The Third Reich: The Weaknesses Of The Weimar Republic

Imagine living in Nazi Germany, let’s say you’re ten years old. Fear is consuming your body as you try to hide from the soldiers breaking down your door. Before you know it, you’re on a train without a clue as to where your friends and family might be. This was what it was like for everyone, not just the kids, but parents, grandparents, etc. The only question we can really ask is: How did we let this happen? The answer is simple, Hitler rose to power by focusing on the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic and gained support for exposing them. Such weaknesses were the unstable Reich (German legislative branch), abused presidential power and last but not least, the lack of trust from the military. All of these things helped Hitler rise from a citizen, to chancellor, and eventually a dictator. If it wasn’t for the Weimar Republic’s weaknesses, World War II and the Holocaust possibly could have been completely avoided. The instability of the Reich in the new government (called the Weimar Republic) had severely weakened the overall effectiveness of Germany. After all, without the legislative branch you can’t change too much. According to The Rise and Fall

Yes, you read correctly, a dictator. While the Reich was weak the president had decided it would be the perfect opportunity to take all of the power for himself. According to “The Power of the Third Reich” the president had attempted to “cancel all elections”. If he had succeeded in his attempt, it basically could have resulted in either a more powerful or an earlier rise of Hitler’s beliefs. Of course, the Reich had managed to stop him from actually cancelling the elections. As a consequence of the decisions made, Communists began to protest the Weimar Republic, which the German volunteer military had to deal with. This foolish attempt at dictatorship is what cost Germany the support of its own people and the faith from their