Why did the Nazis become so popular by the 1930s?

What did Hitler take advantage of?

Hitler took advantage of people’s anger, promising to restore Germany’s former greatness.

What did Drexler found?

Drexler founded the German Workers Party in 1919. Hitler joined in Sept. 1919.

Opposed the Treaty of Versailles and wanted German supremacy.

What did the NSDAP emerge from?

NSDAP emerged from German Workers Party as an extreme nationalist, supremacist and populist freikorps.

What did the Great depression 1929-33 cause?

Great Depression 1932 - 33 caused mass unemployment and poverty, eroding faith in Weimar republic.

What did Hitler use to gain support?

Hitler used persuasive speeches to gain support.

What did Hitler co-author?

Hitler co-authored 25 point party platform.

Why did Nazi promises appeal in the Great Depression?

The Nazis promised jobs and recovery.

Failures of Republic and fear of communism led many to see Hitler as a solution.

What were the main levels of the Nazi party?

• Reichsleiter (leader)

• Gauleiter (regional leader)

• Kresleiter (district leader)

• Ortsgruppenleiter (local group leader)

What were the levels of the Nazi Party?

The levels of the party were self-contained (parts largely independent), in theory to avoid jurisdictional conflict.

What was the Reichsleiter?

Reichsleiter - the second highest position, officials in charge of finan

What was the kreisleiter?

The mid-level position within the hierarchy of the Nazi party.

What did the Nazi party create?

Created organisations to target specific groups of people and to help Nazi ideology spread - Hitler Youth, Union of Nazi Lawyers, Nazi Teachers Association, Order of German Women. 

What was the SS?

Schutzstaffel was the elite paramilitary group of the Nazi Party. Led by Heinrich Himmler.

Began as Hitler’s small personal bodyguard unit. Became responsible for running concentration camp system, enforcing racial policies. Unlike the SA, the SS was highly organised.

What colour shirts did the SS wear?

Black uniforms, giving them the nickname ‘the Blackshirts’. 

What was the SA?

The Nazi Party’s large, violent paramilitary group used to intimidate opponents and dominate the streets.

Made up of largely working-class men and ex soldiers. However, it was undisciplined and increasingly radical.

What colour shirts did the SA wear?

They wore brown shirts. 

Commonly called the brownshirts.

What was a key belief of Nazi ideology?

Society is a big pyramid. Jews and slaves at the bottom.

They saw the world as a struggle between races, much like animals hunting for food.

What did Hitler need?

Hitler needed a scapegoat to blame for Germany’s problem. 

What did the Nazi’s 1920 programme demand?

1920 programme demanded socialist reforms and there existed a faction within the party that emphasised the anti-capitalist views within the party.

What did Nazism lack?

Nazism lacked coherence and was intellectually superficial, neither was it original.

What did Nazis believe about an autocratic dictatorial government?

They viewed an autocratic dictatorial government as the undeniably supreme form of government.