Growth of the Nazi party

Impact of the wall street crash

• In October 1929 the Wall Street crash brought about a global economic depression

• Germany was worst affected as American banks called in all of their foreign loans on short notice

• These loans had been the basis for economic recovery in Germany

• This caused industry in Germany to collapse

Unemployment

• The Wall Street crash c’aused a huge rise in unemployment

• Winter 1929-30 = number of unemployed rose from 1.4 million to 2 million

• Jan 1933 = 6.1 million unemployed

• This significantly raised government expenditure on unemployment insurance and benefits

• Germans began to lose faith in democracy and looked to extreme parties

Political failure

• March 1930 = German chancellor, Hermann Muller, resigned and was replaced by Heinrich Bruning

• July 1930 = Bruning cut government expenditure, wages and unemployment pay. This made people who had lost their jobs poorer

• Bruning could not get the Reichstag to agree so president Hindenburg used article 48 which gave the president the power to pass laws by decree

• This undermined democracy and weakened the power of the Riechstag

Appeal of the Nazis

• Wealthy businessmen = frightened communists would take their wealth away so began to give money to the Nazis to combat this

• The middle-class = generally traditional and not convinced by Weimar democracy

• Nationalists = blamed the treaty of Versailles for causing the depression so gave support to Nazis

Effects of propaganda

• The Führer cult = hitter was portrayed as Germany's saviour

• Volksgemeinschaft (people's community) = idea that Nazis would create one German community that would make religion or social class less relevant to people

• Scapegoating the Jews = Jews were portrayed as subhuman or as a threat to both the racial purity and economic future of the country

Methods of propaganda

• Speeches

• Aeroplanes

• Radios

• Rallies

Role of the SA

• Intimidate Nazi opponents by turning up at their meetings and attacking them

• Providing opportunities for young, unemployed men to become involved in the party

• Protecting Hitler and other key Nazis when they organised meetings and made speeches