The Nazi's Rise to Power

Heinrich Brüning: The Hunger Chancellor

In October 1929, the Wall Street stock market crash in the United States initiated a global economic downturn. The crash wiped out vast investments, affecting U.S. businesses and citizens, who then called in loans from Germany. As Germany heavily depended on U.S. loans for economic recovery, its economy quickly began to collapse.
In March 1930, Heinrich Brüning of the Centre Party became Germany's Chancellor. Brüning aimed to reduce Germany's reliance on foreign loans and end reparations payments. His policies included cutting government spending, increasing taxes, and implementing wage reductions. These austerity measures were unpopular, and the Reichstag often refused to ratify them.
At this point, President Paul von Hindenburg of the Weimar Republic used Article 48 of the Constitution to bypass the Reichstag and enforce Brüning's policies.
As a result, Brüning earned the nickname the "hunger chancellor" due to his policies' harsh impact on the population. Prices continued to rise, and unemployment soared, reaching 6 million by 1932.

Hindenburg's use of Article 48 undermined the Reichstag's democratic authority, contributing to a rise in support for anti-democratic parties, including the Communists and the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazis).
Many small political parties emerged in the Weimar Republic's early years. These parties were often local groups of socialists or nationalists. One such party in Munich was the German Workers' Party (DAP), founded by Anton Drexler in January 1919. The DAP started with only 55 members.
The DAP held meetings in Munich beer halls, discussing German nationalism, anti-communism, and anti-Semitism. The Weimar government viewed such groups as a threat and employed soldiers to monitor their activities. Adolf Hitler was initially one of these informants. However, after attending several DAP meetings, Hitler was drawn to their ideas and joined the party in September 1919.

Hitler quickly became the DAP's most prominent speaker and took charge of its propaganda efforts. In February 1920, the DAP announced a 25-point Programme, which included denouncing the Treaty of Versailles and promoting German unity.
Key points of the 25-Point Programme included:
- Unifying all German-speaking peoples to create a Greater Germany.
- Limiting German citizenship to those of German blood.
- Excluding Jews from citizenship.
- Demanding land for settlement (Lebensraum) for Germans.
In 1920, Hitler renamed the party the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), or Nazi Party, to attract broader support. By 1921, Hitler had replaced Drexler as the party leader.
Throughout Bavaria, the Nazi Party's support grew steadily. Many ex-soldiers were drawn to Hitler's rhetoric, including Ernst Röhm, who helped Hitler establish the Sturmabteilung (SA), also known as the Brownshirts. The SA protected Nazi meetings and intimidated political opponents.

By 1923, Nazi support was primarily limited to southern Germany. In September, in response to unrest, Gustav von Kahr, the state commissioner, declared a state of emergency and banned political rallies. Kahr also shut down the Nazi newspaper, the Völkischer Beobachter.
Inspired by Mussolini's March on Rome, Hitler planned a coup in Munich with the support of WWI hero General Erich Ludendorff. On November 8, 1923, approximately 2,000 Nazis marched on Munich to seize power. The coup failed when the army confronted the Nazis, killing 16 and wounding several, including Hitler. Hitler was arrested, tried for treason, and sentenced to prison.

During his trial, Hitler used the opportunity to gain public sympathy, ultimately receiving a lenient sentence. In prison, he wrote his autobiography, Mein Kampf (My Struggle), outlining his political ideology and plans for Germany's future.
In Mein Kampf, Hitler emphasised:
- The superiority of the Aryan race.
- The need to oppose Jews, whom he viewed as a threat to racial purity.
- The importance of propaganda in winning public support.
- The necessity of Lebensraum (living space) in the East for German expansion.
- The need to combat communism and socialism.

Released from prison in December 1924 after serving less than a year, Hitler began to rebuild the Nazi Party, facing several challenges. The failed Munich Putsch had banned the party, and its newspaper shut down. Internal divisions also plagued the leadership.
- In early 1925, Hitler convinced the Bavarian government to lift the ban on the Nazi Party by promising to respect democratic principles. In 1926, Hitler solidified his position as leader by overcoming internal opposition, particularly from Gregor Strasser, who advocated a more socialist direction for the party.
During this period, the Nazi Party expanded its reach:
- Founded a women's organisation, later merged into the National Socialist Women's League.
- Established the Hitler Youth to indoctrinate young Germans.
- Held the Refounding Congress in 1926 in Weimar, with subsequent annual congresses in Nuremberg.
Despite slow growth from 1925 to 1929, securing only 12 seats in the Reichstag, the party laid the groundwork for future expansion, aided by the economic stability brought about by Gustav Stresemann's efforts.

Lebensraum, meaning "living space," was a key concept in Nazi ideology, rooted in the belief that the German people needed more territory to thrive. Originating in the late 19th century, Adolf Hitler adopted and expanded the idea in his book, Mein Kampf.
Hitler argued that the German race, which he considered superior, required additional land to ensure its survival and economic prosperity.
Lebensraum was central to Hitler's expansionist ambitions. He envisioned acquiring vast territories in Eastern Europe, particularly in the Soviet Union, to provide space for the growing German population. This would involve displacing or eliminating the existing populations, primarily Slavs, whom Hitler deemed inferior.
The aim was to create a self-sufficient and agriculturally productive empire that could sustain the Aryan race.
The concept of Lebensraum was significant for several reasons:
- It provided a rationale for Germany's territorial expansion and military campaigns, beginning with the annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia and later the invasion of Poland and the Soviet Union.
- Hitler believed that acquiring fertile lands in the East would secure resources and food supplies, reduce Germany's reliance on imports, and fortify its economy.
- Lebensraum aligned with Hitler's vision of a racially pure German state, free from what he saw as the threat of "inferior" races.