The Collapse Of Democracy 1928-32 - The Appeal Of Nazism And Communism Flashcards
Before 1929, who did the Nazi’s rely on support from?
The mittlestand
After the Wall Street crash, where else did Nazi’s gain support from?
Their main gains came from the broader middle class (who were worried by the threat of a communist revolution and were disillusioned by other middle class parties), farmers, the youth and women
What shows that the Nazi’s gained significant support from farmers in 1930?
In the 1930 election, in a rural district in North west Germany, the Nazi’s gained 68% of votes
What were the results of the 2nd presidential ballot in 1932?
Hitler won 36.8% of votes, an increase of almost 7% from the first ballot, and although Hindenburg won with 53% of votes, Hitler beat him in most rural areas, establishing the NSDAP as a serious party
After the presidential election, what cemented the Nazi party as the most popular party?
The state elections, where the working class made up nearly half of their electorate and the Nazi’s gained major support in large states such as Prussia, Hamburg and Bavaria
How was the Nazi image projected?
They became a party of protest, and their idea of decisiveness and change offered the prospect of change
What outlined the Nazi ideology and what were the key points?
Their 25 point programme of 1920 however Hitler didn’t actually agree with much of this so wrote Mein Kampf which outlined key points: the power of will, struggle and war, a racial community, national socialism, the führerprinzip, aggressive nationalism and anti semitism
Power of the will:
Nazi propaganda claimed that strength, power and determination to succeed were qualities personified by Hitler and with their stormtroopers, the Nazi movement were seen as disciplined and united
What did Hitler say about struggle and war and as a result of this what did Nazi propaganda focus on?
Hitler believed that war would reconstruct German society and create a new German Reich through the conquest and subjugation of other races, and therefore propaganda focused on loyalty and self-sacrifice and glorified military virtues, whilst the SA gave men a chance to portray their manliness
What was Hitler’s ideology of a racial community?
The concept of ‘Volksgemainscheft’, meaning there would be no social classes - everybody would work for the good of the nation and Hitler said that only aryans could be citizens of the state; all others would be denied citizenship and be treated as subjects of the state instead.
How was the Nazi aim of society and culture perceived and why was this?
The aims were seen as backwards looking, but to the Nazi’s, they wanted a return to the romanticised view of the past before it became ‘polluted’ with alien blood
A national socialism:
The 25 point programme was very anti-capitalist, similar to those ideologies of communism and socialism, however Hitler didn’t full commit to these radical aims because after 1929, he sought the support of wealthy businessmen such as FRITZ THYSSEN
The Füherprinzip:
- Hitler set out to destroy the Weimar Republic as he believed that parliamentary democracy encouraged communism
- during his speech in April 1922, he said that ‘democracy is fundamentally not German, it’s Jewish
- after the First World War, he regarded Weimar democracy as being based on betrayal, in which the ‘November criminals’ had stabbed the German army in the back
As a German nationalist, what were hitler’s three main aims?
- to reverse the humiliation of the treaty of Versailles by restoring the lands taken from Germany
- to establish a greater German Reich where all Germans would live in the borders if it state
- War of conquest to secure Germany it’s ‘lebensraum’ to settle its people and provide it with raw materials and food to sustain power
What drove the Nazi’s anti Semitic ideology?
- Hitler saw the Jews as being responsible for ‘German ills’ and they were presented by the Nazi’s as cunning, greedy or having selfish motives. They were also held responsible for German defeat in the First World War and for the evils of capitalism but also the growth of communism. Hitler said they should be eradicated
How did Hitler successfully engage with people?
His speeches were hours long, containing repetition and lies, he knew how to play on people’s emotions, and could tailor his message to his audience
How did anti-semitism play a key role in Nazi success?
- people who had previously expressed their anti-Semitic news quiet were now willing to express their views freely
- the expansion of the SA encourage radical anti-semitism with their chants, such as ‘Juda verrecke’ meaning down with the Jews and they often beat up Jews in the street
- many Nazi speakers encouraged Jewish hostility by accusing them of being the cause of economic issues
What shows that anti-semetism was an insignificant cause for Nazi success?
In January 1932, Hitler addressed 650 businessmen at an industry club in Düsseldorf and he didn’t mention Jews in a 2hr 30min speech and in the same month there were 16 total mass meetings, all on the issue of unemployment
Who was Joseph Goebeles?
Reich propaganda chief from 1928 who was perceived as a master of the medium
The role of propaganda in Nazi success:
Due to money provided by wealthy businessmen, Hitler was able to travel by air or car to give speeches in many different cities in Germany, the Nazi’s made their own papers, published leaflets, held rallies, marches and made songs
Why was communism appealing to the electorate?
After 1929, the KDP moved away from Trade union support by moving away from building a strong presence in factories and workshops, and instead focused heavily on unemployment. They also focused on the ‘wild cliques’ of the working class youth
What did the KDP set up regarding the problems of unemployment?
They set up the ‘committees of the unemployed’, staged hunger marches and agitated against benefit cuts
From 1928-32, how much electoral success did the KDP have?
They gained 2mn votes in Reichstag elections and its membership increased from 117000 in 1929 to 360000 in 1932
What were the ideologies of the KDP?
They demanded an end to cuts in unemployment benefits and wages, wanted the legalisation of abortion, close cooperation with the USSR, the end of military spending and the establishment of a workers’ state and lead a workers’ revolution after ending capitalism
How did the KDP view the SPD?
As ‘social fascists’
What were the strengths of the KDP?
The speeches of Thälmann attracted membership by emphasising class struggle and the smashing of capitalism, there were explicit appeals to the unemployed and posters were made that emphasised the KDP’s link with USSR and its belief in internationalism
How successful were the KDP in the 1932 election?
They received 16.9% of votes in the Nov 1932 election, compared to their 10.6% in 1928
What were the weaknesses of the KPD?
They were nowhere near a communist revolution: More than 50% of its new members in 1932 left within a few months and replaced by new recruits, they failed to attract support outside the main industrial areas and had limited female support, they were short on money and they didn’t focus on the Nazi threat enough
