Germany 1918-39

The DAP changed its name to Nationalist Socialist German Workers Party: NSDAP or Nazi for short.

The right wing Freikorps seized power in Berlin while the army and police stood by. The Weimar government called on workers to strike and many did, so the Kapp putsch failed.

Hitler was formally elected party chairman on 28 July 1921, with only one opposing vote. The committee was dissolved, and Hitler was granted nearly absolute powers as the party's sole leader.

The Sturmabteilung functioned as the original paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party.Their main assignments were:
-Protecting Nazi rallies
-Disrupting the meetings of the opposing parties
-Intimidating Slavic and Romani citizens, unionists, and Jews.

French troops occupied the Ruhr when Germany failed to pay reparations. German workers wrecked equipment, so the French couldn't make much money. The German economy was also wrecked

The government printed out money to pay for reparations, which resulted in money becoming worthless

Stresemann introduced new currency - Rentenmark. It stabilised the economy.

Hitler re-launched the Nazi party in 1924 and by 1929 it was very well organised but these were the difficult years for the party. The economy had improved - there was less unemployment. War hero Hindenberg was President of the republic which made it more popular and therefore the Nazis lost popularity as an extreme party.

Stresemann negotiated German entry to the League of Nations. This meant that Germany was recognized as a great power once again.

The SS was created as an elite bodyguard for Nazi officials and the prime examples of the aryan race.

the Nazi's won only 12 seats in this election

Hindenberg beats Hitler in the presidential election but Hitler gains support.

Centre party loses, even more, seats in another Reichstag election. The Nazis are still the largest party though they only win 196 seats this time.

The Reichstag building burned down. A Dutch communist Van Der Lubbe confessed. Thousands of communists were arrested. Hitler persuaded Hindenberg to declare a state of emergency and call an election. It is possible that Van Der Lubbe was framed and that the Nazis were behind it all.

The Nazis won 43.9% of the vote with 288 seats but still failed to win a majority in the Reichstag.

Ernst Rohm challenged Hitler because he wanted the Nazis to be less about big business and more about the workers. The SS got rid of this opposition: they shot Rohm and about 400 other opponents.

President Hindenberg died in August 1934. Hitler declared himself Fuhrer, added all the powers of the president to those of the Chancellor and made every soilder swear allegence to him. Nazi propagande secured 90% of voters agreed that Hitler should be Fuhrer.