rise of the nazis

• Hitler's leadership skills:

  • Hitler made people believe he alone could save Germany
  • Master at making speeches that won over his audience
  • Often arrived late to heighten anticipation
  • Started slowly, outlining Germany's desperate position before building up to a message of hope
• The Nazis publicized Hitler as a vegetarian and non-drinker, portraying him as a man who sacrificed pleasure in his quest to restore Germany
• Nazi promises:

  • Solve Germany’s economic problems (Arbeit und Brot)
  • Provide strong leadership in contrast to democracy
  • Ignore the Treaty of Versailles and build up the army
  • Make Germany great again
• Nazi propaganda:

  • Organized by Josef Goebbels
  • Used latest technology like loudspeakers, slide shows, and films
  • Used mass rallies and marches to show order and discipline
  • Utilized powerful propaganda posters with simple slogans repeated to spread key ideas
• Fear of Communism in Weimar Germany:

  • Support for the Communist party increased dramatically from 1930 to 1932
  • German Communist Party became the largest in Europe, outside of the Soviet Union
  • Many feared a Communist takeover, which Nazi propaganda sought to increase
• Opposition in Weimar Germany:

  • The Nazi's main rivals, the Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party, were bitter enemies and loathed each other
  • They were not prepared to work together or cooperate during elections
  • If they had worked together, they would have had a majority over the Nazis