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Hitler Becomes Leader of the NSDAP
After an internal dispute within the young NSDAP which saw some members attempting to merge the party with the larger German Socialist Party, Hitler resigned from his position in the party. Realizing how important he was to the success of the party, members abandoned their plans and convinced him to rejoin the party on the condition that he would be its leader. He was elected by a nearly unanimous margin to head the NSDAP on July 29, 1921. -
Beer Hall Putsch
An attempted coup against the Bavarian government, the Beer Hall Putsch occurred from November 8th to 9th of 1923. While the coup in Munich was a failure, the subsequent arrest and trial of Hitler, who instigated it, brought him to the attention of national and international media. It was the event that first established his prominence. -
Hitler Released From Prison
After serving only 9 months of his 5-year sentence for his role in the beer hall putsch, Hitler was released for good behavior. With his newly written manifesto "Mein Kampf" and notoriety, he was equipped to continue his rise to power in Germany. -
Black Tuesday Stock Market Crash
With the Dow Jones industrial average falling more than 20% in two days, the world knew that economic depression was looming. One of the worst affected countries was Germany, which saw hyperinflation and almost total economic collapse. Hitler took advantage of this crisis to rally support and assert his dominance in German politics. -
1930 German Federal Election
In the 1930 German federal election, the NSDAP saw incredible success and gained 95 seats to hold a total of 107 seats in the Reichstag. This was the first election in which the Nazis saw widespread victories and allowed them to cement their hold on power in the years before Hitler's appointment as Chancellor. -
Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany
In 1933 amidst political instability in Weimar Germany, President Paul von Hindenburg reluctantly appointed Hitler as German Chancellor after he was promised great stability and prosperity in Germany's future. -
Hitler's First Proclamation to the Cabinet OPVL
O - This is Hitler's first proclamation to the Reichstag following his appointment as Chancellor
P - This address outlines Hitler's view on why Germany needed a strong leader like him and how he will fix Germany's post-WWI issues.
V - The address summarizes Hitler's initial goals in his dictatorship well. It is helpful to any historian learning about his rise to power and ideological standings.
L - Hitler's words lack impartiality and don't provide a clear view of his most nefarious intentions. -
Reichstag Fire
Less than a month after Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor, the Reichstag was set ablaze reportedly by Communist rebels. While it may have been a stroke of luck for such a convenient event for the Nazis to take place, it may also have been a false flag operation designed to enable Hitler to make his final power grab by essentially declaring martial law. -
Reichstag Fire Decree OPVL
O - Hitler advised President Hindenburg to issue this decree immediately after the Reichstag fire.
P - This decree used the fire as a pretense to strip citizens of several of their most important rights such as freedom of speech and press.
V - This source is important to historians because it explicitly represents the decline of democracy in Germany in the 30s.
L - An obvious limitation of this source is its extreme bias. It would not be beneficial for a historian looking for an unbiased view. -
Enabling Acts of 1933 OPVL
O - This act was drafted following the Reichstag fire and was swiftly passed and signed into law by President Hindenburg.
P - This act discreetly eliminated most civil liberties in Germany. It allowed Hitler to gain total control.
V - This act is a valuable source to historians because it provides primary insight into a watershed moment in the history of Nazism.
L - Limitations include the short length of the act and its deliberate broadness.