By Bradley Veile
Lakeside High School
Plummer, ID
Braunau am Inn,
Austria-Hungary
Early Interests
Priesthood
Cowboys & Indians
Playing “war”- Conducted Battles as Boer
Artist
denied entry to Vienna Academy of Fine Arts
Austria – moved to Germany – avoid evasion arrest
Germany – enlisted in 1914
served as a dispatch runner
top rank – corporal
Wounds
1916 - Somme
1918 – Ypres
Mustard Gas
Awarded
Iron Crosses twice
Black Wound Badge
Treaty of Versailles
Disarm
Loss of territory
Accept blame for war
Reparations
“Stabbed in the Back” Theory
left wing political parties
Communists
Jews
Started 1919 – Anton Drexler
Hitler as military intelligence officer
duty – keep an eye on German Workers Party
After impromptu speech by Hitler – Drexler ask Hitler to join
influential speaker
designed flag
red – social idea of the movement
swastika – anti-Semitism
white – national ideal
Key points:
• Revoke Jewish civil rights
• Citizenship only for those with German blood
• Revoke the Versailles Treaty and Saint Germaine Treaty
• Create a “Greater Germany” – based on Lebensraum
• Create national army
• Strong central government – “Fuhrerprinzip”
Authority flows down – authority unquestioned
Goal
Short term
overthrow Bavarian government
Long term
overthrow Weimer government
Method
kidnap Bavarian leaders
force acceptance of Hitler as leader
Result
16 Nazi killed, 3 Munich Police killed
Hitler arrested
24 day trial for treason
Trial loosely conducted
Sentence – possible life
5 years in Landsburg – served 9 months
Economic problems 1921
Reparations bill - $33 billion
Inflation decimate economy
Year
Mark
1921
4
75
1922
400
18,000
1923 (July)
160,000
(August)
1,000,000
(November) 4,000,000,000
Party Membership
1920 (early) – 3000
November – 55,000
1925 – 27,000
1929 – 109,000
1932 – 400,000
Dollar
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Volume 1 - Dictated to Rudolph Hess -1925
Content of Volume 1
German Nationalism
Anti- Bolshevism
Anti-Semitism – Jews are:
German’s true enemy
Not creative – cultural parasite
International – control the world
Used in educational settings
Training the SA, SS, and HJ
Given as gifts at ceremonies
weddings, graduations, etc.
Volume 2 – 1927
Content of Volume 2
History of the Nazi Party
Obtain/retain political power
Use of propaganda/terrorism
Building a political organization
New direction – rise to power legally
Weimer Constitutional support
Chancellor appointed not elected
Emergency unchecked power
No checks and balance
Reichstag Elections – Nazi percentages
1924 – 3.0%
1928 – 2.8%
1930 – 18.3%
1932 - 37.0%
1933 - 44.0%
Presidential Election – 1932
Hitler v. Hindenburg
30%
49%
Run off required
Hitler – 36%
Hindenburg – 53%
Chancellor Bruening outlaws SA and SS
Hitler agree support for Von Schleicher if:
SA/SS ban lifted
Bruening diposed
Conservative Coalition
Reichstag dissolved
Hindenburg calls for Bruening resignation
Papan appointed Chancellor (Schleicher puppet)
December 1932 – Papan replaced by Schleicher
Papan persuades Hindenburg
appoint Hitler Chancellor and Papan vice-Chancellor
Papan could control Hitler and 3 Nazis in 11 member Cabinet
February 1933
Reichstag burned by Nazi as way of increasing power
Mentally unstable man – Marinus van der Lubbe – Dutch
setting fires around Berlin
suspicious activity around Reichstag
strong indications of Nazi support
arrested and executed for fire
Communists blamed for fire
Result
Hindenburg persuaded to sign Emergency Decree
Hitler given power to
suspend basic rights
detain without trial
van der Lubbe confessed at trial – death sentence - guillotined
Hitler needed support lacking during Beer Hall Putsch
Army – concerned about SA competition
Industrialists
June 1934 – Night of Long Knives
SA leadership assassinated
Including Ernst Rohm – early Hitler supporter
Result
SS move to more prominent position
Army support Hitler
July 1933 – Enabling Act passed
Cabinet given full legislative powers
Nazi Party only legal party
Opponents could be sent to Dachau (est. March 1933)
Hindenburg dies August 1934
Hitler consolidates offices of President and Chancellor
Becomes “Fuhrer” with dictatorial powers