The Collapse of Democracy (1930-33) Flashcards
What were the 3 main aspects of the Nazi party’s policies?
- Nationalism
- Socialism
- Racism/ antisemitism
Where did Nazism originate from, and how did this impact it?
- The defeat in the war, and the threat of revolution after it
- It was therefore a mix of traditional German values from the time of the Kaiser and new, radical ideas
How was the Nazi party modelled, and why did this matter?
- It was modelled on the German army
- In Germany, the army was valued more than politicians
List 5 of Hitler’s main beliefs that impacted the party’s policies.
- He was racist and believed in Social Darwinism
- He was a nationalist
- He did not believe in democracy and supported political violence
- He believed in the German military
- He did not support the aristocracy, as he blamed Germany’s traditional rulers for the country’s failures
What were 2 reasons why Hitler appealed to Germans?
- He presented himself as a ‘strong man’ who was decisive, which many nationalists believed was needed to save Germany (like Bismarck), in contrast to traditional politicians
- He was not an aristocrat, and had spent most of the war on the front lines, so he could present himself as an ordinary man who had fought for Germany
What was the SA, how was it organised, and who did it consist of?
- The Sturmabteilung (Stormtroopers) was a paramilitary force that was part of the Nazi movement
- It was organised liked an army and its members wore a brown military uniform, which gave rise to the nickname ‘Brownshirts’
- It originally consisted of WW1 veterans, but in the early 1930s many unemployed young men joined it
What 3 roles did the SA have?
- They used violence (and sometimes even murdered) to:
- intimidate the Nazis’ opponents
- fight other political groups
- protect Nazi leaders
Who led the SA? List 3 important details about him.
- Ernst Röhm
- He was the second most powerful man in the Nazi party
- He valued violence and rejected respectable, middle-class values
- He was openly gay
How did the government try to deal with the SA?
- Brüning used Article 48 to ban political uniforms
- In April 1932 he convinced Hindenburg to issue a decree banning the SA and SS
How effective were Brüning’s attempts to stop the SA? Give 3 details.
- They weren’t that successful as:
- The SA continued to march while wearing white shirts, and other groups such as the Red Front used similar tactics
- In many areas the police were sympathetic to the SA, so allowed them to continue as an underground organisation
- However, in some areas the police used the ban to confiscate SA equipment and uniforms
What did the Nazis do during the Great Depression to increase their popularity?
- They capitalised off of the economic crisis and disillusionment with democracy and the traditional political parties using an effective propaganda campaign
- They targeted messages towards all sections of society
What were the different promises the Nazis made to 5 different parts of German society to win their support?
- Middle class: the Nazis promised to protect them from a communist revolution
- Lower-middle class: they promised to protect them from big businesses (such as through limiting the power of department stores)
- The working class: the Nazis promised them ‘work and bread’
- Women: they promised economic security and greater respect for the traditional role of women as wives and mothers
- Protestants: Protestants tended to be quite nationalist, so the Nazis promised they would protect Germany from the communist threat
Which groups were the Nazis not very successful at attracting, and who did they tend to vote for?
- Catholics
- The working class
- The ZP, SPD and KPD
How did the Nazis do in elections starting from 1928?
- 1928: 2.6%
- 1930: 18%
- July 1932: 37%
- November 1932: 33%
List 7 factors that contributed to the collapse of democracy.
- The lack of support for democracy
- The Great Depression
- Coalitions
- The chancellors from 1930-3
- President Hindenburg
- Political intrigue
- The appeal of the Nazis
What was a notable sign of support for the Weimar Republic? Give 2 examples.
- High voter turnout
- Highest: 84% in 1932
- Lowest: 76% in 1928