Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day (a thread and history le…

Hitler as an orator spread a message against communism, socialism, non-traditional ideas, and increasingly the Jewish people

He believed that a conspiracy of leftist, led by the Jewish people sold out Germany in World War I, preventing victory

2/25

Anton Drexler started the German Worker's Party or DAP, in 1918

In 1919 he wanted to rename it the German Socialist Worker's Party but a young Hitler objected to the name socialist being included

Drexler wanted to add the name to garner support with the middle classes

3/25

The DAP was rooted in the concept of an Aryan master race, anti-Semitism, anti-Marxism, was against the World War I armistice, and believed Germany could have won the war

All of these ideas appealed to Hitler, who also believe Germany could have won WWI

4/25

Among Hitler's earliest followers, Hermann Goering heard Adolf speak for the first time in 1919

Goering was a World War I hero and had liked wearing his uniform

He was badly beaten in late 1918 by a group of Communists, the injuries left him a drug addict

5/25

Goering added legitimacy to Hitler's oration because of his status as a World War I hero

Prior to Goering aligning himself with Hitler, and joining his inner-circle, the general populous saw him as little more than a curiosity and his followers a drunken mob

6/25

Anton Drexler made Hitler the head of propaganda for DAP in 1920. 111 people heard Hitler speak for the first time in 1919, over 2,000 were now crushing into beer halls

DAP renamed to the National Socialist German Workers' Party in 1920

Hitler objected

7/25

In 1920 the DAP/NAZI party introduced the requirement that only those of pure Aryan descent, back to 1725 could become members

If they were married, the same applied to their spouse

8/25

The Freikorps, which was made up largely of unemployed ex-soldiers was part of the NAZI enforcement arm

The group got into street fights with leftists & employed intimidation

In 1921, the SA was founded by Hitler and guided by Goering to add military discipline to the mob

9/25

In October 1922, Benito Mussolini and his Fascist Party marched on Rome in a planned insurrection

The "black shirts" were successful in their overthrow of the Italian government

Hitler idolized Mussolini and started planning his own coup

10/25

In January 1923, France occupied the German industrial Ruhr Valley after Germany failed to meet reparation payments for WWI

This threw the Germany economy into chaos, and brought massive popularity to the nationalist message of the NAZI party

11/25

On Nov 8, 1923, Hitler and 2000 supporters attempted a violent coup in Munich - called the Beer Hall Putsch

It was a disaster

The Reichswehr refused to support it

16 were killed in gunfire

The NAZI Party was banned

Hitler went to prison

12/25

Hitler was given a lenient sentence

He was treated like a celebrity in prison with frequent guests

He read voraciously and wrote his book Mein Kampf

He supported the dissolution of the NAZI party so no one else could take charge during his imprisonment

13/25

Hitler was released from prison after serving only 13 months

During his imprisonment, Joseph Goebbels, who would go on to lead NAZI propaganda through World War II, and was one of Hitler's deepest supporters, continued the NAZI message

14/25

Hitler emerged from prison convinced that violence was not the answer to taking over Germany and creating a pure Aryan state

It would have to be done through legislation and propaganda

15/25

In 1925 the Germany economy was resilient

The messages of the NAZI party were out of favor with the large population

American bankers helped finance German reconstruction after World War I, and financed repatriation payments

The global economy collapsed in October 1929

16/25

American banks called loans on German clients and withdrew their dollars out of the economy

The Germany economy collapsed and hyperinflation took over

The heirs of Gustav Mahlers music collection sold it for 250K marks on a day a trolly ticket cost 300K

17/25

Poverty and hunger swept Germany and the world

The message of Aryan nationalism, betrayal at the hands of the elites in the World War I surrender, and the destruction of the economy by Marxists, communists, and Jews quickly took hold

18/25

The NAZI Party took 18% of the seats in the Reichstag in 1930

They took 37% of the seats in 1932

Paul von Hindenburg was elected to his second term as President of Germany in 1932 - he was 84 years old

He refused to make Hitler chancellor and distrusted him

19/25

By this time, members of the NAZI party, and other leaders also started to distrust Hitler

History would later reveal there were dozens of assassination plots leading to 1940 that failed or where never carried out

20/25

Hindenburg passed austerity programs that cut benefits and raised taxes, deepening the economic crisis

The political left could not agree on a platform or agenda, and the message of nationalism, the scapegoating of the Jews, Marxists, and Communists, took hold

21/25

In 1932 Hitler demanded that Hindenberg make him Chancellor - Hindenberg refused

Around the country, Nazi stormtroopers were causing riots attacking political opponents while Nazi owned newspapers blamed Communists and Socialists for the unrest

22/25

Hindenberg and his supporters feared single-party rule. He met with Hitler to explain his position and said in part, "I want to extend my hand to you as a fellow soldier."

Hindenberg was widely praised for defending the Constitution - it was short-lived

23/25

Given the deadlock, the Constitution called for holding elections again in 60 days

The Weimar Republic was in collapse - riots ruled the streets and the militant arm of the Nazi party attacked any opposition

Hindenberg announced delaying elections

24/25

Papen, who was Chancellor of Germany announced an economic recovery plan that was reviled by basically - everyone

Hindenberg and Papen knew his days as Chancellor were numbered

25/25 - end of Part I

Part II continues after this tweet

Part II

Hindenburg proposed making Hitler chancellor, Papen vice-chancellor, & Goering interior minister

Two other Nazis would be cabinet ministers and 8 others from other parties

Hitler was chancellor on Jan, 30 1933 with 32% control of the Reichstag

(2-1/20)

As head of the Prussian police force, Goering immediately installed Nazis as police commanders

On Feb 22 50K SA troopers were made auxiliary police officers

Hitler's asked Hindenburg to dissolve the Reichstag, giving the DNVP in power and pass the Enabling Act

(2-2/20)

The Enabling Act would allow the chancellor to rule by decree that could not be overturned by the Reichstag

Hindenberg demured with parliamentary elections set for March 5, 1933

(2-3/20)

Back by Goering, control of the national police and 50,000 SA troops, the Nazis raided the German Communist headquarters, despite controlling 18% of parliment

They claimed to have found seditious paperwork and plans to attack public buildings in the raids

(2-4/20)

The Reichstag fire happened on Feb 27, 1933

The Nazis set out to burn the Reichstag themselves and found a scapegoat in a Dutch Communist Marinus van der Lubbe

The scale of the fire has historians believing that no one individual could have done it on their own

(2-5/20)

The liberal parties confronted Hindenberg with the Constitution and freedom on the brink of collapse

He called the SDP traitors, and blamed them for the German surrender of 1918 and moved forward with supporting Hitler's actions

(2-6/20)

The Enabling Act was passed

Article 48 passed ending the free press, free assembly, & state rights

It allowed wiretapping of phones & the reading of mail

4K were arrested, including the liberal members of Parliament, many were tortured

(2-7/20)

On March 10, 1933, Dachau was opened as the first Nazi concentration camp - it held Communists, socialists, journalists, professors, and opposition leaders

Hitler had been made absolute ruler of Germany, legally, using parliamentary process

(2-8/20)

Hitler never finished school

Hitler never went to college

Hitler never held a conventional job a day in his life

Hitler was homeless at times

But his message of intolerance and xenophobia swept a rational group of people to do unspeakable horror

(2-9/20)

The final solution was not implemented until 1942

The original plan for the Jews was to banish them to a corner of Europe

Then when France fell to Madagascar

Then with the invasion of Russia to Siberia after victory

(2-10/20)

With the collapse of the German offense - German turned to industrial level slaughter at hundreds of camps across Europe

As a person of the Jewish faith, this history is personal for me

(2-11/20)

In March of 1944, Hungary, aligned with Germany, was seeking to exit World War II

Germany took over the Hungarian government which had largely ignored the "final solution"

(2-12/20)

Germany went on to ruthlessly implement the final solution in Hungary, over 500K died in little more than a year

Including the entire branch of my Hungary family that didn't leave in 1914 or 1925

(2-13/20)

My father had me very late in his life and was a 19 year old solider in 1944 in Patton's Third Army

He was among the US troops that liberated Buchenwald

It destroyed him

He self-medicated with scotch and cigarettes the rest of his life

(2-14/20)

An epic long tweet thread that I get most won't read

If you don't think it can happen here - you're wrong

The parallels to the rise of Nazi power and the rise of Trumpism is unmistakable, and it is not hyperbole

(2-15/20)

On January 6, 2021, America experienced what I call the Beer Belly Putsch

It failed - miserable

Five died

But there are now calls to let bygones be bygones

This did not end well in Germany in 1934 - it won't end well in the United States in 2021

(2-16/20)

The parallels between Hitler & Trump are harder to draw

They were viewed as benign clowns in their rise to power

Idiots with lousy ideas but interesting to listen to

Hitler was a young man who fought in war
Trump is an old man who has never experienced hardship

(2-17/20)

The real danger is the people rising in power who align to this ideology such as Senator Josh Hawley

Young, far smarter than Trump, charismatic, and enabled by a Republican party desperate to stay relevant

(2-18/20)

A failure to impeach Trump, identify and convict the architects of the attempted overthrow of our government, and to let some of the equivalent Freikorps that stormed the capitol, 20% who were veterans, will set the stage for a parliamentary takeover

(2-19/20)

If you think the elements of hatred that are running wild, using the same tactics as the Germany DAP a century later in the US will just go away

You're wrong

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day

Don't let history repeat

Because it is

(2-20/20)

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day (a thread and history lesson)

In 1919 a young World War I veteran electrified a dissatisfied and bitter populace with his speeches in the beer halls of Bavaria

His name was Adolf Hitler

His ideas would lead to 50M dead across Europe
1/25

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Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day (a thread and history lesson)In 1919 a young World War I veteran electrified a dissatisfied and bitter populace with his speeches in the beer halls of BavariaHis name was Adolf HitlerHis ideas would lead to 50M dead across Europe1/25

More from History

You May Also Like

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day (a thread and history lesson)

In 1919 a young World War I veteran electrified a dissatisfied and bitter populace with his speeches in the beer halls of Bavaria

His name was Adolf Hitler

His ideas would lead to 50M dead across Europe
1/25