Adolf Hitler's Defeat Of World War One

Holocaust Paper #1

After the bitter defeat of World War 1, Germany found itself in turmoil politically and economically. This instability paved the way for Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party to wrest authority away from the weak Weimar Republic and created an Authoritarian government in Germany. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, this sudden shift in governmental power would have catastrophic effect on Europe and the rest of the world. The Nazi Party of 1920, was full of idealized members who believed in the supremacy of the state vs. the personal convictions of individuals of the state. The party wanted to bring back a strong Germany, such as a German state before World War 1. The party preached against the failings of the Weimar Republic and used the defeat of World War 1 as motivation to for Germans to want to make Germany strong again. The party found success between 1920-1923 by swelling the ranks with middle to lower class citizens and soldiers who had fought in the Great War. The party created the Sturmabteilung or “SA” to physically confront opposition of the party. This model of attacking political opposition was based of Benito Mussolini’s Black shirts in Italy. Early notable members of the Nazi Party that would play a role in later years were, Hermann Goering, Henrich Himmler, and Joseph Goebbels.

On January 30, 1933, Adolph Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany. Hitler was able to achieve this position even after the failed coup of 1923 for three reasons. The first, Hitler’s followers were very loyal and did everything they could to promote Nazism and discredit everyone else. Second, the fear of Communism was extremely strong among Parliament and the common people, that Hitler was seen as the better option. Finally, the government believed that they had the power to control Hitler. These three reasons allowed Hitler to gain power, but they are also the reason the Weimar Republic