1. HIST2134 The Third Reich through Documents, 1933-1945 Spring Semester 2013 Lecture: Tuesday 3.30-4.20 (CPD-3.22) Seminar (5 Feb-): Tuesday 4.30–5.20 (CPD-3.27) http://www.history.hku.hk/undergraduate/ hist2134course.html

2. HIST2134 The Third Reich through Documents, 1933-1945 Lecture 2: Adolf Hitler and the Rise of Nazism, 1889-1933 29 January 2013

3. Adolf Hitler: Youth * 20 April 1889, Braunau am Inn (Austria) 1892 in Passau (Bavaria, Germany) 1895 in Linz (Lower Austria) 1903 in Vienna ►Hamann, Brigitte, Hitler’s Vienna (1999) = His Anti-Semitism probably acquired in Vienna, hotbed of religious prejudice and racism

4. Hitler: Soldier 1913 in Munich (Bavaria, Germany) 1914 War volunteer in World War I with Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 16 1914 Iron Cross Second Class 1916 Wounded in Battle of the Somme 1918 Temporarily blinded by mustard gas 1918 Iron Cross First Class = Embittered over collapse of war effort

5. 1919 Appointed intelligence agent of Reichswehr reconnaissance commando to infiltrate DAP (Deutsche Arbeiterpartei = German Workers’ Party) 1919 Attracted by DAP in Munich : Member No. 55 (Oct), not member no. 7 Forged copy of Adolf Hitler's membership card in the German Worker Party (DAP), which would later become the NSDAP. His membership number was actually 55.

6. Anti-Republicans on the Right German National People’s Party (DNVP) Early German People’s Party (DVP) Propagated stab-in-the-back legend Saw war defeat as Jewish/Leftist/Bolshevist conspiracy Wanted back monarchy Demanded strictly revisionist foreign policy Opposed to fulfilment of Versailles Treaty

7. Adolf Hitler: Party politician 1920/21 DAP renamed in NSDAP Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei = National Socialist German Workers’ Party: Swastika (Hakenkreuz) as party emblem + Völkischer Beobachter (Racial Observer) as party organ 24.2.1920: Twenty-Five Point Program: A combination of nationalist, socialist, anti-capitalist, anti-Semitic ideas 29.7.1921: First chairman of NSDAP → Wide powers → Important group of supporters: Rosenberg, Hess, Göring, Amann

8. Hitler Putsch or: Beer-Hall Putsch, 8 Nov 1923 Unsuccessful attempt of Hitler & Ludendorff to seize power for NS party Amazing achievement of political nobody = Sentenced to 5 years imprisonment = Released after 8 months only = Wrote first part of autobiography Mein Kampf (My Struggle)

9. NSDAP’s ‘new founding’ (1925) 3 new principles after Hitler’s come-back : Legal tactics instead of putsch to achieve mass mobilisation of voters Centralised structure to be distinct from competing rightist parties + to place party army SA (Storm Troopers/Brown Shirts) fully under Hitler Absolute obedient tool of Hitler = Hitler as NSDAP dictator called Führer

10. Crisis of Democracy, 1929-32: 3 factors  Mass unemployment (≥ 6 million)  ‘Presidential government’: Art. 53 of Weimar Constitution ► First step into authoritarian regime ► Shift of power from parliament to government ► Democracy already at stake  NSDAP election wins = Gradual demise of Weimar Republic

11. Hitler’s Way to Power: 8 explanations Political: Versailles Treaty Economic: Economic crises Institutional: Weimar constitution Sociological: Lower middle class Ideological: Authoritarian tradition Marxist: Necessary crisis of capitalism Mass psychology: Propaganda Personality: Hitler