How Hitler Utilized Red Scare to Obtain His Power

1194 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact of world war 1 short note

After the World War I, Germany, Italy and Japan were majorly affected by and resented the inequality of the Treaty of Versailles. These “have-not” countries were under the rule of repressive dictatorship, which in turn sought to redress the issues caused by the World War I. In Germany, Adolf Hitler, a one-time Germany’s chancellor who rose to power during the 1920s and early 1930s at a time of when political, social, and economic upheavals rose continuously. He came to light as a prominent leader of the Nazi Party, as he seized his massive power by spreading Red Scare, or the fear of Communism (Sanford, p. 126). Under the reign of Hitler, Red Scare was the major issue used to obtain power and supporters, as Hitler’s self-interest in his own rule and expanding German territories trumped the fundamental human rights.
Self-interest boils down to opportunism, or acting while seizing opportunities and taking advantages of others; in brief, self-interest focuses on the needs or desires of the self, putting the “I” before the “we” with a sheer disregard for others’ interests (Jensen & Meckling, 1). Human rights, on the other hand, are the rights that are entitled to every human being (Jensen & Meckling, 1). Upholding the principles of dignity and justice for each and every human being lies at the heart of human rights (Jensen & Meckling, 3).
In fact, the Nazi Party took over the German government and essentially ruled under Fascism, which advocates collective ownership of properties and harms Hitler’s supporters, who tended to be landowners, company owners, military families, and upper class citizens. These people were unwilling to give away their properties and lands to the peasants. He feared losing his supporters due to th...

... middle of paper ...

...ted for Hitler? A new look at the class basis of Naziism."
American Journal of Sociology (1968): 63-69. 27 May 2014.
Scott, R. Ray. "Communism and Fascism in American Colleges?" JSTOR. Pi Gamma
Mu, International Honor Society in Social Sciences. Web. 18 May 2014.
Stögbauer, Christian. "Averting the Nazi Seizure of Power: A Counterfactual Thought
Experiment." European Review of Economic History 8.2 (2004): 173-99. JSTOR. Web. 18 May 2014. .
Waters, Sam. "Review: The Last Day of the Old World." Military Affairs 28.2, Civil
War Issue (1964): 85. JSTOR. Web. 18 May 2014.
.

Show More
Related

  • Account for the responses of the European democracies to the military aggression by Italy and Germany during the 1930s.

    1562 Words  | 4 Pages

    These were pivotal times in the annals of world history in the 20th century. Mussolini and Hitler’s rise to power was clearly a threat to the freedoms of the United States and its Allies. Through God’s grace and omnipotence, the US alliance, industrialization and intellectual might, we have the resources required to overcome the fierce and mighty threat of Fascism in the Free World. In the 1930s, European governments found it necessary to appease Hitler and Mussolini. Appeasement is the word that clearly sums up the policies and actions that were taken by the European governments.

    Read More

  • How the Nazis Gained and Maintained Power in Germany

    2071 Words  | 5 Pages

    How the Nazis Gained and Maintained Power in Germany Why did no one succeed in stopping Hitler? * 37% of votes in July * Higher than any other party * Good reason for Hitler to take control and power * Hitler had learnt the only way to achieve real power was through democracy thanks to the Munich Putsch. * Hitler established a secure position very quickly once he came to power * Papen and the other Weimar politicians believed that the constitution would stop revolutionary movements. Hitler turned down the position of vice-chancellor, good move, he. wanted to become the chancellor, which would give him far more power.

    Read More

  • Holocaust vs. Cambodian Genocide

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gottfried, Ted, and Stephen Alcorn. Nazi Germany: The Face of Tyranny. Brookfield, CT: Twenty-First Century, 2000. Print.

    Read More

  • Hitler’s Political Succession Amidst the Economic Depression

    1613 Words  | 4 Pages

    This investigation will address the research question, to what extent was Germany’s post-World War I economic depression a causal factor in Hitler’s rise to power from 1919 to 1934? With the Treaty of Versailles, the German government was required to pay 132 billion gold marks of war reparations, drastically worsened with the US Wall Street crash. This effectively crippled the German economy and created a desperate people. For this investigation, Hitler’s private life history and pre-military career will not be analyzed. His political rise will be examined from the perspective of economic and social factors. Several primary sources will be explored, including the Hitler’s Mein Kampf and Hitler’s 25-Point Program. In addition, tertiary sources covering Hitler’s non-personal life and rise to power will be studied.

    Read More

  • Adolf Hitler's Political Goals And Social Philosophies

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the1930’s the Western economy was still in terrible shape from the Great Depression and the Stock Market Crash of 1929. “Evident instability – with cycles of boom and bust, expansion and recession - generated profound anxiety and threatened the livelihood of both industrial workers and those who gained a modest toehold in the middle class. Unemployment soared everywhere, and in both Germany and the United States it reached 30 percent or more by 1932. Vacant factories, soup kitchens, bread lines, shantytowns and beggars came to symbolize the human reality of this economic disaster.” (Strayer, 990) Like Germany, the Western democracies were economically in trouble and looking for stability and recovery. The United States’ response to the Great Depression, under Roosevelt, came in the form of the New Deal “which was an experimental combination of reforms seeking to restart economic growth. In Britain, France and Scandinavia, the Depression energized a democratic socialism that sought greater regulation of the economy and a more equal distribution of wealth, through peaceful means and electoral policies.” (Strayer, 993) The lack and need for restoration was clearly global. Hitler’s promise of civil peace, unity and the restoration of national pride would seem very appealing and very similar to the wants and needs of the Western democracies; but through peaceful means. No one was interested in or could afford setting off a heavily funded war by taking a stand against Hitler. Through a policy of appeasement allowing Hitler to take back land that was ordered dematerialized by the Treaty of Versailles, the British and the French tried to avoid all-out war but to no avail. Hitler continued his conquests eventually having most of Europe under Nazi control. A second war in Europe had

    Read More

  • The Fear of Socialism and the Rise to Power of the Nazis in Germany between 1919 and 1933

    1807 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Fear of Socialism and the Rise to Power of the Nazis in Germany between 1919 and 1933

    Read More

  • Nazi Germany Foreign Policy

    545 Words  | 2 Pages

    The foreign policy of Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945 was different than any other country during that era. Their distinct approach to ruling came from the nation’s many diverse philosophies. Furthermore, every basis of motivation and control came from the beliefs in which they so strictly followed. Many aspects, such as, communism, fascism, and nationalism, influenced these ideologies.

    Read More

  • Rise Of Fascism And Totalitarianism

    1589 Words  | 4 Pages

    Fascism is defined as, “an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.” Peter Hyland reports that throughout the 1920s and the 1930s, an economic depression was growing and becoming widespread throughout the world. People were losing faith in their democracies and in capitalism. Leaders who gained power supported powerful militarism, nationalism, and initiated the return of an authoritarian rule. J.R. Oppenheimer says that the rise of fascism and totalitarianism in Europe and Russia instigated a “critical step on the path to war.”

    Read More

  • The German Holocaust: Treatment of the Germans After WWII

    1339 Words  | 3 Pages

    After World War II, the people of Germany endured torment from their conquerors in many forms, from being stolen from, to be tortured or killed. Over ten million Germans were forced to move out of their homes. Around half a million of those that were moved died on their journeys elsewhere, while others suffered greatly from famine, cold, and dehydration (Douglas). At a number this large, surely some of the people that lived in Germany were against the war. This begs the question: Why should all of the people of Germany suffer because of Hitler’s wrongdoings? Every day, German citizens were pushed off land that had belonged to them, regardless of their position on the war.

    Read More

  • Take Home DBQ Italian Fascism

    1182 Words  | 3 Pages

    It was during the 1920’s to the 1940’s that totalitarian control over the state escalated into full dictatorships, with the wills of the people being manipulated into a set of beliefs that would promote the fascist state and “doctrines”.

    Read More

  • It's Time for Americans to Understand that Freedom Isn't Free

    2445 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the late 1930s complaisant European nations were lulled into the jaws of the very dangerous “victim/slave mentality.” Weak democracies tried placating and accommodating the tyrannical proponents of the Communist, Socialist and Fascist ideologies and Europe soon found itself in jeopardy with maniacs like Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini threatening the existence of taken-for-granted freedom and human rights. Thanks to the intervention of the United States Hitler and Mussolini were defeated (despite incredible adversity) and Europe was salvaged from the scourge of Fascism. But Nazi Fascism did not go away meekly. Its defeat required intensive struggle, sacrifice and perseverance with over 50 million military and civilian deaths occurring during the widespread devastation.

    Read More

  • What Are The Similarities Between Hitler And The White Rose Resistance

    713 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Freedom and Honor! For ten long years Hitler and his following have manhandled, squeezed, twisted, and violated these two splendid German words to the point of nausea.” (Leaflet XI) During the 1940’s, Hitler ruled over Germany with sheer control. Everyone followed Hitler’s devious rule, but the White Rose Resistance opposed.

    Read More

  • Essay On Nazi Germany A Totalitarian State

    2864 Words  | 6 Pages

    MODERN HISTORY – RESEARCH ESSAY “To what extent was Nazi Germany a Totalitarian state in the period from 1934 to 1939?” The extent to which Nazi Germany was a totalitarian state can be classed as a substantial amount. With Hitler as Fuhrer and his ministers in control of most aspects of German social, political, legal, economical, and cultural life during the years 1934 to 1939, they mastered complete control and dictation upon Germany. In modern history, there have been some governments, which have successfully, and others unsuccessfully carried out a totalitarian state. A totalitarian state is one in which a single ideology is existent and addresses all aspects of life and outlines means to attain the final goal, government is run by a single mass party through which the people are mobilized to muster energy and support.

    Read More

  • Structuralist and Intentionalist approaches to Nazi Germany

    2268 Words  | 5 Pages

    Historians are often divided into categories in regard to dealing with Nazi Germany foreign policy and its relation to Hitler: 'intentionalist', and 'structuralist'. The intentionalist interpretation focuses on Hitler's own steerage of Nazi foreign policy in accordance with a clear, concise 'programme' planned long in advance. The 'structuralist' approach puts forth the idea that Hitler seized opportunities as they came, radicalizing the foreign policies of the Nazi regime in response. Structuralists reject the idea of a specific Hitlerian ideological 'programme', and instead argue for an emphasis on expansion no clear aims or objectives, and radicalized with the dynamism of the Nazi movement. With Nazi ideology and circumstances in Germany after World War I influencing Nazi foreign policy, the general goals this foreign policy prescribed to included revision of Versailles, the attainment of Lebensraum, or 'living space', and German racial domination. These foreign policy goals are seen through an examination of the actions the Nazi government took in response to events as they happened while in power, and also through Hitler's own ideology expressed in his writings such as Mein Kempf. This synthesis of ideology and social structure in Germany as the determinants of foreign policy therefore can be most appropriately approached by attributing Nazi foreign policy to a combination as both 'intentionalist' and 'structuralist' aims. Nazi foreign policy radicalized with their successes and was affected by Hitler pragmatically seizing opportunities to increase Nazi power, but also was based on early a consistent ideological programme espoused by Hitler from early on.

    Read More

  • Nazim as Totalitarianism

    1818 Words  | 4 Pages

    Historians argue that in Nazism, ‘the value of the totalitarian concept seems extremely limited’ as they compare the regime to other totalitarian states. They state that Nazism could not have been totalitarianism because it wasn’t as organized and monolithically structured as Stalin’s Russia. The Nazism ideology was a mere scheme of self-fulfilment and lacked the methodical theory of Marxism. Under no circumstance was there a level of state possession and influence over the economy in comparison to that which developed in Stalin’s Russia. In spite of the Nazi Party’s dominance over state affairs, authority was divided between themselves and a quantity of major power groups including the industrialists and the armed forces, while Stalin’s Communist Party possessed unconditional power over all Russian state affairs. A German historian stated that Hitler ‘...brought about a state of affairs in which the various autonomous authorities ranged alongside and against one another...’ Hitler relied on a level of popularity from the nation acquired through promoting himself through propaganda to maintain his leadership. There are no implications that Stalin sought popular appeal to maintain his power. Generally, historians have debated the weak dictatorship of Hitler but never have they contemplated ...

    Read More

More about How Hitler Utilized Red Scare to Obtain His Power

Open Document