2.3 Growth in Nazi support, 1929-32 Flashcards
When did the Wall Street Crash happen?
Thursday 1929
What was the Wall Street Crash?
Falling shares = investments losing value
People rushed to sell them before they fell further
Black Thursday (24th October) - 13mil shares sold - decreased value further
Investors lost $4,000 mil by in a week
What was the first effect of the Wall Street Crash on Germany?
Banking Crisis
Banks were huge investors in stock exchange
People worried they couldn’t access their money because banks lost so much
Rushed to withdraw money - banks ran out
What was the second effect of the Wall Street Crash on Germany?
General economic collapse
Banks demanded return of loans to businesses to pay out money to account holders
Industries had to cut production/shut down
Why did the economic collapse cause unemployment?
Industries had to scale down/close - less workers
German companies selling abroad experienced falling sales -> let workers go
Unemployed couldn’t buy things -> sales fell more -> companies unemployed more people
How much did industrial output fall by between 1928-32?
40%
How much did unemployment increase by between 1929-33
6.1 million
How did increased unemployment affect the unemployed?
Government couldn’t pay benefits so cut them and raised taxes
How did increased unemployment affect savers?
Value of savings crashed in economic crisis
If savers became unemployed, would have nothing to fall back on
How did increased unemployment affect workers?
Taxes went up
Abundance of workers-> employers cut wages
Real wages went down 30% between 1928 and 32
How did increased unemployment affect homeless?
People couldn’t afford rent so became homeless
Shanty towns began to appear
Unemployed became vagabonds and turned violent
24% increase in theft arrests in Berlin
What percentage of the unemployed in Weimar didn’t receive benefits?
27%
What did Bruning do between 1930 and 1932?
Proposed higher taxes to pay for unemployment benefits
Put time limits on benefits to make them affordable
Why did Bruning’s policies displease everyone?
Right-wing, wealthy and middle class people disliked increased tax Left wing and working class people disliked reduced benefits
How did Bruning get his laws passed since he couldn’t get a majority in the Reichstag?
Article 48 - ask president to make emergency laws
Compare the number of presidential decrees between 1930 and 1932
1930 - 5
1931 - 44
1932 - 66
Undermined the Constitution
Why did support for the KDP increase and by how much?
5% increase between 1928 and 1932 Working class people thought KDP would defend jobs & wages against employers and landowners
Why did support for NSDAP rise quicker than KDP?
KDP scared middle/upper classes - thought land and companies might be taken
Saw Hitler as best defence against KDP
Why did Hitler appeal to German people?
Strong leader promised to restore law and order, to scrap ToV
Extremely popular, spoke in many parts of the country
Featured prominently in Nazi posters
Opposite of Weimar’s weakness, lack of order
Why did the SA appeal to German people?
Made Nazis seem organised, disciplined, reliable, able to stand up to foreign powers
Could disrupt opposition
By 1930 - NSDAP (400,000 men) > KDP (130,000 men)
1930 and 1932 elections = violent so SA was useful
Why did Nazis appeal to big businesses?
NDSAP best protection against Communists
Wealthy businessmen poured money into Nazi
Hugensberg - newspaper tycoon let Goebbels use his paper for propaganda
Why did Nazis appeal to working classes?
Nationalist SOCIALIST
Promised ‘bread and work’
But workers preferred KDP overall
Why did Nazis appeal to middle classes?
Great Depression - lost companies, savings, pensions -> Hitler could help them recover
Afraid of KDP and private ownership - Nazis could protect from them
Wanted traditional values to counter moral decline under Weimar
Why did Nazis appeal to farmers?
Changed 25 Point Plan to say only private land owned by Jews would be confiscated
Reassured farmers
Wanted Hitler to protect them from KDP taking their land
Why did Nazis appeal to young people?
Nazi Party - exciting
Rallies - colourful, full of atmosphere
Hitler’s speeches - stirring, promised more than traditional parties
Why did Nazis appeal to women?
At first they didn’t
Nazis thought they should have traditional role e.g. wives, mothers
Propaganda made special appeals to women - it began to work
