Appeal Of NC + Appointment Of Hitler

Question 1

Outline of electoral support for Nazism and communism up to July 32

Answer 1

Both the NSDAP (Nazi Party) and the KPD (Communist Party) gained electoral support during the depression. However, the Nazis broadened the base of their support, both geographically and socially, while KPD gains were mainly at the expense of the SPD. The KPD did not succeed in broadening its support base beyond the working class.

Question 2

NSDAP 28-32 election results

Answer 2

1928 Reichstag elections:
Received only 2.6% of the votes.

1930 Reichstag elections:
Became the second largest party in the Reichstag, with 18.25% of the vote.

1932 Presidential elections:

Hitler made a major impact, receiving nearly 37% of votes and coming second to Hindenburg.

July 1932 Reichstag elections:
Became the largest party in the Reichstag, with 37.3% of the vote.

Question 3

KPD 28-32 election results

Answer 3

28:Much more popular than the Nazis, with 10.6% of the votes.

30:Increased their share of the vote to 13.1%.

32:Thälmann gained just 10% of votes.

July 32:Won 14.3% of the votes and gained two million votes from 1928.

Question 4

General Nazi Support

Answer 4

In 1928 the Nazis had a narrow base of support, attracting mainly the lower middle class (Mittelstand). These people - white-collar workers, small shopkeepers, independent craftsmen - continued to vote for the Nazis in the Depression years, but the NSDAP also broadened the base of its support, as shown in this diagram.

Question 5

Nazi Support With Protestants

Answer 5

Nazi support was strongest in the rural areas and small towns of the Protestant north, east and central areas of Germany

Question 6

Nazi Support With Catholics

Answer 6

The Nazis attracted limited support in the Catholic areas of the south and west. Most Catholics voted for the Catholic Centre Party and were less nationalistic than Protestants because of their allegiance to the Pope

Question 7

Nazi Support With Women

Answer 7

Women were also successfully targeted as Nazis played on common fears and emphasised traditional family values

Question 8

Nazi Support With Young People

Answer 8

The Nazis successfully targeted young people who had been disproportionately affected by unemployment.
Many young men joined the SA

Question 9

Nazi Support With Farmers and Rural Communities

Answer 9

Farmers who were suffering from years of low prices and heavy indebtedness to the banks were targeted by the Nazis.
Rural communities as a whole were particularly targeted by Nazi propaganda. Nazi support in rural areas grew strongly after 1928

Question 10

Nazi Support With Extended Muddle Class

Answer 10

The extended middle class were increasingly worried by the growth in KPD support and the Nazis played on their fears of a communist revolution. Money from big business was crucial to Nazi success in election campaigns

Question 11

Nazi Support With Workers

Answer 11

Although working-class voters in the industrial areas had traditionally supported the SPD or KPD, the Nazis did attract some working-class support, especially among the unemployed

Question 12

Importance of Hitler to Nazi success

Answer 12

Hitler had undisputed control over the Nazi Party by 1929. He was a powerful orator and displayed charisma. He also knew how to play on people’s hopes and fears. As the most well-known and popular Nazi, Hitler was the focus of a huge amount of Nazi propaganda. He travelled extensively, giving speeches and attending rallies all over Germany. Total belief in Hitler was known as the Führerprinzip.

Question 13

Racial theory

Answer 13

What distinguished Nazism from other types of right-wing
Fascism was its racial theory. Nazis were strong believers in racialism - that the human species is divided into different
Catholic areas races and each race has particular positive and negative ed for the Catholic
Ian Protestants
characteristics. Derived from the Darwinist theory of evolution, the Nazis also believed in Social Darwinism, which advocated the improvement of ‘racial hygiene’ through selective breeding, birth control and sterilisation. The Nazis believed the Aryans
slayed nily
were the master race and were, therefore, destined to lead. The Jews were at the bottom of the evolutionary hierarchy and, along with other groups, including the Slavs and black people, were deemed ‘Untermenschen’ (sub-human).

Question 14

Role of anti-semitism in Nazi success

Answer 14

Most Nazi propaganda in 1932 had little to do with anti-Semitism; as the Party was trying to broaden the base of its support, it concentrated on economic issues.
However, anti-Semitism still played a small role, as:
• The Nazis constantly described a link between Jews and communism.
• Jews were a convenient scapegoat to blame for all of Germany’s problems.
• The Nazis were able to tap into a pre-existing tradition of anti-Semitism in Germany.
• The SA brought violent anti-Semitism to the streets of
Germany.

Question 15

Role of propaganda in Nazi success

Answer 15

• Hitler understood the importance of propaganda and concentrated Party resources on making it effective.
• The Nazi propaganda chief, Joseph Goebbels, was a skilled communicator and understood the importance of the ‘propaganda of the deed’; rallies, marches and street battles against Communists conveyed a message of Nazi strength and discipline.
• Nazi propaganda was targeted at different audiences; the message was adapted to suit the specific target audience.
• Money provided by big business (Hugenberg and Thyssen) helped Nazis mount nationwide propaganda campaigns involving speeches, newspapers, rallies, posters and leaflets.
• The Nazis had their own newspapers.

Question 16

Appeal of Communism info

Answer 16

The KPD had been a major force in Weimar politics since it was founded in 1920, As an avowedly working-class movement, it had built up a strong following among trade-union members in the industrial areas. Its appeal was based on an uncompromising commitment to supporting workers in class struggle, and it was involved in many strikes. During the Depression, however, many workers were unemployed and the KPD switched to setting up ‘committees of the unemployed, organising hunger marches and campaigning against benefit cuts. It presented itself as the defender of working-class districts against the Nazis, and its Red Front Fighters’ League fought many street battles against the SA. The KPD also focused on recruiting working-class youths - the so-called
“wild cliques - and steering them into political campaigns. KPD membership grew from 117,000 in 1929 to 360,000 in 1932.

Question 17

Communist policies and ideology

Answer 17

• The KPD emphasised revolutionary class struggle to overthrow capitalism as the only solution to the economic, social and political crisis of the time; KPD argued that the Depression was the ‘final crisis of capitalism’ which would inevitably lead to a Communist revolution.
• The party campaigned on immediate issues such as unemployment benefits and wage cuts. ‘Bread and Freedom’ was its rallying cry, aimed at the unemployed.
• The KPD attacked the SPD as ‘social-fascists’ who stood in the way of the overthrow of capitalism.
• It had links with the communist regime in the USSR and emphasised internationalism as opposed to nationalism.

Question 18

Strengths of KPD 1929-32

Answer 18

Strong support in working-class districts of large cities.
• Effective propaganda, using speeches, posters, marches
and newspapers.
• Strong organisation at street and neighbourhood level.
• Red Front Fighters’ League engaged in street battles with SA.

Question 19

Weaknesses of KPD 1929-32

Answer 19

• Membership turnover was high.
• Failed to broaden base of support.
• Short of money.
• Limited appeal for women.
• Fight against SPD ‘social fascists’ a tactical error when
Nazis were the main threat.
• Growth of KPD drove middle class to support Nazis.

Question 20

Outline list of reasons for Nazi appeal

Answer 20

Hitler’s role
Anti-sem
Exploitation of GD
Propaganda

Question 21

Nazi Ideology Features

Answer 21

The Power of the will
Struggle and war
The Führerñrinzip
Anti-sem
Racial theory
Aggressive nationalism
A racial community

Question 22

When and who appointed Hitler as chancellor

Answer 22

Hindenburg jan 33

Question 23

Timeline of events contributing to rise of Nazi party

Answer 23

October 1929: Wall Street Crash led to a severe depression in Germany and mass unemployment, placing Weimar democracy under strain

December 1929: Campaign against Young Plan gave Hitler a chance to make a breakthrough as a national politician

March 1930: Collapse of Müller’s Grand Coalition and replacement by Brüning; rule by presidential decree signalled end of parliamentary democracy in Germany

September 1930: Reichstag election, major gains for Nazi Party and
KPD, losses for moderate parties

1931: Depression deepened, and street violence between Nazi
SA and KPD Red Front intensified

April 1932: Presidential election, Hitler received nearly 37% of the second-round vote

May 1932: Collapse of Brüning’s government and start of political crisis with Papen as Chancellor

July 1932: Reichstag election, Nazis became largest party in Reichstag with over 37% of the vote

November 1932: Fall of Papen’s government but setback for Nazis in Reichstag election

Question 24

Situation in nov 32

Answer 24

The election did not resolve the political crisis, as Papen’s government still did not have an overall majority in the Reichstag. Papen himself was weakened and he had lost the support of the army and of Schleicher, forcing him to resign. This left Schleicher, a man who preferred to manipulate politicians from behind the scenes, with no alternative but to become Chancellor himself. Schleicher wanted to restore an authoritarian form of government in Germany, dominated by the old elites, but he understood that realistically this could be achieved only through an alliance with the Nazi Party.

Question 25

The position of Hitler and the Nazi Party had been weakened by the election of November 1932 by ….?

Answer 25

• They lost two million votes and 34 seats, although they remained the largest party in the Reichstag.
• In state elections in December, their support continued to fall.
• Middle-class voters had been alienated by Hitler’s attacks on Papen, his refusal to join a coalition, and Nazi support for a transport strike in Berlin.
•Three elections in eight months had exhausted the Nazis’ funds.
• Hitler’s previous refusals to join a coalition government unless he was the Chancellor had alienated Hindenburg, who was not prepared to trust him to lead a government.
• Divisions were beginning to appear in the Nazi Party over Hitler’s tactics.

Question 26

Why was being largest party not enough for Nazis?

Answer 26

Being the largest party in the Reichstag, the Nazis had the ability to frustrate the governments of Papen and Schleicher. That was not enough, however, to give Hitler the chancellorship. Without a willingness on Hitler’s part to compromise on joining a coalition government, or a change of mind by Hindenburg, Hitler could not gain power by legal means.

Question 27

Background of backstairs intrigue

Answer 27

Hindenburg was surrounded by a small group of advisers who guided his decisions. These included his son, Oskar, and Otto Meisner, a civil servant who controlled access to the President. Schleicher was part of this inner circle, but because of his plotting against Papen he had lost some of his previous influence with Hindenburg. These men were all involved in the ‘backstairs intrigue’ that finally brought Hitler to power in January 1933.

Question 28

Schleicher needed broad support to construct a stable government, he tried two tactics to achieve this:

Answer 28

1 As the largest party, only the Nazis could provide this from within the Reichstag. Schleicher therefore tried to persuade Gregor Strasser, a radical Nazi, to join his government, thereby putting pressure on Hitler to do the same. Hitler purged Strasser and reasserted his control over the Nazi Party.
2 Schleicher tried to persuade the trade unions to support his government with the promise of a progressive social policy with measures to help the unemployed and restore wage levels. This also failed as it did not attract much trade union support and alienated industrialists and landowners.

Question 29

5 steps to Hitler becoming Chancellor

Answer 29

1. As Schleicher tried to construct a stable
   government,
   Papen conspired with Hitler, who now agreed to be part of a coalition, providing he was Chancellor;
   Hugenberg (leader of the DNVP) was prepared to be part of the coalition
2. Further talks took place between Hitler, Papen, Hindenburg and Meisner where it was agreed to bring down Schleicher and form a coalition government in which Hitler would be Chancellor
3. President
   Hindenburg had doubts about
   Hitler’s suitability but Papen and
   Oskar Hindenburg convinced him that as Hitler was poorly educated and had no experience in government, they would be able to control him
4. Schleicher asked
   Hindenburg to suspend the
   constitution
   and give him
   dictatorial powers;
   Hindenburg refused and
   Schleicher resigned
5. Hitler was appointed
   Chancellor on
   30 January 1933
   at the head of a coalition government in which Nazi ministers were in a minority; the cabinet included Papen and Hugenberg