Support for Nazis

Question 1

What was certainly a reason for the lack of opposition?

Answer 1

Fear and Terror

Question 2

Although the Nazis faced potentially strong challenges from the left wing, how did they get rid of this?

Answer 2

By becoming a single party state

Question 3

In plebiscites throughout the 1930s there was mass approval for policies, but why is this biased?

Answer 3

Because on the flipside, there was a terror system underlying everything

Question 4

Why is it difficult to get a good judgement on how popular the Nazis were throughout the 1930s and 40s? (ideal conclusion)

Answer 4

There is no independent assessment of popular opinion and our judgements have to be tentative and generalised

Question 5

Noakes and Pridham said what regarding newspapers? What were editors subject to?(can be used in attribution for exams)

Answer 5

Newspapers are of limited value during 1933-40s because editors were subject to detailed instructions from the Propaganda Ministry on what to print and were severely discipline if they stepped out of line

Question 6

What did Kershaw say about open expression of opinion?

Answer 6

“In 1933, when the curtains fall free on open expression of opinion”, you could only impressionistically reconstruct what you thought after 1933

Question 7

How did the number of seats/% of votes increase from the November 1932 to the March 1933 elections?

Answer 7

Went from 196 seats in Nov 1932 to the Nazi’s peak of support in March 1933 with 288 seats with 43.9% of the votes

Question 8

Despite their peak of support in March 1933, what is true?

Answer 8

They still failed to secure a majority, and were nowhere near achieving 2/3 majority that Hitler wanted

Question 9

The Depression:

Who did this lead to support from?

Answer 9

Lead to support from middle class, working class and industrialists

Question 10

The Depression:

Why did the depression lead to the support?

Answer 10

Because in 1933 unemployment reached 6 million and Nazis promised “bread and work”.

Question 11

The Depression:

Many of the 4 million SA was made up of who?

Answer 11

Unemployed workers

Question 12

The Depression:

Who were frightened of bankruptcy and working in factories and thus ended up supporting the Nazis?

Answer 12

Middle class tradesmen and shopkeepers were afraid of bankruptcy

Many middle class were afraid of losing their job and being forced to work on factories with lower class people

Question 13

The Failure of Weimar:

Who became supporters of the Nazis because of the failure of the Weimar system?

Answer 13

Mostly upper and middle class

Question 14

The Failure of Weimar:
Many in the middle and upper class had never accepted the idea of the Weimar system because it did what?

Answer 14

It replaced the Kaiser and had been created by the working class SPD

Question 15

The Failure of Weimar:

What was Weimar blamed for?

Answer 15

Defeat of WW1, Stab in the back, Hyperinflation

Question 16

The Failure of Weimar

What did many people hate about WR?

Answer 16

Proportional representation which meant all Weimar governments were coalitions

Question 17

Fear of Communism:

Who supported nazis due to this?

Answer 17

M/c, u/c + industrialists

Question 18

Fear of Communism:

When did the communists gain 17% of the vote?

Answer 18

November 1932

Question 19

Fear of Communism:

Why did the m/c, u/c and ind fear the communists?

Answer 19

They had tried to seize power in 1919 and Stalin’s Russia was just across the border, they were blamed for the Reichstag fire

Question 20

Fear of Communism:

What was increasingly considered that Hitler was?

Answer 20

That Hitler was the only alternative to a communist takeover

Question 21

Middle Class:
In the 1920s middle-class voters supported which 2 parties?

Answer 21

Nationalist party or Stresemann’s nationalist ‘People’s party’

Question 22

Middle Class:
When the depression started the Nationalist party + Stresemann’s nationalist ‘People’s party’ were considered to have failed to do what?

Answer 22

Protect middle class people’s interests

Question 23

Middle Class:
The working class and catholics had what?

Answer 23

Working class had the SPD
Catholics had the Centre party

Question 24

Middle Class:
The working class had the SPD and catholics had the Centre party, so what did the middle class want?

Answer 24

A party to protect their interests - thus resorted to NDSAP

Question 25

Propaganda:

Who was the Nazi propaganda genius which led to the support and what image did he project?

Answer 25

Goebbels, he projected the image of a young party moving forward with Hitler as Germany’s saviour

Question 26

Propaganda:

When the Nazis came to power, what did they have at their disposal?

Answer 26

The Nazis had every media source in the country at their disposal

Question 27

Propaganda:

Who did the Nazis employ to appeal to audience, and how?

Answer 27

They would employ popular speakers. The local branches of the party raised money to hire top speakers

Question 28

Violence:

What did violence successfully do?

Answer 28

It intimidated opponents and prevented them from getting their message across

Question 29

Violence:

What did the frequent street battles bring the Nazis?

Answer 29

Public attention, to create the impression that communists were chiefly responsible for the violence

Question 30

Who was the typical Nazi supporter?

Answer 30

Middle class

Question 31

Why were YOUNG people typical supporters?

Answer 31

They were attracted by the excitement, marches, speeches, uniforms and clear promises

Question 32

Why was the typical Nazi supporter PROTESTANT?

Answer 32

Nazis established links with some protestant churches

Question 33

Why was the typical Nazi supporter MALE?

Answer 33

The party believed women should leave work to be housewives and mothers