appeal of nazism Flashcards
what was the main reason for appeal to the nazis?
the role of hitler
why did hitler appeal to the people?
- charismatic personality
- ‘hypnotic gaze and demonic willpower’ -david farr
- in events such as munich putsch 1923 he was able to exemplify his desirability
- ability to articulate in a convincing manner led to judges limiting hitler’s sentence in Landsburg castle to 5 years
- the fact he served less than a year shows the power of his character early on in his development
what was another reason the nazis were appealing?
the nazi message
what were the key features of the nazi message?
3 key messages
1- lebensraum would allow a sense of physical, colonial expansion that was prohibited by the TOV that had seen German power and ownership removed worldwide - it would restore nationalist prestiege
2- volksgemeinschaft ‘ people’s community’ reinforced a sense of cohesion that had been diminshed by the failures of the Weimar gpvernment and depression that reduced trust of weimar parliamentarianism
3- racial superiority: notions of aryanism pushed a sense of power and supremacy in a time of chaos, capitalising on low aspirations. it had power to trigger desire for cohesion and unity, displayed nazi party as one that wanted to bond the people
what were some external factors that improved nazi appeal?
1 - the SA provided a sense of employment that was seemingly absent everywhere else (1 in 3 people were unemployed by 1933)
2 - chaotic nature of weimar parliamentarianism and inability to co-ordinate effective, efficient and consistent governments led to developing attractiveness of authority embodied within one leader
‘acceptance of autocracy… ingrained in the German mind’ as professed by Shirer
