20 THE SLIDE TO WAR 1918 –
Defeat in World War I had left Germany
poor, resentful, and polarized between the
political extremes of left and right. Many
Germans were looking for strong, decisive
leadership, which mainstream parties had
failed to provide. Adolf Hitler emerged as
leader of the National Socialist German
Workers Party (NSDAP, known as the
Nazi party) in the early 1920s, with great
determination. As one commentator said,
Hitler was “the living incarnation of the
nation’s yearning.”The Nazi program
Hitler’s oratory was direct, aggressive,
and uncompromising, as was his program. He pledged a national
revolution that would restore German strength and dignity. His
promises included an end to mass unemployment, abrogating the
Treaty of Versailles, stopping the crippling war reparations Germany
was forced to pay, and rebuilding the armed forces. Germany was
listening. In the 1932 federal elections, the Nazis won 230 seats in
the German Reichstag (parliament), making them the most powerful
party in the country. After months of back room negotiations, in
January 1933 a reluctant President Hindenburg was finally cajoled into
appointing Hitler Chancellor. In March, the so-called Enabling Act
gave Hitler emergency dictatorial powers. Its passage effectively
marked the end of German democracy. The Nazis dubbed their new
regime the Third Reich, or Third Empire, reflecting their ambitions.HITLER AND
NAZI GERMANY
Although Hitler’s attempted putsch (or coup) in 1923
failed, by 1930 the Nazi party had become a force to be
reckoned with in Germany. The economic depression
that followed the Wall Street crash of 1929 was crucial
in winning them nationwide support.
△ The Führer
Adolf Hitler, in his uniform, poses
for the camera. A picture of the
Führer (leader) was a must in
every German home.JOSEPH GOEBBELS
1897–Joseph Goebbels, a masterful
orator, was one of Hitler’s closest
colleagues. In 1926, Hitler appointed
Goebbels Gauleiter (district leader)
of Berlin, and in 1933 promoted
him to Propaganda Minister, with
control over German radio, press,
and cultural institutions. His
propaganda sold the Nazi vision of
German superiority and territorial
expansion to the public.US_020-021_F_Hitler_and_Nazi_Germany.indd 20 04/03/19 10:47 AM