sure Hitler did as he
was told – he said “he would make Hitler squeak”.
3. Hitler used many methods and capitalised upon certain events that took place in 1933 in order to
strengthen his posi on.
• Reichstag Fire and Reichstag elec on: on 27th of February the Reichstag building was set on re. A
Dutch communist, van der Lubbe, was caught red-handed in the burning building. Days later in the
elec on 44 per cent of the popula on voted for the Nazis, who won 288 seats in the Reichstag – s ll
not an overall majority. Hitler used the re to persuade Hindenburg to pass an emergency law
restric ng personal liberty. This was the Decree for the Protec on of the People and State.This enabled
him to imprison many communist leaders, which stopped them campaigning during the elec on.
• The Enabling Act (23rd March): with the communist depu es banned and the SA in mida ng all the
remaining non-Nazi depu es, the Reichstag voted by the required two-thirds majority to give Hitler the
