Why and how did Hitler rise to power in Germany?

January 30 will mark the 70th anniversary of the appointment of Adolf Hitler to be chancellor of Germany by Paul von Hindenburg, the previous chancellor.

Hitler represented the National Socialist German Workers Party which was commonly known as the Nazi party. Hitler rapidly established a totalitarian regime known as the Third Reich, under which the party gained almost unlimited power. His book, Mein Kampf (My Struggle, which was written earlier while he was in prison), introduced himself and his philosophy to the German people. After he came to power, the book sold more than five million copies and was translated into eleven languages.

Why were the German people able to accept Hitler as leader of Germany despite his checkered background and the use of so many controversial tactics to gain power?


eLibrary BookCart Activity

The following BookCart is available to make assignments to your students: "Hitler's Rise to Power." This BookCart includes examples of several essential questions for critical thinking (you can create more) to guide students and ensure that they do more than copy and paste facts for their reports. Assign students to answer at least two of these questions in a written report of at least 150 words. Students can use this model for their reports.

To view and copy this or any other BookCarts to the My Local Carts collection for your school, view our special guide.

Pathfinder: Open your eLibrary CE Teacher Edition by clicking this link > Click BookCart Admin at the top right > Select the ProQuest Carts tab > Click the folder: SS--World History > Scroll to find the BookCart > Select the Copy icon to the right of the title > Return to My Local Carts.

Your new BookCart will appear with "Copy of" as a title prefix. Click the BookCart Title to open the Editor, delete "Copy of" from the title, add your name in the Author box > Click Save button at bottom, and plan your student assignment.

ProQuest Learning: Literature Activity

Both Hitler and his Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels, were adept at authoring and delivering speeches that aroused the passions of the German people. Learn more about these two German leaders and how they were able to motivate the German people to follow their controversial policies that lead to war and the persecution of the Jews.

Pathfinder: Type Joseph Goebbels in the Quick Search box, then repeat the process by typing Hitler in the Quick Search box.

Find examples of both of these leaders speeches. Also locate literary criticism about these speeches. Write a report of 150-200 words explaining why these men and their writings and speeches were effective in motivating the German people to follow their extreme policies. Students can use this model for their reports.

History Study Center Activity

A special Study Unit is available on Hitler's rise to power that investigates how the small extremist Nazi party was able to gain control of one of the largest countries in Europe.

Pathfinder: Click the History icon on the main eLibrary CE search page > Click Study Units > Scroll down and select European History > German History >
The Rise of the Nazi Party.

Scroll down the list of resources on the left and click the Document Based Question link. Assign an essay of at least 150 words following the directions provided.

You may want to consider an alternative assignment based on a variety of similar questions that integrate critical thinking. This ensures that all students are not using the resources the same way because this encourages plagiarism and decreases the opportunities for critical thinking. Here are some examples, and you can create others:

1. What experiences in Hitler's past provided the impetus for his strategies to rule Germany?
   
   
2. Why did Hitler focus so much on the Jewish solution?
   
   
3. What part did propaganda play in creating a positive image of Hitler and his goals for the German people?

PowerPoint presentations are becoming a popular way for students to present the conclusions of their research activity. ProQuest has created a student model template to help them organize and prepare these reports so that they address essential questions and integrate critical thinking.