APPEAL OF NAZISM AND COMMUNISM

Question 1

What was the electoral support for the NSDAP in the 1928 Reichstag elections?

Answer 1

2.6% of the votes

Question 2

What percentage of the vote did the KPD receive in the 1930 Reichstag elections?

Answer 2

18.25% of the vote

Question 3

What percentage of the vote did the NSDAP receive in the 1932 Presidential elections?

Answer 3

Nearly 37% of votes

Question 4

In the July 1932 Reichstag elections, what was the NSDAP’s share of the vote?

Answer 4

37.3% of the vote

Question 5

Which groups primarily supported the NSDAP during the early years?

Answer 5

• Lower middle class (Mittelstand)
• White-collar workers
• Small shopkeepers
• Independent craftsmen

Question 6

What was the Führerprinzip?

Answer 6

Total belief in Hitler

Question 7

Which areas in Germany showed the strongest Nazi support?

Answer 7

• Rural areas
• Small towns
• Protestant north, east and central areas

Question 8

What distinguished Nazism from other right-wing fascism?

Answer 8

Its racial theory

Question 9

What did the Nazis believe regarding races?

Answer 9

The human species is divided into different races with specific characteristics

Question 10

What was Social Darwinism?

Answer 10

Advocated for ‘racial hygiene’ through selective breeding, birth control, and sterilization

Question 11

Who did the Nazis consider the master race?

Answer 11

Aryans

Question 12

What term did the Nazis use to describe Jews and other targeted groups?

Answer 12

‘Untermenschen’ (sub-human)

Question 13

Which demographic was disproportionately affected by unemployment and targeted by the Nazis?

Answer 13

Young people

Question 14

What economic issues did the Nazis leverage to attract support from farmers?

Answer 14

Years of low prices and heavy indebtedness to banks

Question 15

How did the extended middle class respond to the rise of the KPD?

Answer 15

They were increasingly worried and turned to the Nazis for support

Question 16

What role did anti-Semitism play in Nazi propaganda in 1932?

Answer 16

It played a small role, focusing mainly on economic issues

Question 17

Fill in the blank: The Nazis linked Jews with _______.

Answer 17

[communism]

Question 18

What was a convenient scapegoat for the Nazis to blame for Germany’s problems?

Answer 18

Jews

Question 19

What was one tactic used by the SA to promote anti-Semitism?

Answer 19

Brought violent anti-Semitism to the streets of Germany

Question 20

What did Hitler understand about propaganda?

Answer 20

Hitler understood the importance of propaganda and concentrated Party resources on making it effective.

Question 21

Who was the Nazi propaganda chief and what was his role?

Answer 21

The Nazi propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels, was a skilled communicator who emphasized the ‘propaganda of the deed’ through rallies, marches, and street battles against Communists.

Question 22

How was Nazi propaganda targeted?

Answer 22

Nazi propaganda was targeted at different audiences, with messages adapted to suit specific target groups.

Question 23

Who provided financial support for Nazi propaganda?

Answer 23

Money from big business figures like Hugenberg and Thyssen helped the Nazis mount nationwide propaganda campaigns.

Question 24

What forms of media did the Nazis use for propaganda?

Answer 24

The Nazis used speeches, newspapers, rallies, posters, and leaflets for their propaganda efforts.

Question 25

What was the KPD and its significance in Weimar politics?

Answer 25

The KPD was a major force in Weimar politics since its founding in 1920, with strong support among trade-union members in industrial areas.

Question 26

What was the appeal of the KPD based on?

Answer 26

The KPD’s appeal was based on an uncompromising commitment to supporting workers in class struggle and involvement in many strikes.

Question 27

What were the strengths of the KPD from 1929-32?

Answer 27

The KPD had strong support in working-class districts, effective propaganda, strong organization at street and neighborhood levels, and engaged in street battles with the SA.

Question 28

How did the KPD and Nazis benefit from the Depression?

Answer 28

Both the Nazis and the KPD gained from the Depression, but the Nazis benefited more than the KPD.

Question 29

What was a tactical error made by the KPD?

Answer 29

The KPD’s fight against SPD ‘social fascists’ was a tactical error, as the Nazis were the main threat.

Question 30

What were the weaknesses of the KPD?

Answer 30

The KPD faced high membership turnover, failed to broaden its base of support, was short of money, had limited appeal for women, and its growth drove the middle class to support the Nazis.

Question 31

What was the rallying cry of the KPD?

Answer 31

‘Overthrow capitalism’ was the rallying cry of the KPD, aimed at the working class.

Question 32

How did the Nazis succeed politically by summer 1932?

Answer 32

By summer 1932, the Nazis succeeded in becoming a broad-based movement, becoming the largest party in the Reichstag and enabling Hitler to bid for power.