Hitler's Role in the Development of the Nazi Regime

Nazi Germany

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What we will learn today

In this presentation you will learn:
1. 2. 3. How Hitlers image was created. The reality which lay behind this image. The effect of Hitler on the Nazi government, including: a) the Fhrer Principle (Fhrerprinzip) b) the Hitler Myth c) how Hitler controlled ministers and departments d) whether there was anauthoritarian anarchy e) whether this chaos was intentional or not.

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What do you think about Hitler?

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1. Hitlers Image: The Fhrer Principle and the Hitler Myth

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A strong Germany?
From its formation in 1871, Germany had been dominated by strong leaders striving for national unity and global importance. The democratic Weimar Republic, with its lack of strong leadership and constant power struggles between political parties, was seen as having failed to deal effectively with Germanys post-war problems. By 1932, the Weimar political system had been discredited. Many Germans felt that the only way to turn this situation around was to have one strong leader, prepared to take personal responsibility for running the country.

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The Fhrer Principle

The Fhrer Principle (Fhrerprinzip) was the belief that Germany needed a strong, charismatic leader who could unify and lead the people.
Hitlers power came to be regarded as something above and beyond that of a normal head of state. No matter who you were in the Nazi party or whatever your job in the state, you were answerable to Hitler.

Hans Franck, Hitlers lawyer, wrote that:

Photograph courtesy of the Imperial War Museum, London.

Our constitution is the will of the fhrerit was Hitlers regime, Hitlers policy, Hitlers victory and Hitlers defeat nothing else.
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Fhrer power
On the next slides you will see five statements on the role of the fhrer from Ernst Huber, a constitutional theorist of the Third Reich.

Which quote do you think best summarizes what the fhrerprinzip meant to the Nazis?

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The fhrerprinzip

The office of fhrer has developed out of the National Socialist movement. In its origins, it is not a state office.

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The fhrerprinzip

The position of the fhrer combines in itself all sovereign power of the Reich.

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The fhrerprinzip

All public power in the state, as in the movement, is derived from fhrer power.

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The fhrerprinzip

This is comprehensive and total and embraces all spheres of national life.

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The fhrerprinzip

Fhrer power is not restricted by safeguards and controlsbut rather it is free and independent, exclusive and unlimited.

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The Hitler Myth

The Hitler Myth presented Hitler as an almost godlike figure to a German population eager for strong leadership. He was depicted as being solely responsible for the economic miracle of the 1930s and for crushing threats from both the Communists (following the Reichstag Fire) and extreme Nazism (in the Night of the Long Knives).

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Analysis
Ian Kershaw, a respected historian of Nazi Germany, has investigated the way in which the Hitler Myth was built up to consolidate the Fhrer Principle.

In his view, the Nazis took power in 1933 because of Hitler, not because of their ideology.

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Kershaws view

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2. The Reality: How did the Fhrer Principle and the Hitler Myth affect government?

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Control of departments and ministers

Hitlers direct circle consisted of about 70 key figures. These people were rewarded primarily for their loyalty. Their talent was a secondary consideration.

Many of their jobs overlapped, leading to confusion and competition.

For example, Goerings responsibilities for military planning overlapped with the work of the Ministry of Economics and the Reich Labour Service.

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Was the chaos deliberate?

Some historians argue that Hitler created confusion on purpose, believing that competition would bring the most committed administrators to the fore Social Darwinism. Others think that he simply made a pigs ear of organizing the state.

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Hitlers staff

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Was the chaos intentional?

The question of whether Hitler deliberately engineered authoritarian anarchy for his own ends, is key to the much bigger and more serious issue of how to account for the terrible events of the Third Reich. Were they chiefly down to: a) the personality, ideology and the will of Hitler (so Hitler was 'Master of the Third Reich') OR b) the political culture of the German people (so Hitler was a 'Weak dictator')?

Why do you think that this is such an important question for historians to answer?
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Intentionalists and Structuralists

Historians who think that Hitler intentionally created a chaotic system of government are called intentionalists. Historians who think that the chaos came about by an unintentional series of events are called structuralists.

BOTH accept that there was a certain degree of chaos in the Nazi state;
BOTH agree that Hitler was a central figure within it; BUT beyond that there are essential differences of interpretation.

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Intentionalists and Structuralists

Intentionalists
Key argument: Hitler deliberately created political chaos, partly to divide and rule and partly believing that Social Darwinism would lead to the best people triumphing. Key quote:

Structuralists
Key argument: Political chaos was an unwelcome legacy of the past which shaped Hitlers policies. He was also indecisive and lazy in some ways. Key quote: unwilling to take decisions, frequently uncertain in some respects a weak dictator (Hans Mommsen)
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Hitler was master in the Third Reich (Norman Rich)

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What do you know now?

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Discussion point

1. What is the essential difference between the Intentionalists and the Structuralists?

2. How do you think each group got its name?

3. Which argument do you find most convincing and why?

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