The Rise of Nazis

The philosophical traditions of racism in Europe, the economic catastrophes of the late 1920's and 1930's, and the social attitudes following the end of World War I all led to the rise of the Nazi regime. Beginning in the 1880's Social Darwinism--the belief that certain races are better inclined to rule--became a commonly accepted doctrine supporting imperialism by Europeans. Two champions of this belief, Houston Chamberlain and Gobineau, espoused the idea that the Aryan and …

…Von Poppen then convinced Hindenburg to name Hitler as Chancellor, which was done on January 30, 1933. After Hitler achieved political dominance, the Nazis staged a fire of the Reichstag. Hitler blamed the burning on the communists and used the resulting political outrage to ask for governing power without the consent of parliament. Once this was accomplished, Hitler and the Nazi party had total control over the government of Germany, the first step toward the "Final Solution."