Nazi Siezure of Power
Frustration with a current administration, or concern with ones present state in society provides a strong foothold for new ideas to develop, grow and be heard. The Nazi Seizure of Power perfectly illustrates the prevailing reasons for Nazi dominance in a complex community of 4,700 inhabitants. It also serves as a relatively sized scale to explain the how Hitler and the NSDAP were able to establish their presence, and impose their dictatorship throughout all of Germany and beyond. One of history's most tragic displays of human nature and interaction was the way in which the Nazi's came to power and how they maintained it for as long as they did. We continually contemplate the psychology of Nazi Anti-Semitism and the murderous intent that arose from its growth. Yet, few question not why the Holocaust took place, but how Hitler and his radical political supporters had the capacity to infiltrate cities and impose a steadfast grip on power. It is hard to believe that ideologies structured around such obtrusive evil would have the ability to establish a position in politics or government, let alone maintain dominance. In times of uncertainty and uneasiness, however, people thrive on entertaining the
In this account of the Nazi rise to power Allen focuses on a small German town and reduces Adolf Hitler to a background figure. Nevertheless he presents a powerful picture of how a radical party like the NSDAP could come to rule Germany in the 1930s. There were three underlying causes for this, which all played a huge role in resulting in the Third Reich; including the worsening depression, large scale propaganda, and the active division of class lines. Hitler was evenly as good at keeping his party in power by implementing terror that was unheard of before the 1930s and by destroying a rigid class structure. ìIn some ways, the greatest Nazi crime was to encourage and justify moral numbness, even with those who did not agree with the Naziis.î (Pg. 302) ideals of voices that scream change. Another important reason behind the particular experience in Northeim and the most important factor in the victory of Nazism in Northeim was the active division among class lines. There were political divisions between the left and right; there were class lines between worker and bourgeois. There were occupational lines between the stable and the insecure; there were areas of segregation between the relative newcomers and old families, and there were religious and social divisions. There was some cohesion before the Nazis came onto the political spectrum, it existed in the middle class or within the working class and did not extend to the entire town of Northeim. The victory of Nazism is due mainly on the part of Northeim's middle class ability to suppress the lower class and especially its political representatives, the SPD a.k.a. the Specialist Democratic Party. What social cohesion there was in the town existed in the club life and this was destroyed in the early months of Nazi rule. With their social organizations gone and with terror and reality, Northeimers were largely isolated from one another. This was true with the middle class but even truer of the workers, since by the destruction of the SPD and the unions the whole complex of social ties created were effaced. This enabled the Nazis to make movements resulting in mass in whatever direction they wished. Northeim contained more government employees than most other towns, which made the process much easier. Because of their dependence on the government the civil servants were in an exposed position and had no choice but to work with the Nazis if they valued their livel
Some common words found in the essay are:
Benno Smidt, Nazi Northeim, Democratic Party, Nazism Northeim, Northeim's Socialist, Northeim's Nazis, Northeim Gestapo, Holocaust Hitler, Hitler Youth, Third Reich, middle class, terror system, class lines, division class lines, storm troopers, social ties, nazi rule, third reich, ernst girmann, atomization society, nazi seizure power, rigid class structure, active division class, victory nazism,
Approximate Word count = 1653
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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