10 - The Appeal of Nazism and Communism - Mindmap in A Level and IB History

Created by: Becca Newman
Created on: 28-01-20 14:20

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The Appeal of Nazism and Communism
- Electoral Support up to June 1932
  - Support for both parties during the Depression increased
    - Nazis gained more than the Communists
  - Nazis promised higher prices + protection against imports
    - Gained farmers' support
      - 1930 - secured 68% of the vote in a rural district
  - Nazis also attracted support from middle class
    - Middle class was scared of a Communist Revolution
  - Nazis also attracted the vote from youngsters and women
  - 1932 Hindenburg's term came to an end
    - He campaigned for re-election and Hitler reluctantly stood against him
      - Hindenburg fell just short of the 50% needed to win
        Second ballot he won by 53% - Hitler gained nearly 37%
        In some rural areas he received more votes than Hindenburg
  - Early 1930s most working class voters continued to support KPD or SPD
    - Despite this in 1930 election- 27% of Nazi voters were manual labourers
  - Between Sept 1930 - July 1932 the Nazis more than doubled electoral support
- The Appeal of Nazism
  - Nazi Ideology
    - The power of the will
      - Hitler presented the Nazis as a force for change
      - The Nazi movement (parades of SA) put on a display of discipline and unity
    - 1920 - 25 point programme put forward Nazi Policy
    - Struggle and War
      - War + violence was at the heart of Nazi thinking
      - Hitler was convinced that war between races was natural order
      - War would restore the German Reich
      - Nazi propaganda glorified military values
        Courage, loyalty, self-sacrifice
      - SA gave Germans males a chance to project their manliness
    - A Racial Community
      - Volksgemeinschaft - people's community
        Key element of Nazi ideology
      - Only Aryans would be accepted into the community
        No social classes - everyone would be equals
        All would work together for the good of Germany with German values
      - Nazism aimed for a cultural + social revolution
        A 'new man' + a 'new woman'
        Would know the importance of race, work for the common good
      - Wanted to return to traditional romanticised German life
      - 'Blood and Soil' - racial purity + traditional values outside of urban life
    - A national socialism
      - Nazis adopted the name....
        Nationalist Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP)
        Attempted to gain working class support
      - 25 point programme was economically radical
        Confiscation of war profits, nationalisation of large monopoly companies
        
        Hitler never committed to these radical aims + modified his message
        After 1929 Hitler sought the support of wealthy businessmen like Fritz Thyssen
        Reassured them his policies wouldn't threaten their interests
      - The word Socialism was used loosely to appeal to working class
        He saw socialism and volksgemeinschaft as the same thing
    - The Fuhrerprinzip
      - Hitler wanted to destroy the Weimar Republic because it was a parliamentary democracy
        He saw it as weak
        
        He believed parliamentary democracy encouraged Communism
      - This was the principle of leadership
    - Aggressive Nationalism
      - Three aims
        Reverse humiliation of Versailles Treaty
        
        Establish a greater German Reich
        
        Secure Eastern German territory + provide the people with food + materials for success
      - A war would get Germany the extra territory Hiutler wanted
    - Anti-Semitism
      - Jews were responsible for Germany's ills
      - In propaganda they were presented as greedy + selfish
        They didn't work for the better of Germany as a whole
      - Jews were held responsible for Capitalism + the growth of Communism
  - Nazi Success
    - Importance of Hitler
      - By 1929 Hitler had complete Nazi control
      - He possessed great charisma and great oratorical skills
        He hypnotised with repetition
      - An opportunist who tailored his message to the audience
    - Role of Anti-Semitism
      - Jews were propaganda scapegoats
        Jewish capitalism caused the Depression
      - Previous disapproval of Nazism was forgotten with promises of work and bread
      - Nazi propaganda was adapted to the audience
        Sometimes Jews were mentioned in speeches sometimes they weren't
      - The SA beat up Jews in the streets
        But anti-Semitism was rarely the main motive for joining the SA
      - 1932 propaganda had little to do with anti-Semitism
        More focused on unemployment etc
    - Role of Propaganda
      - With money provided from sponsors Hitler could fly to different cities to make speeches
      - Nazis understood the importance of good propaganda
      - They had their own newspaper
        Posters, leaflets, film shows, rallies
        Rallies had chants, bands, banners, lots of people
      - Nazi messages were adapted to the audience
        Focused mainly on economic depression + national humiliation
- The Appeal of Communism
  - Policies and Ideology
    - Election campaign
      - Demanded an end to cuts in unemployment benefits; the legalisation of abortion
        End of military spending + establishment of a workers' state
      - Also advocated for cooperation with USSR
    - Ultimate aim was to overthrow the Weimar Republic
      - The Depression was the final nail in the coffin which would allow them a workers revolution
    - The KPD labelled the SD as 'social-fascists'
  - 1928 to 1932 KPD gained 2 million votes
    - 1929 to 1932 membership increased from 117k to 360k.
  - 1929 the party focused on the unemployed
    - Created 'committees of the unemployed'
      - Staged hunger marches
  - Attempted to bring working class youths into KPD
    - Did this through KPD led campaigns against the police, reform schools + labour exchanges
  - The Red-Front Fighters' league engaged in battles with the SA + the police
    - Defenders of the working class
      - Some areas of cities fell under Commuist control
  - Strengths
    - Posters + speeches from Thalmann attracted membership
      - Class struggle + Capitalism were emphasised
    - 'Bread and Freedom' slogan
      - Images of capitalists being smashed by workers weilding hammers
    - Posters linked KPD to USSR
    - Attacked the SPD as a tool of capitalists
    - November 1932 election - 16.9% were KPD votes
  - Weaknesses
    - Never came close to launching a successful revolution
    - More tahn 50% of new members in 1932 left within a few months
    - Didn't attract support outside of main industrial areas
      - Limited appeal amongst women
    - High proportion of members were unemployed
      - So the KPD were always short on money
    - Concentration on fighting the SPD distracted them from the real threat - the Nazis

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10 - The Appeal of Nazism and Communism

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