This essay will explore the extent to which economic factors contributed to Hitler’s rise to

power, and their importance compared to social and political factors that also played a role.
Specifically, the economic factors of the Great Depression and the Economic Impact of WW1
will be explored in comparison to a Fear of Communism, the Appeal of the Nazi Party, and
finally the Role of the Elite. Finally, this essay will explain why economic factors, though
important, were not as directly involved to Hitler’s rise to power as the Role of the Elites (the
most important cause).

Firstly, the Great Depression played a huge role in Hitler’s rise to power. This is because the
scale of the Great Depression and the extent to which it hurt Germans (6 million unemployed,
industrial production halved, etc.) incited nation-wide dislike of the current government and a
collective shift to extremist politics within the general public. The sheer magnitude of people
affected (and by extension, people turning to extremist politics and resenting the pre-existing
government) later manifest in a dramatic increase of political support for Hitler (winning 193
seats in the March election), and the economic situation was one he exploited to achieve such
support. Hence, the Great Depression was a significant economic factor in Hitler’s rise to
power.

Secondly, though not as prominent as the impacts of the Great Depression, the economic
impact of WW1 and its subsequent peace agreements also contributed to the rise of Hitler. This
is because the state of Germany after the war was a frequently discussed topic by Hitler, who
promised to remove the Treaty of Versailles and disregard its economic terms, including the
term regarding war reparations of 6.6 billion pounds, as well as build a self-sufficient economy.
These promises were favourable to the German public, as the nation experienced food
shortages, was spending 1/3rd of its income of war pensions, a decline in agricultural
production, and more. All such issues were caused majorly by WW1, and Hitler’s promises to
amend these problems resonated largely with the public, generating more support for Hitler
and his party.

The appeal of the NSDAP was also a large factor in Hitler’s rise to power. The party garnered
support as their aims and ideologies were largely general – they combined notions of socialism
and nationalism, promising self-sufficiency and socialist structures while also promising to
support small businesses. The party also played on social conventions like a blaming of Jews for
the loss in WW1, the notion that communists would steal wealth, and more. The party’s
willingness to appeal to the public through populist ideologies largely assisted in Hitler’s rise to
power as they satisfied the majority of the nation. Hence, the large appeal of the NSDAP meant
Hitler appeared a viable option for many, assisting in his rise to power.

There were, however, social factors which also contributed to the rise of Hitler. One such factor
includes the fear of communism that was prevalent at the time. This fear magnified in the years
leading up to Hitler’s rise to power, rooted in violence committed by German communists in
the 1920s and later emerging from concerns from the German elite that communists would
steal their wealth. The NSDAP was aware of these concerns, and the SA constantly targeted
communists even in the late 1920s. This fear of communism meant Germans were reluctant to
trust the left as whole, and was appealed to by the NSDAP, who appeared a better option to th
powerful elites who opposed communism. Hence, a fear of communism contributed to Hitler’s
rise to power as he was treated as a better option for the country.

Additionally, the role of the elites extended beyond inciting a fear of communism, and the
German elites directly assisted Hitler in rising to power. This is proven by the fact that,
according to University of Edinburgh Professor Stephan Malinowski, around “90 percent” of
conservative elites agreed with the aims of Hitler, and he had the support of “military, industry,
land owners, judges, university professors” and more. This support also assisted the NSDAP in
gaining 37% of the vote in Germany’s 1932 elections, and key players such as President
Hindenburg would eventually give Hitler the means to become Chancellor.

To conclude, while there were many factors contributing to Hitler’s rise to power, the most
directly related, short-term cause was the role of the Elites – this is because Hindenburg played
a crucial role in enabling Hitler’s Chancellorship, and the connections Hitler made with
conservative elite would have given him access to information as well as other prominent
politicians. These connections are, ultimately, what allowed Hitler to communicate with higher
society at all. However, the Great Depression and other economic and social factors did garner
a lot of support for Hitler, meaning his obtaining of official power was well-supported and not
largely opposed by the public. Hence, while economic factors assisted in Hitler’s popularity, his
official access to institutional power was enabled by conservative elites, making economic
factors less significant in his rise to power.

HISTORIANS:

Stephan Malinowski – role of the elites

Intentionalist - Bracher

Sonderweg – inevitable

A J P Taylor – opportunist