HISTORY IGCSE CONTENT - 20TH CENTURY OPTION - DEPTH STUDY GERMANY: HITLER DOMINATING GERMANY BY 1934 - HITLER BECOMING CHANCELLOR BY 1933
Download as PPTX, PDF1 like106 views
The document details the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany during the economic depression of the early 1930s, highlighting how the economic crisis shifted voter support from established Weimar parties to the Nazis and communists. Through strategic propaganda and political maneuvers, the Nazis capitalized on the economic discontent, eventually winning the largest share of votes by July 1932. Despite their electoral success, political rivalries delayed Hitler's appointment as chancellor until January 1933, when he formed a coalition government.
HISTORY IGCSE CONTENT - 20TH CENTURY OPTION - DEPTH STUDY GERMANY: HITLER DOMINATING GERMANY BY 1934 - HITLER BECOMING CHANCELLOR BY 1933
- 1. DEPTH STUDY NAZI GERMANY HITLER DOMINATING GERMANY BY 1934 HITLER BECOMING CHANCELLOR BY 1933 9
- 2. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY THE NAZIS AND WORLD ECONOMIC DEPRESSION • The world depression transformed the prospects of the Nazi Party. • In Germany there were wage cuts, short-time working, unemployment, homelessness, and poverty on a scale never seen before. • The established parties that made up the Weimar coalitions, such as Social Democrats, took the blame. • Voters changed support to the parties that had been the most critical of the Weimar coalitions, the Communists and the Nazis. • The breakthrough point for the Nazis came in the general election of September 1930.
- 3. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY INCREASING NUMBER OF VOTES • Unemployment stood at more than 2 million and the Nazis polled over 6 million votes, making them the second largest party in the Reichstag next to the Social Democrats. • The Communists, with more than 4.5 million votes were the third largest party.
- 4. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS 1930-1932 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 1930 September 1932 July 1932 November Percentage of the Nazis and Communists Nazis Communists
- 5. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY NAZIS AND PROPAGANDA • Over the next 18 months, the economy continued to deteriorate and the Nazis used any opportunity to attack the coalition. • The propaganda machine, led by Josef Goebbels, was working at full capacity as the Party message was spread by thousands of posters, pamphlets. • Those already faithful to the Party were invited to attend torch-lit parades and mass rallies. • The Nazis were the masters of spectacle and technology.
- 6. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY NAZIS AND PROPAGANDA • During the 1932 presidential election, when Hitler stood against Hindenburg, the Nazi leader was flown by aeroplane from one speaking venue to the next one, visiting 5 cities per day. • The depression also boosted the fortunes of the Communists, who argued that the root of the problem is the capitalist system. • Nazis portrayed themselves as the defender of the actual system, calling the Communist as “scheming revolutionaries” together with the Jews. • Wealthy industrialists began contributing to the Nazi Party
- 7. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY POLITICAL MANOEUVERINGS 1932-1933 • During the general elections of July 1932, the unemployment reached 6 million. • Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag with 13 million votes. • Normally, the leader of the largest party was expected to become a chancellor, but president Hindenburg had no intentions of appointing a man he had privately described as “the vulgar little corporal”. • Instead, Franz von Papen (from Centre Party) was invited to form a government. • Without Nazi cooperation, von Papen was unable to
- 8. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY Franz von Papen Kurt von Schleicher
- 9. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY SCHEMINGS 1932-1933 • The Nazis lost 2 million votes and 34 seats in this election, they remained the largest party in the Reichstag. • Von Papen couldn’t form the government and Von Schleicher (former general) tried to form the next government. • Towards the end of January, von Papen (who was von Schleicher’s rival) persuaded Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as chancellor and himself as vice-chancellor. • Hitler was to be offered 3 positions in a total of 12 ministers.