Saturday 6 August 2016

The Great Depresssion (A Case Study) | The History Notes



The Great Depression was possibly the worst global economic period in History. At GCSE level, I studied the Roaring 20s and how speculation and increased economic spending caused the Wall Street Crash in America, but that's across the pond. We're focusing on Germany here, and how this strengthened the Nazi Party.

During 1929, the year of the crash, German unemployment was at 1,320,000, nationally, with Nazi seats at 107 within the Reichstag. In 1930, this rose to 3,000,000, in 1931 this was at 4,350,000. By July 1932 this rose to 5,102,000 with Nazi seats rising to 230. By 1933, the year of Hitler, there were 6,100,000 unemployed persons in Germany with 288 seats in the Reichstag. From 1929-33, the number of middle class on the dole rose to 17 million.

In the good times before the Great Depression the Nazi Party experienced slow growth, with problems persuading the people, barely reaching 100,000 members in a country of over sixty million. But the Party, despite its tiny size, was a tightly controlled, highly disciplined organization of fanatics poised to spring into action.

The crisis of the Great Depression brought disunity to the political parties in the Reichstag. Instead of forging an alliance to enact desperately need legislation, they broke up into squabbling, uncompromising groups.


The German people were tired of the political haggling in Berlin. They were tired of misery, tired of suffering, tired of weakness. These were desperate times and they were willing to listen to anyone, even Adolf Hitler.

NOTE: Chancellor Bruning cut benefits, increased tax and cut wages and imposed ARTICLE 4, allowing the president (at the time Hindenburg), to become a dictator, who could pass laws. Basically people lost faith in the regime, even politicians, they were no longer a 'great democracy'


Friday 5 August 2016

From Weimar to Nazism...What went wrong? | The History Notes


So...As part of the higher course we have to learn about the Weimar Republic, as part of the so called 'Interwar Years' (A period of supposed democracy and diplomacy within Europe). However as we haven't learnt about that yet, I'm solely going to touch on the failure of the Weimar Republic, and the disastrous effects this had upon Germany - paving the way for Hitler to emerge as leader.


Lets set the scene....
1918. The end of WW1, a continental war that crippled Germany economically and diplomatically.
1919. June. The Treaty of Versailles - you know the one that meant Germany had to pay reparations for the damaged they caused to the entente. They lost territory e.g the loss of Alsace Lorraine, The Polish Corridor and the demilitarisation of the Rhineland. Their army was restricted to only 100,000 which is insane compared to the size of the British army at the time. AND - they owed $6.6 billion in rearations.
Also in 1919...the Spartacist Communist Revolt...so some background to this, links to Higher. Communism was just about setting its place in Russia, under the Bolshevik Party, two years after the 1917 October Revolution under Lenin and Trotsky. This socialist feeling was spreading continentally throughout Europe but Germany wasn't having it. The Weimar Leaders linked communism to the anti-Semitic feeling at the time...creating mass fear in Germany and an anti communist feeling. Basically the Spartacists (think Spartacus off of Horrible Histories), were crushed by the Right Wing nationalist Freikorps.

1929. What major American event had a massive economic fallout globally?

You got it, the Wall Street Crash. 

So, back to the point of the post, what went wrong in the Weimar Republic? Well, you might say everything. (Yes, there was a decade long gap between 1919 and the crash but we'll get to that don't you worry).

Here are 4 main problems with the Weimar Republic
1. The Way they ended WW1 and the consequent socioeconomic impact upon the German people. This allowed the Nazi party to adopt the 'Stab in the Back' theory under the Treaty of Versailles , and the November Criminals theory...two myths that blamed the Weimar government for embarrassing Germany and damaging their pride.

2. Economic problems as a result of the Weimar inefficiencies. In order to pay for the large costs of the ongoing First World War, Germany suspended the gold standard. The London Ultimatum of May 1921, however, demanded reparations in gold or foreign currency to be paid in annual instalments of 2,000,000,000 (2 billion) gold marks plus 26 percent of the value of Germany's exports. The economic fallout after the war was detrimental upon the German people. French occupation of the industrial Ruhr in January 1923 was as a result of German defaults on payments, caused a lack of internal and foreign trade. 1923 became renown as a year of crisis lso hyperinflation of 1923, the mass printing of money in order to pay for the 'passive resistance that was occurring in the Ruhr.  By November 1923, the American dollar was worth 4,210,500,000,000 German marks. This led to the 'Dawes Plan' of April 1924 whereby America loaned $800,000,000 to reinvigorate German industry. The cycle of depression that was created basically paved the way for mass support for the Nazis.

3. Political problems. Stresemann, the foreign minister (1924-29) was strongly opposed by nationalists, something that the Nazis jumped on for their advantage. Political opposition was prominent from both the left and the right, with discontent allowing political extremism to emerge. Ultimately it was hard to establish democracy, as people had differing ideas and a lack of support from the public. Representation was disproportionate, due to numerate coalitions...v. unstable. 

Here are some of the political uprisings that occured...

  • A nationalist group called Black Reichswehr rebelled in Berlin.
  • A fascist group called the Nazis attempted a putsch[PutschA small revolt against a government. ] in Munich.
  • Communists took over the governments of Saxony and Thuringia
  • Communists also took over the Rhineland and declared it independent.

4. Foreign Reliance/Subservience - As noted in the economic section, Germany had to rely upon the Dawes Plan loan to restore their economy. Territorial losses were due to the fact that the Weimars were at the mercy of the allies. The status of Post War Germany was determined by the allies, basically allowing them to redraw the map of Germany, to lost land North, East and West. Germany lost all her colonies in Africa and China. At first glance, one might not link together foreign subservience and the Nazi rise, but imagine the public discontent that this created, due to the embarrassment!


So there you have it, the Weimar Republic had serious problems, and this was perfection for Hitler. You'll see the same trends in China and Cuba, but that's for another day.



Thursday 4 August 2016

A Model Essay on Hitler | The History Notes

Account for Hitler’s Rise to power and analyse the methods used to maintain this power.  (THIS ESSAY IS NOT MINE BUT IS ACTUALLY PERFECTION)

Adolf Hitler, who was the leader of Germany between 1933 and 1945, used various means to rise to power and maintain his power. He provided simple solutions to Germany’s many problems. His main aims were to achieve autarky (self-sufficiency), increase Germany’s land and create the Third Reich, and by doing so undo the Treaty of Versailles. By carrying out these actions, he would restore Germany to its former glory and create a huge power base for himself.

In the early 1930s, when Hitler rose to power, Germany was in a bad state. Economically, she was very weak. According to historians Martin Collier and Philip Pedley, by February 1929 17.7% of the German population was unemployed. By late 1929, the Reich Institution had to borrow 342 million Reichsmarks to pay out unemployment benefits. In addition to this, the German people were still upset about the disservice given to them by the Treaty of Versailles. At Versailles, Germany lost territory in Europe as well as Africa. Her armaments were restricted to 100,000 and Germany was made to pay £6,600 million in reparations. Most embarrassingly, Germany was made to sign a War Guilt clause, admitting her fault and full responsibility for the Second World War. The Treaty of Versailles, as well as other outside forces contributed to Germany’s economic problems. Despite outside efforts to aid the German economy such as the Dawes plan of 1924 by which substantially lowered German reparations payments. America also loaned money to Germany which she used to pay off reparations. In 1929 another economic aid proposal called the Young Plan was negotiated to further reduce reparations, however the following Wall Street Crash of 1929 meant that the plan was not put into action. With the economic depression that followed, the popularity of the Nazi party increased. The depression also caused an increased anxiety among the wealthy; they had almost lost their money once, and did not want it to happen again under socialism. According to historian Norman Lowe, “It was the widespread unemployment and social misery, together with the fear of communism and socialism, which gained the Nazis mass support.”  Hitler built up much of his support, both monetary and physical, through the wealthy business and land owners. According to Lowe, “although there were signs of economic improvement by the end of 1932, it was perhaps inevitable, at that point, that the Weimar Republic would collapse.”
In order to achieve and maintain his power, Hitler carried out a set of policies which first demerited his opposition, then legally made him the absolute leader. Firstly, “Hitler possessed tremendous energy and will-power and a remarkable gift for public speaking, which enabled him to put forward his ideas with great emotional force. He used the latest modern communication techniques – mass rallies, parades, radio and film” (Lowe). Hitler discredited his opposition through the use of violence (“show[ing] no mercy to communists and other ‘enemies of state’”). Then, in February 1933 the Reichstag (German parliament) was set on fire. Although it is assumed that the fire was lit by the Dutch anarchist Marinus van der Lubbe, according to Lowe “Hitler used the fire to stir up fear of communism and as a pretext for the banning of the party”. However, in the election in early March 1933, “in spite of all their efforts, the Nazis still failed to win an overall majority” (Lowe). In response to this, later in March 1933, Hitler passed the Enabling Act, the legal basis for his absolute power. He assured that the parliament would vote for the bill by surrounding the voting hall with his private armies; “MPs had to push their way through solid ranks of SS troops to get into the building. The 81 communist MPs were not allowed to pass” (Lowe). This Enabling Act allowed the government to make laws without the approval of the Reichstag, effectively eliminating its power. This meant that Hitler no longer needed the support of Franz von Papen (Chancellor of Germany in 1932 and Vice-Chancellor under Hitler in 1933–1934), Alfred Hugenberg (one of Hitler’s main advisors who helped him rise to power and hoped to control him) or any other political figure.  Next, through a policy of Gleichshaltung (forcible co-ordination) Hitler turned Germany into a totalitarian state. According to Lowe, “All parties except the National Socialists were banned”, and separate state governments lost all power. After a decree released in March 1933, “it became dangerous to oppose or criticize the government in any way” (Lowe). Religion was brought under state control in 1933 when Hitler signed an agreement (known as the Concordat) in which he promised not to interfere with German Catholics on the condition that they dissolved the Catholic Centre Party.
After achieving this absolute power, Hitler maintained it using both propaganda and violence.  In 1934 Joseph Goebbels (Minister of Propaganda under Hitler) stated that, “Propaganda was our sharpest weapon in conquering the state, and remains out sharpest weapon in maintaining and building up the state”. It was used to, according to historians John Hite and Chris Hinton, “indoctrinate the people with their Welandschauung (literally ‘view of the world’ or philosophy), seeking to turn them into committed members of their Volksgemeinschaft (peoples’ community)”. In April 1924, the associations which controlled radio content was taken over by the Nazis, and according to Hite and Hinton, “the Nazis established a unified radio system and purged it of hostile elements. Radio became one of the most powerful tools for indoctrination.” Hitler subsidised the production of radios, in 1935 there were 7 million sets, and by 1943 there were 16 million. In 1933 alone, 50 of Hitler’s broadcasts were transmitted, and the estimated audience of his speeches was 56 million (at a time when the total German population was just under 70 million) (Hite and Hinton). Propaganda in film was used with similar effect. According to Hite and Hinton, “Some films glorified the Kampfzeit (struggle for power); others tried to develop racist attitudes”. Probable the most famous of these films, called Der Ewige Jude (The Eternal Jew) displayed Jews as a parasitic race; rats were juxtaposed with Jews. However, this film was a failure at the box office.  According to Lowe, “education was also closely controlled so that children could be indoctrinated with Nazi opinions”. In the subjects of biology and history, school textbooks were rewritten to confirm Nazi theory. “Teachers, lecturers, and professors were closely watched to make sure they did not express opinions which strayed from the party line”. This system was supplemented by Hitler’s two youth organisations; the Hitler Youth (for all boys aged 14 and over) and the League of German Maidens for the girls. Through these organisations children were taught to discard traditional values of family, and instead be faithful to Hitler. In this way, Hitler created a loyal support base.
While propaganda was used to create unity among Germans, Hitler’s use of violence created much fear among the population. Hitler was in command of two armies, the SS (Hitler’s personal bodyguards) and the SA (“storm troopers” paramilitary organization of the German Nazi Party). Hitler was also in charge of the Gestapo, the country’s secret police which, according to Collier and Pedley, “played a key role in eliminating opposition through creating an elaborate terror machine”. According to Lowe “’enemies of state’ rarely received a fair trial and the concentration camps introduced by Hitler in 1933 were full… They contained ‘political’ prisoners - communists, Social Democrats, Catholic priests, Protestant pastors.” This violence continued, and in June 1934 there was a night in which Hitler ordered his private guards (the SS) to kill many members of the Nazi army (SA) and prominent anti-Nazi people. “After the Night of Long Knives in June 1934, the SS became the main police arm of the Nazi Party with the aim of eliminating all opposition within the state” (Collier and Pedley).  
Finally, Hitler built and maintained his popularity through his various economic and military successes. He built up the German military from 100,000 in 1933 to 600,000 in 1936, defying the Treaty of Versailles and gaining much popular support. This army was then used to remilitarise the Rhineland (an area of land along the German border with France) in March 1936, which was a defiance of the Treaty of Versailles. He also had foreign policy successes such as the Anschluss (joining) with Austria, which was voted in 1938, the invasion of the Sudetenland (German speaking region) in Czechoslovakia later in 1938, and the following invasion of the rest of Czechoslovakia. Hitler was also behind a successful intervention in Spanish Civil War on the side of Francisco Franco, the eventual victor. He was also able to carry out his new military tactic; the blitzkrieg (lightning war – the use of overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines). In addition to this, Hitler was also successful economically, increasing employment and economic output. According to Lowe, “Hitler was successful in eliminating unemployment… when he came to power the unemployment figure stood at over 6 million, but as early as July 1935 it had dropped to under 2 million”.  He achieved this through the creation of grand public works schemes, as well as office and administrative posts for the rapidly expanding party bureaucracy. Re-armament also caused many of the unemployed to become soldiers. Hitler was also successful in his policy towards family. Wanting a larger population, he banned contraceptives and closed down family planning centres. He set up reward schemes for women according to the number of babies they had. Meanwhile, he discouraged more undesirable people from having children; “over 300,000 people who were designated as ‘unfit’ (Jews, Roma, and people deemed physically unfit) were forcibly sterilised”. The combination of all of these policies ensured that Hitler remained a popular leader.
The economic and political situation of Germany during the early 1930s, including the high unemployment and political dissatisfaction, helped Hitler to gain his power. He used clever politics, such as his Enabling Act and the elimination of opposition to turn Germany in to a totalitarian state. He then used propaganda, and violence along with various military and economic successes to ensure the maintenance of his popularity, and therefore power. According to historian Ian Kershaw “without the unique conditions in which he came to power, Hitler would have been nothing … He exploited the conditions brilliantly.”
I cant remember where I sourced this from but no copyright intended whatsoever, I fully appreciate this essay is not mine!

Wednesday 3 August 2016

Paper 2 Exam Questions on Hitler | The History Notes

♠ Paper 2 Exam Questions ♠

  • Evaluate the contribution to the rise to power of Hitler of each of the following: National Socialist ideology; the use of force; economic crises. (Nov 10)
  • Analyse the circumstances that helped one right-wing leader to become the ruler of a single-party state. (May 10 TZ2)
  • Analyse the main factors which contributed to Hitler’s rise to power in January 1933. (Nov 05)
  • In what ways, and to what extent, was propaganda important in the rise and rule of Hitler? (May 10 TZ1)
  • Assess the importance of economic distress and ideological appeal in the rise to power of one left-wing and one right-wing single-party ruler. (Nov 09)
  • “Unpopular rulers or governments, and their overthrow, were responsible for the formation of the majority of twentieth century single-party states.” To what extent do you agree with this assertion? (May 08 TZ2)
  • Analyse the rise to power of either Hitler or Lenin. (May 08 TZ2)
  • Analyse the methods used and the conditions which helped in the rise to power of one ruler of a single-party state. (May 07)
  • “It was personality and not circumstances that brought rulers of single-party states to power.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? (Nov 06)
  • To what extent was the rise to power of either Hitler or Mao due to personal appeal and ability? (May 06)
  • Analyse the methods used and the conditions which helped in the rise to power of one ruler of a single-party state. (May 05)

See you with another post tomorrow about Hitler and his reign as Dictator of Germany!

Hitler's Rise to Power (According to Historians) | The History Notes



Hitler's Rise to Power, through the eyes of Historians....A v. short post!

G. Ritter, the Weimar republic collapsed in 1933 to due its inability to win the confidence of the general public. The popular resentment towards Weimar republic was a major factor in helping Hitler seizing power in 1933.


I. Kershaw, chance, luck and tragic miscalculations were a major factor bringing Hitler to power, and causing the downfall of the Weimar republic. There was nothing inevitable about Hitler’s triumph in 1933.

E. Anderson, A major factor contributing to the collapse of the Weimar republic was the shrewdness of the political leaders in the Nazi party. The government believed they could control Hitler in his new position as chancellor in 1933. However, they were wrong Hitler managed to outmanoeuvre the government and establish a single party state thanks to his position as chancellor.



Essentially - a good conclusion to come to according to these historians is that.....All of these factors interrelate. The political and economic weaknesses of the Weimar republic, created the foundations for Hitler's rise to power. However, the success of Hitler's RTP does also have to be contributed to the fact that the Nazi ideology was appealing to the German people + it was unique. Hitler also effectively took advantage of the great depression + stab in the back myth, which helped him to power. I'll do a few more posts this week about the rises to power of Hitler, Mao and Castro, and eventually a table to compare all three.

Tuesday 2 August 2016

!Hola!

Intro!


Welcome to 'Revisingandadvising!' , my brand new blog going into year 13, ultimately preparing myself and anyone out there for those A-Levels, IB exams or any other secondary school 'finals' we all unfortunately have to endure.


I'm going to try my absolute best to write my heart away on a weekly basis (maybe bi weekly if I have extra time), rewriting notes in a concise manner for me to look back on, as an extra revision source if possible. I'm going to put up my past essays as well as references for anyone to look at.


I have a real passion for writing anonymously, yes my name is Naomi, but the likelihood of anyone seeing my face on this blog is extremely slim, as I just have a preference for staying behind the keyboard/computer screen to be honest!!!!


Now I can't promise that I will post every week, 52 weeks of the year because with my schedule of 6 blooming subjects and a 4000 word essay and my outright mental health, sometimes I might take a week (or multiple) off.


Lastly, as you will later read from my posts, I do take IB, not A levels, but there is clearly a lot of overlap between some of the courses - particularly History and Physics. But my advice will hopefully apply to as many sixthformers/high schoolers as possible.


I'll be here on Mondays at 6:00pm! Maybe some Fridays too!


N x


(PS: The Subjects I take @ Higher Level are History, English and Art and at Standard Level are Spanish, Maths and Physics so expect to see lots of photos)