How did the Nazi Party gain seats in the Reichstag? 1926-1932 (membership and votes)

Question 1

Why would seats increase to 230 by 1932?

Answer 1

-the Great Depression happened in 1929->decreased the Weimar Republic’s popularity and people were looking for a new leader-> driven to extremism

Question 2

What gains had the Nazis made by 1928?

Answer 2

-SA and SS created->gained power
-restructure and organisation of the party->more power and support
-created a national organisation
-gained publicity
-less isolated (diplomatic)
-social and cultural improvements
-economic (Rentenmark)->Dawes Plan

Question 3

What key demographics did the Nazis target? Why?

Answer 3

-rural voters/farmers->easy to attract due to falling prices/rising costs
-workers->due to the Great Depression

Question 4

How did Hitler’s oracy improve voting and Nazi popularity?

Answer 4

-delivered powerful speeches
-travelled around Germany by plane to deliver messages->appeared to be a ‘man of the people’
-helped spread key messages

Question 5

What were the Nazis key messages?

Answer 5

-reunite Germany
-abolish the Treaty of Versailles
-restore German greatness

Question 6

How did Hitler use propaganda to gain support?

Answer 6

-he travelled around Germany by plane to deliver key messages-> appeared to be a ‘man of the people’
-Hitler dressed in simple military uniform
-Heil Hitler
-Swastika
-he was portrayed as a saviour

Question 7

When was the Bamberg Conference?

Answer 7

1926

Question 7

How did fear of Communism increase votes?

Answer 7

-pushed voters towards the Nazis as they didn’t want a revolution

Question 8

What was the aim of the Bamberg Conference?

Answer 8

-to rebuild/rebrand the Nazi Party after the Lean years
-MILE->military organisation, image, leadership and explanation

Question 9

What did the Bamberg Conference do?

Answer 9

-25 Point Plan->retained as manifesto
-Gaue system->Goebbels (chief of propaganda) was the Gauleiter for Berlin->increase power and control
-creation of the SS and Himmler ->bodyguards->personification of Nazi ideals (eg Aryans)
-introduction of the Hitler Youth, Nazi Teachers’ Association, Union of Nazi
-Lawyers and the Order of German Workers

Question 10

What was the 25 Point Programme?

Answer 10

-a political manifesto issued by the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) in 1920
-included (key things) scrapping the Treaty of Versailles, expanding Germany’s borders and depriving the Jews of German citizenship

Question 11

What was the Gaue district?

Answer 11

-the Nazi Party was organised into 35 regions from 1926->called Gaue regions

Question 12

What were Gauleiters?

Answer 12

-the control of each region was placed in the hands of a Gauleiter (Gaue leader) who had the responsibility of creating district (Kreis) branch (ort) groups

Question 13

What was the impact of the Gaue Regions, how did it help benefit the Nazis?

Answer 13

-a vertical party structure was created throughout Germany which did not detract from Hitler’s own position of authority as leader
-he had Nazi leaders in each region of Germany->crucial change because it spread his power/influence and made it easier for him to promote Nazi messages ->became very powerful

Question 14

How did the SS help the Nazi Party?

Answer 14

-genetic marketing and Hitler’s personal bodyguards
-embodiment of what Hitler was trying to create->Social Darwinism
-strict racial policy (Aryan)->couldn’t marry a member of the SS unless you had a long bloodline of Aryan race
-helped promote Nazi ideals

Question 15

How did the Hitler Youth help the Nazi Party gain support?

Answer 15

-indoctrination of the next generation of Germany->’Thousand Year Reich’