Adolf Hitler's Ascent: The Nazi Party's Rise in Germany

Adolf Hitler and the Emergence of the Nazi Party

• Adolf Hitler was a demobilized soldier from the First World War. He could not accept Germany’s defeat and in 1920, he joined the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), also known as the Nazi Party, and quickly emerged as its leader.
• The Nazi Party adopted a red flag with the swastika as its emblem and established paramilitary groups: the *Sturmabteilung* (SA), known as assault troops, and the *Schutzstaffel* (SS), or Protection Squadron.
• Hitler’s ideology was articulated in his book *Mein Kampf* ('My Struggle'), where he expressed profound contempt for parliamentary democracy and intense hatred of Bolshevism. He also advocated for antisemitism, the perceived superiority of the Aryan race, and the necessity of building a great empire (*Reich*) that would unite all German-speaking peoples.
• To attract the working classes, Hitler employed demagoguery, promising jobs for everyone, the reduction of industrial profits, and better wages. He strategically blamed Jews, communists, and democrats for Germany's economic and social crises.
• Nazi militias violently opposed the Weimar Republic and were responsible for several revolts. They frequently clashed with left-wing organizations and presented themselves as a guarantee of social order against revolutionary unrest.

Germany: Hitler's Ascent to Power

• Germany experienced a period of relative economic improvement between 1924 and 1929. However, the **Great Depression**, triggered by the 1929 crisis, caused widespread bank bankruptcies, leading to massive factory closures, rampant unemployment, and severe social unrest.
• A significant portion of the population began to support extremist parties. Ruined members of the bourgeoisie, struggling farmers, and desperate workers were attracted by Nazi promises, while many intellectuals and most industrial workers favored the Communist Party (KPD).
• The Nazi Party began to receive substantial support from influential figures in industry and finance, securing considerable financial assistance. In the pivotal 1932 elections, the Nazi Party garnered 13 million votes. Consequently, in January 1933, President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor.
• Hitler immediately called for new elections in March 1933, aiming to secure a parliamentary majority. During the intense campaign, Nazi squads deliberately set fire to the Reichstag (German Parliament) building, falsely blaming the communists. This incident served as a crucial pretext for Hitler to suppress his political opponents and demand full dictatorial powers.
• In 1934, following the death of President Hindenburg, Hitler consolidated his power, declaring himself *Führer* (Leader) and Chancellor of the Third Reich, effectively establishing a totalitarian state.