Why were the Nazis Successful in 1932?

Authors Avatar
History essay coursework Why were the Nazis Successful in 1932? Between 1928 and 1932 the National Socialist German Workers' (Nazi) Party became the most popular political party in Germany. In 1928 it won only 2.8 per cent of the popular vote; but in 1930 it won 18.3 per cent; and in July 1932 it gained a massive 37.3 per cent of all votes cast, winning the allegiance of 13.7 million Germans.This electoral success did not give Hitler power, and even at the height of their success the Nazis did not win a majority of votes or seats. Furthermore in November 1932 they lost 2 million votes. Even so, the Nazi party won more votes and seats in 1932 than any other single party, and this electoral success provides one important factor behind the fateful decision made by President Hindenburg to make Hitler Chancellor on 30 January 1933. Hence we have to ask, who voted for the Nazis?Religious DivideThe Nazis won a higher share of the vote in Protestant, rather than Catholic, areas. In July 1932 the Nazi share of the vote was indeed twice as high in Protestant areas as in Catholic. The Catholic Centre party regularly gained 11-12 per cent of the
Join now!
vote and did not lose support to the Nazis. This is not to say that Hitler and the Nazis received no support from Catholics, but this support came in special circumstances. In Silesia, for instance, where there were strong nationalist grievances against neighbouring Poland, many Catholics did vote Nazi.Town and CountryThe Nazis were also strong in rural areas, even though at first their propaganda did not target them. Hitler's first electoral breakthrough, in 1928, came in Protestant rural areas such as Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony. This seems to have been because these areas experienced depression earlier than other parts of ...

This is a preview of the whole essay