Why were the Nazis successful in the elections in the 1930s?

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History homework

Sarah O'Neill

28th October 03

Why were the Nazis successful in the elections in the 1930s?

   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 commitment of 13.7 million Germans.

   The year 1932 was a great breakthrough for the Nazi’s political and social success. They were able to gain the votes of the German people because they took advantage of the depression. The people were suffering and complaining about the extreme problems. The Nazis decided the dilemmas needed extreme solutions.

    The depression was due to business failure. The numbers of failed businesses multiplied and unemployment rose dramatically to 3 million in 1930, 4.35 million in 1931, and 6 million by the winter of 1932. The last figure meant that one in three of the working population were unemployed. This economic crisis created a climate of despair for many Germans.

   Many workers, especially those hard hit by unemployment, remained committed to the left but turned increasingly away from the democratically oriented Social Democrats (SPD) and towards the more radical Communist party (KPD), which had the desire to overthrow the Weimar Republic.

   The middle classes, who remembered what the inflation of 1923 had done to them economically and socially, were alarmed. Although not unemployed, they feared the eventual loss of their jobs and their social prestige and status. The middle classes grew apprehensive at the thought of a communist revolution. As the depression progressed from 1930 to 1932, the middle classes, like the workers, tended to become radicalised.

However, unlike the workers, they found the answers to their insecurity in the messages of the Nazis. Nazi propaganda provided simple but understandable reasons for the economic collapse. The Nazis blamed the Versailles settlement and reparations, on the Weimar system itself, they blamed the "November criminals" who created it, and the political parties that continued on with it. They blamed the Communists, who wanted a revolution that would destroy the traditional German values. They blamed big business and the economic profiteers who were ruining the middle classes. They also blamed the Jews for many of the woes of the twenties and because they allegedly stood behind Marxism. The Nazi accusations were simple but effective. Whilst other groups also made similar claims, Hitler's party achieved a higher level of credibility amongst the German public by putting some of their rhetoric into action. The SA was organised to break up communist meetings: which won the approval of a very nervous middle class. He made promises to farmers about the quality of life; guarantee of earning and with regards their social status. Ex-soldiers were won over by the militaristic images that Hitler used and his promise of tearing up the Treaty of Versailles, and restoring the forces to their previous size won acclaim from many former servicemen. The Nazis had promises for all people and they spoke about these promises in public meetings and through propaganda. The German people embraced a Nazi party that promised to get rid of this corrupt system.

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   As one can see, the Nazis broke through into the elections in 1932 because their political, economical and social tactics were answers to the problems the Germans were suffering. They played on historic fears and complaints with great effect. They were there at the right time, not only with answers to the problems, but solutions to the problems.

   On the 9th November 1923, Hitler marched on Munich. Along with 3000 Nazis and Ludendorff, Hitler set out in the snow to seize Munich. This plan did not succeed physically or according to plan but it was to make a ...

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