Example research essay topic: Beer Hall Putsch People Of Germany - 1,509 words

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During the 1920 's and early 1930 's Germany was unstable socially economically and politically. The governments were more often in a state of disarray than not, the populace was disillusioned and scared, and the Great Wall Street stock market crash of 1923 saw the economy crumble before the population's eyes. These unfavourable factors combined to create a nation of precarious stature, a country which was looking for a savior. This came in the form of fascism, an ideology in which the individual is dominated by an all-powerful state under the control of one supreme leader.

The hand to lead the people of Germany out of all the problems and deceptions of these terrible times was Adolf Hitler, fascist dominator. These difficulties gave Hitler and the Nazi party the opportunity to employ their propaganda skills to capture this disenchanted nation and win their hearts, but more importantly, to manipulate their minds. By the mid 1920 's Adolf Hitler was the undisputed leader of the Nazi Party. Much of Hitler's success as a politician during his pilgrimage to higher power in Germany was due to his powerful and dominating personality. A master orator, not only was Hitler a charismatic speaker, but his public speaking was so passionate and dynamic that the crowds would be driven wild with enthusiasm of the ideas he preached. Hitler's devoted oratory often made vague promises while avoiding the details, by using simple catch phrases, repeated over and over.

Hitler's dominance and authoritarian nature was a much-needed change for the people of Germany, following the indecisive and so often unsuccessful muddling's of the Weimar government and its predecessors. The Spartacist rising of 1919 was an early political factor that encouraged the initial success of Hitler during the rise of fascism in Germany during the 1920 's. January 5 th 1919 saw an unprepared and badly staged Spartacist putsch, where the communist's led by 'Red Rosa' Luxemburg, captured the headquarters of the governments newspapers and the telegraph bureau. The Spartacist rising was easily crushed by the Freikorps. By January 15 th the Spartacists were defeated completely, with one hundred (100) Spartacists having been killed, compared to only thirteen (13) Freikorps. Most importantly, Rosa Luxemburg and fellow Spartacist Communist leader Karl Liebknecht were murdered, stripping the communists of their leaders.

Not only did the failed and fruitless rising influence people further from the communists, due to such unreliable politics, but the loss of both leaders suppressed the communist movement such that they didn't recover. Both factors saw some support move from the communist party to the Nazi's and Hitler. Ultimately the murders resulted in one less party to oppose the Nazis. On the 28 th June 1919 two government members of Germany went to the Palace of Versailles, near Paris, to sign a document which was to become known to the German people as the "Shameful Dikat of Versailles." The Germans named the Treaty of Versailles so for three main reasons. They felt it was too harsh, that it was a forceful 'dictated' peace, and most importantly, they felt they had not lost the war, and so did not deserve such severe punishment. For a nation of such strong pride and self-regard, the treaty resulted in tormented years of blame.

The main parties affected being the Weimar Republic and the Socialist Politicians whom signed the dishonorable treaty. The Weimar government, established in 1919, was in difficulty from the onset. Its final acceptance of the treaty earned it unwelcome criticism from ordinary Germans who were of the opinion it should never have been signed. The famous 'stab-in-the-back' legend began to circulate, which denied that the army had never been defeated in W. W. 1, but had been betrayed by traitors such as the pacifists, gypsies, Jews, Communists and corrupt politicians. Middle class voters soon became disillusioned by the Weimar government, and turned their voting habits around towards Hitler's Nazi Party at the expense of the National Party, the People's Party and the Democrats.

The blame cast upon the Weimar Government, also known as the "November Criminals" focused disfavor towards the new constitution, thereby allowing increased support of Hitler and the Nazi Party. Popularity for the Nazi party and the 'super man' Hitler swelled allowing them the opportunity to encourage the marginalization of the Jews, gypsies and other minority groups. Evidently, this began to influence the German people towards the fascist way of thinking. On the 8 th November 1923 Hitler and the Nazi party held the "Munich Beer-Hall Putsch" in an attempt to stage a National revolution, and seize power to rule the nation. Hitler and General Ludendorff assembled their followers, including six hundred Storm Troopers, at the Burger-braukeller Beer hall in Munich, in an attempt to topple the Bavarian Government. They moved the Prime Minister and his officials at gunpoint to a side room where Hitler persuaded them to help overthrow of the Weimar government.

Allegiance was assured, though the following day President Ruhr's pledge of support proved worthless. The following day Hitler, General Ludendorff and approximately three thousand Storm Troopers marched into Munich, yet the band was fired on by the police and broke up in the confusion. In this struggle for power, shots were fired, resulting in sixteen (16) Nazi's and three (3) police being killed. Ludendorff was arrested, and then Hitler two (2) days later. Some believed the failed putsch was a significant downfall of Hitler that merely underscored how insubstantial and powerless the Nazis were. In actual fact it was very successful for the Nazi's for several reasons.

Firstly, the Munich Beer-Hall Putsch launched Hitler and the Nazi's on to the National political scene, in one of the most successful acts of propaganda he could have wished for. Hitler became famous and widely known around the country. This familiarity was significant for the Nazi's and Hitler, as public recognition was a building block for greatness to come. Finally the difficulty of the years succeeding the putsch emerged Hitler as a much strong authoritarian figure, which was exactly what the people of Germany wanted and needed.

Hitler's prison ment following the Munich Beer Hall Putsch also proved beneficial to the Nazi Party. Although the years following the failed putsch were difficult for the Nazi's, Hitler came forth as a 'much stronger person'. Of his five-year sentence, the nine months he served proved profitable. Not only was did he write his book "Mein Kampf", but gave him time to come to this telling conclusion: .".. Instead of working to achieve power by an armed coup we shall have to hold our noses and enter the Reichstag against the Catholic and Marxist deputies. If outvoting them takes longer than outshining them, at least the results will be guaranteed by their own Constitution!

Any lawful process is slow. But sooner or later we shall have a majority - and after that Germany. " (Hitler, whilst in Landsberg Prison) This drastic strategy change aided Hitler's rise to power largely, as the power and influence to be achieved by illegal violent uprisings and protests was minimal, whereas to play by the rules and 'get elected' allowed the sky to be the limit. On the 28 th June 1919 two government members of Germany went to the Palace of Versailles, near Paris, to sign the document which was to become known to the German people as the "Shameful Dikat of Versailles." The treaty required Germany to pay the Allies reparations for the damage incurred during World War I. In 1921 it was decided by a special commission that a fixed sum of 6600 million pounds was to be paid annually. The treaty also robbed Germany of 10 % of its industry and 15 % of their agricultural land. Such exorbitant reparations had a disturbing effect on the economy, and the Germans once again looked for a scapegoat to blame for their diminished economic situation.

During its early years the Weimar Government faced many problems, which came to a head during 1923. Due to economic fragility, Germany didn't keep up with its reparation payments, and the French were determined to make them pay. Legally, under the Treaty of Versailles, in January 1923 French and Belgium troops marched into the Ruhr valley to seize coal and raw materials for themselves as a form of reparation. The Germans reacted to the 'Occupation of the Ruhr' with passive resistance, involving refusal to work, since armed rebellion was not an option due to military restrictions.

Germany was now losing everything the Ruhr would have normally produced, which meant Germany was becoming even poorer. To pay for the costs of Passive resistance, the government simply printed more money - a detrimental action which meant the value of money went down, and prices go up. The net result was hyperinflation. Where once the German mark was worth 4. 5 to the American Dollar, by November 1923 a dollar brought 4. 2 billion marks! The rate of inflation was staggering, and the economy was ruined. For many Germans hyperinflation caused more suffering than the war, which resulted in feste...

Research essay sample on Beer Hall Putsch People Of Germany