When Adolf Hitler Gets Out Of Prison In Today's History, December 20, 1924

Adolf Hitler (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Today, December 20, 97 years ago or in 1942, Adolf Hitler was released from prison. Previously, this Nazi Party politician was imprisoned for five years in Landsberg Prison. However, he only stayed at a free hotel for nine months and was later released.

Citing History, Landsberg was a relatively comfortable prison, intended for convicts deemed heretical. Hitler was allowed to receive visitors as well as receive fan mail. Aided by his deputy Rudolf Hess, Hitler wrote the first volume of his political autobiography, 'Mein Kampf' (My Struggle). The book, first published in 1925, is dedicated to his first mentor, Dietrich Eckart.

Hitler's popularity has increased since his trial. His defense speech was printed in the newspapers. Hitler's speech contains about the bad state of Germany after the war. He blamed the Jews, Marxism and France for all the problems of the state.

Hitler's Autobiographical Book 'Mein Kampf' (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The conservative-leaning judges did nothing to stop Hitler. The prosecutors, threatened by Hitler's followers, were reluctant to challenge Hitler. Despite his beliefs, Hitler came out of prison with his political position stronger than ever.

Adolf Hitler himself was imprisoned for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch on November 8, 1923. It was a failed coup attempt by the Nazi Party. The aim of the coup was to overthrow the democratic government. Hitler was later charged with high treason.

Hitler's turning point

Germany was in the midst of a national crisis in the early 1920s. After World War I, the economy fell apart, and hyperinflation led to widespread discontent. Hitler had led the Nazi Party since 1921. The Nazi Party was well-known for its political groups that promoted German pride, anti-Semitism, and was displeased with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the peace settlement that ended World War I and required many concessions and reparations from Germany.

To quote Britannica, while Hitler was imprisoned, the Nazi Party languished due to internal strife. After Hitler was released, he faced unprecedented difficulties. At that time economic stability had been achieved by currency reform. Hitler was banned from speaking, first in Bavaria, then in many other German states. Nevertheless, the Nazi Party grew slowly. In 1926, Hitler succeeded in strengthening his position against Gregor Strasser, who had a large following in Northern Germany.

Hitler then made an alliance with the nationalist Alfred Hugenberg. With the help of the Hugenberg newspaper, Hitler was able to reach a national audience for the first time. The alliance also allowed Hitler to seek the support of the many business and industrial magnates who controlled political funds and were eager to use them to establish a strong, antisocialist right-wing government.

The subsidies Hitler received from industrialists put the Nazi Party on a secure financial footing and allowed it to make more effective its emotional appeal to the lower middle class and the unemployed. This was based on Hitler's belief that Germany would rise from suffering.

Hitler spread propaganda against the government's failure to improve conditions during the Great Depression or crisis malaise, resulting in the Nazi Party's growing electoral power. The Nazi party became the second largest in Germany, rising from 2.6 percent of the vote in the national election in 1928 to more than 18 percent in September 1930. In 1932 Hitler challenged Paul von Hindenburg in the presidential election.

Adolf Hitler during the presidential campaign (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Realizing that his position was stronger, Hitler carried out a series of intrigues with conservatives such as Franz von Papen, Otto Meissner, and Hindenburg's son, Oskar. Despite the decline in the Nazi Party's votes in November 1932, Hitler insisted that the post of chancellor was the only office he received. On January 30, 1933, Hindenburg gave Hitler the post of chancellor of Germany.

The election of Hitler as chancellor marked an important turning point for Germany and the world. The plan was to abolish politics and make Germany a strong and united one-party state. Hitler immediately ordered a rapid expansion of the state police, the Gestapo, and placed Hermann Goering in charge of a new security force composed entirely of members of the Nazi Party.

The troops are dedicated to rooting out those who might become his party's opposition. From then on, there was little Hindenburg or anyone else could do to stop Hitler from gaining more power.

*Read other information about TODAY's HISTORY or read other interesting articles from Putri Ainur Islam.

TODAY'S HISTORY More