Hitler and Nazi Germany - appeal of the hitler and the nazis
- 1. Hitler and Nazi Germany Appeal of Hitler and the Nazis
- 2. In today’s class, I am learning to: • Describe the organisation of the Nazi Party • Explain why support for the Nazi Party increased in Germany Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis
- 3. The Nazis started out as a small and mostly irrelevant political party in 1919, but by the end of 1934 they had gained complete control of Germany. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis
- 4. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis In 1928 the Nazis were the smallest political party in the Reichstag; by 1932 they had become the biggest. The Nazis gained support for many reasons including: • The impact of Hitler • Policies and promises • Party organisation • Weimar problems
- 5. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis The impact of Hitler Adolf Hitler started spying on the German Workers’ Party for the German Army – but he ended up joining and then leading it. Hitler was a passionate speaker and many people were attracted to the party because of this.
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- 7. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis At first Hitler believed that violence was needed to overthrow the Weimar government. These extreme beliefs attracted new supporters – including members of the Freikorps – but ultimately this approach failed at the 1923 Munich Putsch.
- 8. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis During his time in prison, Hitler began to believe that the Nazis would have to win elections in order to win control of Germany. He used his imprisonment to plan changes which he believed would attract more supporters, and he wrote his plans in Mein Kampf.
- 9. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis Hitler’s role was also important because he attracted support – and funding – from rich Germans to wanted to stop a Communist takeover. Hitler used this money to fund propaganda and organise Nazi election campaigns too.
- 10. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis Policies and promises In Germany many political parties only appealed to certain groups. For instance, working class Germans backed the Communists. The Nazis tried to appeal to all Germans, shown in the 1920 25 Point Plan which outlined policies.
- 11. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis After the 1929 Depression began, Hitler promised working class Germans that he would improve their lives. Slogans such as ‘Work and bread’ offered poorer Germans the hope of ending unemployment, and ensuring that they could feed their families.
- 12. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis Hitler also made promises to the middle and upper classes too. He said they would not face huge tax rises, and he also promised that he would defeat Communism. The latter pledge was especially important to many wealthy Germans.
- 13. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis The Nazis also appealed to Germans’ sense of national pride. Hitler condemned the Treaty of Versailles – and the politicians that signed it. He promised to rebuild Germany, by giving them a stronger army and getting back land that was taken.
- 14. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis The Nazis also appealed to very negative elements of German society. Jewish people had faced discrimination all across Europe – and Hitler continued this in Germany. Hitler said he would get rid of ‘outsiders’ that he believed damaged Germany.
- 15. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis Nazi Party organisation Hitler also changed the organisation and structure of the Nazi Party. This was to improve its ability to stand in elections, but also to try and attract other groups and supporters too.
- 16. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis Different sections of the Nazi Party were aimed at various German groups, including young people, women, teachers and lawyers. This helped attract more support for the Nazis as these groups felt included and so joined the party.
- 17. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis The Nazis also made use of propaganda to gain more supporters. Hitler appointed Joseph Goebbels to control the Nazis’ public image. Goebbels used methods such as posters, leaflets and mass rallies such as Nuremburg.
- 18. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis Whilst the Nazis tried to win elections, they still had violence as an option. The SA and SS were security sections of the Nazi Party. They provided security for Nazi speakers and often fought with rival groups, or intimidated voters.
- 19. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis In addition, during the Depression the Nazis arranged food parcels and opened soup kitchens for starving Germans. This gained them support from poor people who were desperate and grateful for help, believing they could rely on the Nazis.
- 20. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis Weimar problems There were various problems in Weimar Germany – especially economic crises – which pushed Germans towards extremist parties. The Nazis gained extra support because of this – although so did the Communists.
- 21. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis The Weimar political system was chaotic and unable to help Germans, leading to support for anti-Weimar parties. There were numerous coalition governments that failed to agree on actions. In 1932 alone, three different men held the position of German Chancellor.
- 22. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis Germans lost faith with Weimar due to hyperinflation and the Great Depression. They believed that democracy was failing them as their governments could not take effective action. The Nazis made simple promises to fix these challenges, so gaining support.
- 23. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis The Nazis used these events to attract more supporters. During the Great Depression they ran soup kitchens and gave out food parcels. This mean that more people came to rely on the Nazis and believe that only they could fix Germany’s problems.
- 24. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis Some Weimar politicians fought amongst themselves, leaving Hitler unopposed. The Communist Party refused to work with the Social Democrats because of the 1919 Spartacist Revolt. Chancellors Papen and Schleicher plotted against one another.
- 25. Appeal of Hitler & the Nazis In both 1932 Reichstag elections the Nazis emerged as Germany’s biggest party. Hitler was then appointed as German Chancellor in January 1933, and he set about introducing changes which ended the Weimar Republic, and gave the Nazis complete control.