The Appeal of Nazism and Communism

• Who was attracted towards the Nazis? Name 3 groups giving a brief reason . 

  -Farmers (Nazis promised they wouldn’t import foreign food)  

  -Middle-class (frightened of communism) 

  -Anti-Communists (chose the next most likely winners to KPD) 

  -Youth (feeling angry and promised employment by the Nazis) 

  -Women (traditional women promised a return to their values)  

  -Protestants (not obliged to vote for one party unlike the Catholics- so most Nazis voters were protestant)  
• Who wanted to join the communists? Name 2 groups.  

  -Working-Class 

  -Unemployed 

  -People from very industrial areas  

  -Non-nationalistic people  
• How many votes did Hitler get in the 1932 Presidential campaign? 

  37% 
• What was Hitler’s idea on ‘struggle and war’? 

  He stated that the struggle between races was part of the natural order. So war was needed to rebuild a greater Germany. 
• What were Hitler’s views on a racial community? 

  He wanted to establish Volksgemeinshaft, where only Aryans could live as equals to each other. 
• Why was the ‘National socialism’ policy contradictory depending on the audience? 

  They changed their message for different audiences. They advocated socialist policies that could relate to those of the Communists, but advocated strong capitalist ideas when speaking to businessmen/ middle class. 
• What was the ‘Fuhrerprinzip’? 

  The idea that the democracy should be destroyed and replaced with a dictatorship and one-party state under the leader.  
• What was ‘aggressive nationalism’? 

  To restore Germany but also expand territory establishing a Greater Reich and securing Lebensraum (living space). 
• Who became the Nazis key scapegoats in their campaign? 

  Jewish people, who were seen as responsible for all of Germany’s problems. 
• Did anti-Semitism help to gain electoral support? 

  Anti-Semitic people expressed their opinions more freely but most Germans weren’t particularly anti-Semitic and the Nazis often had to tone down their anti-Semitism to win many audiences. 
• Why was Hitler an important factor in gaining support? 

  He was a great public speaker and he tailored his speeches to his audience. 
• How successful was propaganda in winning over Germans? 

  It was very successful as Hitler could travel personally to different parts of Germany. They had their own plane, newspapers, posters, leaflets, rallies and marches.  
• Name 2 ideas the KPD campaigned with.  

  -End to cuts in wages 

  -Unemployment benefits for all needing them 

  -Legalisation of abortion 

  -Equal rights for women 

  -Establish a Communist regime 
• How were the KPD successful in gathering support? 

  Their most successful ideas were their appeals to the unemployed. 
• How were the KPD unsuccessful? Give both key reasons.  

  1. They didn’t have enough funding 

  2) Most people (even women) were not really fussed by women’s rights (due to other economic issues)