The Third Reich Ch 1-3 Reeves
intentionalists
Historians who stress the importance of the individual and personal intention in history. They stress the aims and intentions of Hitler and emphasize his key role in the formulation of policies, particularly foreign policy and the campaign against the Jews ending in the Holocaust
5. How did Hitler successfully accomplish Gleichschaltung, which is the process of bringing everything into line with the government (i.e. totalitarian control)?
Hitler put everything on Nazi control. ranging from governments to clubs and societies.
Mein Kampf
Hitler's book "My Struggle" made of 2 volumes.
Fuhrerprinzip
Hitler's charismatic, absolute leadership. All power in gov.'s hands, criticizing that
4. How did Hitler get the Enabling Act passed with both terror and finesse, and how did this create a façade of legality?
Hitler's use of intimidation and determination paired with his charisma won the 2/3 majority. When Hitler was trying to get the Enabling Act passed, the building was lined with police force on his side and surrounded with Nazi supporters outside. Hitler said if he did not gain 2/3 majority, he would move on with his plans in a different way, instilling fear in the government. Through this smooth passing of the act with both terror and finesse, Hitler created a façade of legality. Technically, the act was passed legally but the means of getting it passed were questionable and contents of the Act were not necessarily in line with the constitution.
• The constitution created by Bismarck tried to preserve the power of the Prussian aristocracy so it could not meet the needs of a "modern" Germany o This system became unworkable • Chancellors tried to build up anti-democratic blocs in the Reichstag & unite the country behind assertive foreign policies plans and military build-up • Right versus Left=no political consensus o By 1914...domestic politics in a total deadlock o Only escape from this was war
How did Bismarck's Second Reich lead to rise of Third Reich under Hitler?
o Gave the Church several advantages: religious freedom, the right to administer itself, appoint clergy o Hitler hoped to end the Church's intervention in politics o "buying Church"
How did Hitler elicit cooperation from the Catholic Church?
• Powerful supporters of Hitler had ben complaining about Rohm and the SA o They threatened to absorb the Reichswehr o Rohm's socialist views and claims that more revolution was needed • Hitler worried that Rohm and the SA had the power to remove him • High ranking Nazis like Himmler convinced Hitler that there was a plot against him • Hitler decided to eliminate the leaders of the SA o 30 June 1934 o 150-200 SA leaders • SA membership shrunk significantly, became the propaganda wing of the party • Der Fuhrer
How did Hitler eliminate the Rohm/SA threat in the Night of the Long Knives?
• Need to produce armaments + British blockade led to "distress" o Small workshops closed o Food shortages, inflation, inadequate wages, poor living conditions • Hardships created bitterness towards those who were believed to have profited from the war o Jews accused of profiting while Germans died
How did WWI lead to problems in Germany, and how were Jews scapegoated
6. How did big business manage to stay mostly independent early on? Hitler realized the necessity of big businesses for the German economy. He stopped party attacks in order to avoid a complete economic collapse. The Nazi party still became involved with big businesses, but if large donations were made by companies to the Nazi party, they could remain semi-independent.
How did big business manage to stay mostly independent early on?
• Germany's troubles=more power • Nazi Party formed in 1920, by 1922 Hitler in power • Became the most dynamic force on the right in Bavaria, especially with the formation of the paramilitary SA • Conditions with the Weimar Republic made it ideal for political extremism • 1923 Ruhr Crisis helped o Resentment that the French occupied the Ruhr and the government failed to stop it
How did the Nazi Party grow so quickly from 1919-1924?
as a large movement controlled by a big business in a last ditch effort to defend capitalism from socialism. Hitler was a puppet, not in control
How do Marxist historians explain the Third Reich?
described third reich as a national revolution and claimed it was anti-liberal and anti-marxist
How does the interpretation of the nationalist school differ?
German Christians Confessing Church mainstream Parish church.
How were the Protestants divided?
The fire, even thought not started by the Nazis, gave the Nazis a perfect opportunity to have a stronger government. The Nazis declared that they could arrest anybody at will, censor people, raid private property, and take over state governments to squash the communist threat. This secured Nazi power.
2. How did the Reichstag Fire and Decree propel Hitler and Nazis and eliminate the Communist threat?
anti communists and sought to destroy labor unions
3. Why did generals, big business, and industry leaders support Hitler?
• Left: o Welcome: see as opportunity for modern people to learn from immediate mistakes of Germany's past • Right: o Unwelcome. Hard to objectively study as any other time period. Cannot easily learn German history prior to 1945. Hard to historicize
8. How do "left" and "right" historians disagree about the way we view Germany and the Nazis and the tendency to totally focus on the Holocaust?
when its written, where they are from, political persuasions, major schools of thought
Authors and their perspectives are affected by:
fascism
Between 1919 and 1945 there were many varieties of this, the essence of which was: a nationalist ideology and an authoritarian state with a charismatic leadership ready to use force to achieve national aims
Hernan Rauschning claimed history as a part of German continuity, said that German history was from Luther to Hitler Could be understood in context of post-WWI crisis
During and just after WWII, how did some characterize this as a German phenomenon, and how did some German's counter that point?
a total ideology, a single mass party, a secret police, a monopoly on mass communications, a monopoly of weapons, and a controlled directed and planned economy
During the Cold War, what common elements with Russian Communism did historians identify?
• Played upon people's longing for unity and recovery • Emphasized the dangers of communism • Emphasized the importance of Christianity and the family • Hid his brutal anti-Semitism
During the electoral campaign in February-March 1933, how did Hitler appeal to the people and start creating a dictatorship?
SPD
German Social Democratic Party paved way for Hitler's success by signing Great Coalition.
What is the idea of Lebensraum, and how did it fit with Nazi's nationalist ideology?
It means fits. probably fits our style of sheets
NSDAP
National Socialist German Workers' Party, stressed it was both nationalist and socialist. July 1933 declared only public legal political party in Germany
SA
Nazi Strom troopers, aka brownshirts. protect party meetings from being interrupted by Communists. Played a key role in maintaining
Bolsheviks
Originally the majority faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labor Party in 1903. Became Communist party of Soviet Union.
Marxist Referring Marxism
Philosophical system constructed by Karl Marx. Its essence was that the economic system of a country determined its political and social structures. Marx was convinced that capitalism would be overthrown by the workers
Bonapartism
Political system employed by Napoleon III of France. He created a dictatorship which was supported by the wealthy elites and the lower middle class. He attempted to strengthen it through a vigorous assertion of French national interests.
Great Men
School of thought that looked at key individuals
Comintern
The Communist International movement set up in 1919 to organize worldwide revolution
unrest=troubles from war fear of communism fear of jews
What fears erupted from unrest in 1918-1919
Growing rivalry between SA and army Succession of presidency (Hindenburg's declining health raised question of next leader) Decline in popularity of Nazi regime. Workers and businessmen unhappy with Hitler
What things were not going well that made this counter-revolution a real threat?
continuity of German History. Roles of elites and social structure from Wilhelmina to Nazi Germany. Expansionist land aims of elite Germans is same as Hitler
What was the basic theme for Fischer and the structuralist school of historians (i.e something about the structure of the German society that led to Nazi/Hitler rise)?
German racial superiority Social Darwinism Romanticization of German Race Against liberalism, socialism, democracy
What were some of the idealogical roots of National Socialism?
• Hitler became leader of the Kampfbund (group of right-wing militant groups) • Staged the Bier Hall Putsch...attempt to seize power in Munich • Hitler was arrested and jailed but resulted in great publicity for the NSDAP
Why was 1923 such an important year early in the party formation
Who were the many Nazi supporters from 1930-32?
Young voters, unemployed first time workers Middle class leaves 14 protestants and then 5 a 5 dies.
Putsch
a revolt or take-over of power
Confessing Church
in reaction to reich church
Fuhrer
leader
Reichstag
lower house of German parliament, voted by universal male and female suffrage on an electoral system of proportional representing.
Mittelstand
middle estate. Embraced the lower middle class.
Night of the Long Knives
name given to murders from June 29-30 1934. Leaders shortly after arrested and short.
Young plan
payment of German reparations over a period of 58 years?
volkisch
preservation of traditional Germanic, national and racial community. Anti-semitic
Gleicshaltung
streamlining, making of same and controlling power.
new orthodoxy
the evolution of what was originally a revisionist historical interpretation into an almost universally held interpretation
Reichswehr
the german army
structuralists
the name given to the school of historians, the most eminent members of which are Hans Mommsen, Broszat, and Wehler, which applies to a structural analysis to modern German history, particularly the Third Reich. They play down the role of Hitler and instead place more emphasis on the German elites and the polycratic nature of the regime
Dawes plan
the report on the german economy issued in 1924 by a committee chaired by American Charles Dawes.
historiography
the study of writing/reporting of history
What should historians study, according to structuralists like Wehler, Broszat, and Mommsen?
• How Nazi Society worked • Hitler was a prisoner of other forces that he created but couldn't always control • Structural determinants
Don't worry about all the details for the party friction and Reichstag elections, but generally speaking, how did Hitler end up being given the Chancellorship? Why did Hindenburg and Papen need to bring in the Nazis and right wing, and why did they think they could control Hitler (ha!)?
• Nazi message: only Hitler could unite a divided Germany • 1930: Nazi Party was the second largest in Germany...but only in power as long as times were bad • Elites like President Hindenburg and Papen wanted to replace the Weimar Republic with a more authoritarian regime...but needed popular backing which only the Nazis could provide at this time • Nazi electoral success in early 1930s + Chancellor resignations led Hitler to demand appointment to the Chancellorship in 1933.
What argument do internationalists, like HIllgruber and Hildebrand, make against structuralists?
• Structuralists play down important of political and diplomatic history as well as role of individuals in history • Hitler and his aims should be central to study
