GROWTH IN SUPPORT FOR THE NAZIS

• WALL STREET CRASH

  • Between 24th and 30th October 1929, the USA’s economy collapsed
  • This event is called ‘Black Thursday’
  • People sold 13 million shares
  • Prices plummeted due to the amount of shares available
  • Shares that were worth $20,000 on the morning of 24 October 1929 were worth $1,000 by the end of the day
  • By 30th October 1929, investors had lost $4 billion
  • This event is called the ‘Wall Street Crash’ as Wall Street is where the Stock Exchange is based in New York
• EFFECTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT

  • The economic issues triggered an employment crisis
  • German banks recalled loans, which forced businesses to close and workers to lose their jobs
  • Other countries stopped purchasing German goods, which increased unemployment
  • Unemployed workers did not spend money on goods or services. This resulted in even more companies having to make redundancies
  • By September 1931, 4.3 million German workers were unemployed
  • 40% were factory workers
  • Half of all 16 and 30-year-olds did not work
  • By January 1933, unemployment hit 6.1 million people
• IMPACT OF UNEMPLOYMENT

  • The unemployed - Even after raising taxes, the government had to cut unemployment benefits.
  • Savers - When share prices fell, the value of savings dropped. If people became unemployed, they would not have any savings to survive on
  • Workers - The workers had to pay increased taxes to support the unemployed. Businesses were forced to cut the real income of workers.
  • The homeless - Homelessness increased violence on the streets, particularly among unemployed young men
• GROWING SUPPORT FOR COMMUNIST PARTIES

  • From 1928 to 1932, the KPD gained 1 million voters
  • The KPD benefited from Germany’s economic crisis
  • The working classes believed that the KPD would improve their living conditions.

  PREVENTION FROM BEING THE LARGEST PARTY:

  • A communist government scared the middle and upper classes
  • Communists threatened to remove the wealth of the middle and upper classes
  • Communism was against the private ownership of land and property
  • Hitler believed in autocratic rule. Middle and upper class Germans believed that the NSDAP were strong enough to repel communism
• THE SA

  • The SA also appealed to Germans
  • Having a uniformed army made the NSDAP look disciplined
  • In an economic crisis, the Nazi Party had the manpower to keep law and order
  • The NSDAP’s paramilitary forces were much stronger than the KPD
  • The SA had 400,000 members and the KPD’s Red Front Fighters numbered 130,000
  • The elections of 1930 and 1932 were violent. The SA intimidated candidates, broke into rival political parties' headquarters and disrupted their rallies
• GROUPS SUPPORTING HITLER

  • Big businesses - The NSDAP can protect them from the rise of communism
  • Working class - they like the work and bread slogan, they also liked the fact that they were bringing back traditional values
  • Middle class - The NSDAP can stop the KPD, they believed Hitler could save the economy, return of traditional values
  • Farmers - In 1930, NSDAP gained 60% of rural votes in some areas, treated poorly by the WR, they feared communism would confiscate their land
  • Young people - they believed NSDAP would be better as they made more promises thanks to their persuasive speeches
• PROPAGANDA ON WOMEN

  • NSDAP propaganda targeted women by stating that:
  • Voting for the Nazi Party would be the best for the country
  • Hitler’s government would provide a successful future for their children
  • Nazi propaganda began to persuade more women to vote for the NSDAP