Wall Street Crash  Nazis Used Their Effective Propaganda Against Weimar Government and Other Groups (Jews) to Get Support

So why did support for the Nazi party increase:- Wall Street Crash Nazis used their effective propaganda against Weimar Government and other groups (Jews) to get support. Mistakes by Politicians like Von Papan and Hindenburg Violence and the Financial strength of the Nazi Party You have to decide which one of these is the most important. START WITH THE WALL STREET CRASH. Could argue that on its own it was not enough to bring down the Weimar Government. REMEMBER THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 1923 HAD NOT DONE SO. THERE MUST HAVE BEEN OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. FACTOR EFFECT WALL STREET CRASH This meant American loans of 25 million gold marks had to be repaid within 90 days NAZI PROPAGANDA This appealed to virtually every section of society! There was something for everyone:- Jobs for the unemployed Scapegoats – The Jews were targeted The November Criminals who signed the armistice and hated Treaty of Versailles and kept paying reparations. They had also stabbed the army in the back who had never contemplated surrender. Also the Nazi could draw on the fact that they were well organised at every level and get their message across the whole country. They had special interest groups – Teachers; Lawyers etc. Hitler visited 21 towns during the 1932 Reichstag campaign. He was seen and heard by thousands who loved his simple solutions and attacks on Jews; the Weimar Government and others like the Communists. Mistakes by Politicians Election of 31st July 1932 Nazis (NSDAP): 230 seats and 37.3% of the vote Election 6th November 1932 Nazis (NSDAP): 196 seats and 33.1% of the vote. Nazi support seemed to be falling, but still biggest single party in the Reichstag. Hitler was offered position of Vice Chancellor but turned it down. Then Chancellor. Hindenburg and Von Papan thought they could control him. But the position of Chancellor gave Hitler the power he needed to launch his bid for power. Use of Violence and the financial strength of the Nazi Party SO WHICH FACTOR WAS MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR AND WHY? The events:- February 27th Hitler and Goebbels were having dinner at Goebbel’s Berlin home. Just after 21.00, Goebbels received a phone call that the Reichstag building was on fire. They immediately left for the Reichstag where they met Goering. They declared that the fire was the work of the Communists and Socialists and the SA was put on alert to maintain order if and when the communist insurrection started. SA rounded many communists nearly 4000 people. The public was told that the communists had burned down the seat of government in Germany and that the police and the SA were doing all that they could to save the nation from unrest and catastrophe. The Nazis also captured the alleged perpetrator of the crime – a Dutch communist called Marius van der Lubbe. He, along with four other communists, was charged with arson. The four others were later acquitted but van der Lubbe had to stand trial. YOU PROBABLY WONT REMEMBER ALL THE ABOVE BUT TELLING THE STORY LIKE THIS WILL GET YOU TO 4-5 MARKS FOR 6 – 9 MARKS YOU NEED THE FOLLOWING:- For this question you have to look at the Enabling Act and its impact then compare it to the other factors:- ENABLING ACT; REICHSTAG FIRE; PROPAGANDA; MISTAKES OF POLITICIANS You need to argue that the Enabling Act was important because it allowed the Nazis to do other things BUT getting loyalty of the army was equally important because the Enabling Act was the legal side and the Army were the physical side. THE ENABLING ACT: Local government - 26 April 1933 Nazis took over local government and police. Replaced anti-Nazi teachers and University professors. Set up the Gestapo (the secret police) and encouraged Germans to report opponents and 'grumblers'. Tens of thousands of Jews, Communists, Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, gypsies, homosexuals, alcoholics and prostitutes were arrested and sent to concentration camps for 'crimes' as small as writing anti-Nazi graffiti, possessing a banned book, or saying that business was bad. 5 Trade Unions banned - 2 May 1933 The Trade Unions offices were closed, their money confiscated, and their leaders put in prison. In their place, Hitler put the German Labour Front which reduced workers' pay and took away the right to strike. 6 Political Parties banned - 14 July 1933 The Law against the Formation of Parties declared the Nazi Party the only political party in Germany. All other parties were banned, and their leaders were put in prison. NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES:- CONCLUSION Remember your argument should run through but you need to explain the importance of the Enabling Act compared to the other factors. Many factors followed on from the Enabling Act like Local Government; Banning Trade Unions and Banning Political Parties. But the getting rid of the SA in the Night of the Long Knives clearly helped get the support and loyalty of the Army which was to prove vital to Hitler’s success. This covers these Question as well Need to make sure you focus on the LIVES OF PEOPLE and not WHY THE NAZIS CAME TO POWER FACTOR EFFECT EMPLOYMENT Companies throughout Germany - though primarily in the industrial zones such as the Ruhr - went bankrupt and workers were laid off in their millions. Unemployment affected nearly every German family just 6 years after the last major economic disaster - hyperinflation - had hit Weimar.Most, though not all, of the unemployed were male. These men were almost certainly family men who could see no way ahead with regards to providing for their families. Money was required for food, heating a home, clothes etc. With no obvious end to their plight under the Weimar regime, it is not surprising that those who saw no end to their troubles turned to the more extreme political parties in Germany - WAGES Social and political effects People demanded political action, but the Weimar government failed them. From 1930-1932, the Chancellor Heinrich Brüning proposed that the government raise taxes to pay the cost of unemployment benefit and reduce unemployment benefit to make payments more affordable. This pleased no one; right-wing parties, the middle classes and the wealthy opposed higher taxes whereas the left-wing parties and workers opposed lower benefits. Also the coalition which Brüning's government depended on broke down in 1930 and from then on, Brüning could only govern by decree (there were 44 decrees in 1931 and 66 in 1932). However all this was in vain- the causes of the suffering were beyond government control and useless decrees simply undermined people’s confidence in the Weimar Republic even further. TURN TO EXTREMISM This meant people were more willing to listen to parties like the Nazis who blamed the Jews and The November criminals who agreed to the Armistice and Signed the Hated Treaty of Versailles .

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