HIST-410N Week 3 Discussion 1: Dictatorship and Democracy

HIST-410N Week 3 Discussion 1: Dictatorship and Democracy Dictatorship and Democracy (graded) Analyze Adolph Hitler's rise to power and the policies he used to rule Germany. Textbook tyrant? Overheated Nationalist? Or the right man for at the right time for the right job? Responses Response Hitler's Rise to Power Class, I really think that last week's discussion laid an excellent ground work for what we'll be discussing this week. Therefore, let's start with the second part of the above prompt. How did Hitler become dictator? What social, economic, and political realities existed in Germany that allowed his rise to power to happen? RE: Hitler's Rise to Power Professor, Adolf Hitler rose to power in German politics as leader of the Nazi Party (B). After that became the chancellor of the German republic of Germany. Hitler started to made promises to the Germans to gain their vote. “A decisive percentage had been prepared by their recent experience to follow someone who, if nothing else, promised to destroy the existing order of things” (Brower, 2013). Some of the realities that existed in Germany were a big economic depression that had hit the country hard, and a big percent of people were out of work and lack of confidence in the current government. RE: Hitler's Rise to Power Beatriz and all, Hitler's rise to power can definitely be traced back to WWI and the failure of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler himself fought during the full four•year conflict and held much resentment toward Germany's political leadership that ended the war without a Austro•German victory. Last week we discussed how the Versailles treaty and WWI left Germany with absurd inflation (people actually burned money for heat since it was worth more in the fire than at a store!), depression, humiliating military restrictions, and great loss of territory. What did Hitler offer to the German people who were dealing with these problems? RE: Hitler's Rise to Power One of the key positions Hitler held up to the Germans that appealed to his nationalistic rhetoric was the scapegoating of specific people. In his case, anyone not of "pure Aryan race", and more specifically, the Jewish population. He was also shaped by his experience on the front lines of WWI, and he, as did Italy's Benito Mussolini, felt he was the rightful leader of his new nation. Both Mussolini and Hitler believed, as stated in text, "denounced the alleged decadence that democracy and modern life had spread among their people. They blamed toleration of diversity and individualism for these ills. Both scorned human rights and glorified national solidarity and combat. In mass democracies, they turned the liberties guaranteed citizens into the means to create political dictatorship" (Brower 2013, p.128). Hitler used the ethnic diversity of Europe as a means to stoke hatred against those who he felt had wronged Germany. He wrote about the how Jews had profited from the war in his book Mein Kamph, and equated the Bolsheviks and Social Democrats with the perceived "Jewish threat" to Germany. RE: Hitler's Rise to Power Professor Ohara 9/14/2016 2:55:09 PM Ivan, Good points regarding what Hitler offered the impoverished, humiliated people of Germany. Also, very good analyses on how Hitler came to power. Hitler used both legal and illegal means of obtaining power. The Nazi party tolerated other parties within the government up to a point, but was ruthless when it came to eliminating competition. Let’s try to organize this discussion a bit by answering the two following questions. 1. What political positions did Hitler and the Nazi Party legally infiltrate through electoral and other political means? 2. What illegal tactics did Hitler and the Nazi Party take part in to move Germany toward dictatorship? RE: Hitler's Rise to Power Gambo Abdullahi 9/14/2016 7:22:25 PM Hitler became the leader of his party and was elected to power through electoral and political means. This However, when he came to office began the process of consolidating power. The Nazi party created a pseudo•crisis by setting the Reichstag on power and blaming it on the communists. This was an illegal tactic. This made President Hindenburg suspend civil liberties at Hitler's behest. It also led to the Reichstag delegating powers to Hitler create a people's treason court that acted outside the system. These were the early steps toward dictatorship. RE: Hitler's Rise to Power Ava Brown 9/14/2016 8:33:26 PM According to the required course text, Hitler took the law into his own hands by intimidating and terrorizing at will, anyone who opposed him and his Nazi regime. Members of the special paramilitary group he created in the way of the Stormtroopers (SA), and the elite bodyguard group in the way of the Schutzstaffel (SS), both infiltrated the police force where they were able to carry out Hitler's violent acts "legally." One such act was the burning of the parliamentary building, which was blamed on the Communist party. Hitler further persuaded the German president to grant him the right to "protect" Germany and Germans, a power he used to obtain further parliamentary approval for the Enabling Act, authorizing "rule without constitutional restraints" (Brower, 2014). From here, it was all roads leading to dictatorship. RE: Hitler's Rise to Power Alex Mac Clay 9/16/2016 4:55:25 PM The political position that Hitler and the Nazi party infiltrated was the position of Chancellor of Germany, he did so through varies tactics which may have been illegal as well as immoral. Disregarding his conniving tactics all in all he was a very charismatic speaker and really knew how to get people to side with him no matter how radical his actions may be. The tactics he used that were very effective at the time seeing as how Germany was going through a Depression and with the German people feeling discomfort towards the government for the events that lead to them to the struggle they face now. He was also able to target different ethnic groups because so many different countries had benefited from the Treaty of Versailles itwas easy for Hitler to pick a target and blame them, or at least make people think that he has found the one responsible. The people would see that as taking actions instead of just coping with the treaty like the current chancellor of Germany was. That got the people fired up and wanting for change in how things were. RE: Hitler's Rise to Power Ashley Middleton 9/14/2016 11:41:05 PM Ivan makes a great point! Hitler sought to gain the trust of the German people by boosting the economy, through means of trying to over turn the Treaty of Versailles of which Germany had no say in the negotiation and to help eliminate unemployment through recruiting a large army along with building a new navy and air force. By doing this it gained him widespread popularity which helped him rise. Large donations were also made to the Nazi party by businesses which were one of Hiltlers groups that he outspoke to win over. RE: Hitler's Rise to Power Robin Porchia 9/14/2016 7:49:58 PM Hitler offered the German people a solution to their financial, national, and social issues. He promised a new, better, stronger Germany. He promised a solution to their economic downfall. He was strong force that could bring Germany back into a world power. He was going to stop the war reparation payments. Hitler and the Nazi party were going to end class distinctions and get employment for those out of work. The expanding of the Army to build a stronger, more powerful Germany, was to id in the nation becoming a great world power. RE: Hitler's Rise to Power Kianna Anderson 9/14/2016 9:01:21 PM Hitler promised to overturn the Treaty of Versailles, stop reparations, and to provide strong government and stability. He also promised to restore Germany to greatness. Retrieved from RE: Hitler's Rise to Power Melanie Raiche 9/15/2016 6:22:41 PM Hitler who was a very charismatic opportunist who used theatrics to incite the German people. He promised the people of Germany that he would give them back their German pride by ending the Treaty of Versailles which would in effect stop the reparations that were still plaguing Germany and keeping her "weak". To do this he needed to reestablish an army. He launched a campaign that would appeal to those especially affected, the impoverished, vulnerable and afraid he offered an end to class distinction which would bring about order and end the chaos that surrounded Germany . He promised to create opportunity by reestablishing the military and rearming he country which would in turn give the Germans the ability to take back some of what they had lost in the first great war. RE: Hitler's Rise to Power Helen Aneke 9/16/2016 9:52:45 PM Modified:9/16/2016 10:12 PM Professor Ohara and Class, Adolf Hitler was a product of First World War, a political juggernaut who gained extensive knowledge of German politics