Explain why support for the NSDAP increased so rapidly between 1929 and September 1930.

Authors Avatar

Explain why support for the NSDAP increased so rapidly between 1929 and September 1930.

The simple answer as to why support for the Nazis increased so rapidly from 1929 and September 1930 would be because of the Wall Street Crash. Although, the Wall Street Crash on its own would not have resulted in the Nazis success. There are a number of other factors which all contributed to their rise in popularity. One of these factors is mentioned in source 5 – the Nazi involvement in the campaign against the Young Plan.

In the autumn of 1929, the leader of the German Nationalists, Alfred Hugenburg organised a national referendum to reject the Young Plan. Hugenberg was joined by a coalition of big business, right-wing political groups, and nationalist organisations. The Nazis were invited to join. Hugenberg believed he could take advantage of Hitler's movement. The German Nationalists were a very respectable and wealthy party, but they lacked mass popularity. As we know, Hitler's party was dynamic and offered considerable mass support. Even though Hugenberg viewed the Nazis as too radical to ever govern, he believed that they and especially Hitler could be manipulated to attract mass support for the nationalists. Hitler knew that he was being used, but realised the advantages of joining in a coalition. He recognised the potential “rich rewards” as mentioned in source 5.

Although the referendum to reject the Young Plan failed miserably, the Nazis still gained from the affair. They were now seen as less radical and more acceptable, especially by the middle classes. As allies of Hugenberg, the Nazis received national attention and attained respect. This relates to source 5 when we hear of how “Nazism was made respectable by its association with conservative nationalists”. The Nazis also acquired financial resources that enabled them to wage an efficient and dynamic political campaign. The effects of this were immediate and impressive. The party made gains in local and state elections in November and December 1929. In the December elections the Nazi vote grew from 4.7 percent to 11.3 percent of the total. Party membership also increased dramatically. By the end of 1928 the NSDAP had 108,000 members and by the end of 1929 it had grown to 178,000, almost doubling its membership in one year. The SA had grown to 100,000 men. The year 1929 was a good one for the Nazis, even before the effect of the Wall Street Crash. Before examining the impact of the depression, it’s worth taking a look at another factor that contributed to Nazi popularity – Hitler’s capabilities as a leader.

Join now!

Hitler always had amazing speaking, personality and leadership skills. During huge rallies Hitler whipped up the crowds into hysteria. He was years ahead of his time as a communicator and he sent his message to millions as he travelled by aeroplane all over Germany. Hitler was magnificent at building up anticipation and expectation. He would keep crowds waiting and then remain silent for about a minute once he arrived on the podium. He would begin quietly and slowly and then burst into full charge as he stirred up the nationalist emotions in the crowd. His speeches, though containing ...

This is a preview of the whole essay