Well i did OCR history a couple of years back so i do know a bit about Germany and stuff.. I actually enjoyed this area, thought it was the easiest!
Rise to power: starting in 1923 with the munich putsch, where hitler decided to take over germany by force but it backfired on him and he and his fellow nazis were sent to prison. Tis wasnt all bad because his trial was very well publicised so all of germany knew who he was and blah blah. Time in prison also gave him time to write his book "mein kampf" (my struggle) in which he wrote down all his ideas for a perfect Germany and planned a legitimate takeover of the country.
Following the wall street crash in 1929, germany was in a bad state. People were angry that the weimar republic pulled out of the war and the 1919 treaty of Versailles brought great shame and huge debts upon Germany. Millions of people were unemployed and starving. Hitler gave powerful speeches which had meanings and promised the german people that he would abolish the treaty, recover and expand german territory and restore the country to its former glory. This was all the people wanted to hear and he gained much support.
As for opposition, well they were no match.
His first attempt was the reichstag fire in 1933. This was a success for the Nazis because it allowed hitler, who was chancellor at the time to use emergency powers to arrest communists, frame them for starting the fire and break up their meetings which frightened their voters.
The second attempt was in 1934. within a year of coming to power, many of hitlers potential opponents had left Germany or were sent to concentration camps run by the SS. Hitler became suspicious of the SA and their Earsnt Rohm and felt that he would try and take assasinate him so one weekend he took Rohm and 400 others and killed them. this purge became the "night of long knives". the result of this was that the SA never regained its power and followed direct orders from hitler and the SS. Many members bacame absorbed by the army and the SS.
Wow, cant believe I still remember this stuff!! Well I hope this helps somehow.. Good luck!
