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5 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
1. Hitler's leadership skills |
- New strategy employed by Hitler and the Nazis to try to gain power, reorganisation of the party was required to facilitate the new strategy of legality - Hitler persuades Hindenburg to dissolve the Reichstag on 1st Feb and to hold new elections - Reorganisation of the party. Under Gregor Strasser membership increased to 108,000 by 1928. - Great oratory skills as attacks on race appealed to many - 1926 Bamberg Conference, became undisputed leader of the party, adopts FUHRERPRINZIP |
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2. The Depression |
- Presented an opportunity for Nazism to flourish - High unemployment and financial insecurity undermined confidence in the political structures as 6 million were unemployed by 1932, 5 major banks closed and 50,000 businesses went bankrupt - People turned away from democracy seeking radical solutions to problems and so the Nazis and other extremist parties gained more popularity as shown - Nazis become involved with big business as 11% of Nazis are industrialists. Alliance with IG Farben and Krupps gave the party necessary financial backing and legitimacy |
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3. Constitutional weaknesses |
- PR meant parties against Weimar got representation and coalitions were weak as shown in Muller’s Grand Coalition (5 parties together, weak) - Bruning’s decision to use A48 to dissolve the Reichstag lead to early elections when Nazis made gains (18.3% of the vote) and other extremist parties such as KPD (13.1%) caused disillusionment with public |
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4. Right Wing Politicians |
- Hindenburg used A48 excessively as people became accustomed to authoritarianism. By the time Hitler used it it was old news. Presidential decrees 1930: 5, in 1932:66 - Hindenburg wanted restoration of authoritarian government - Elite underestimated Hitler and used him to further their own gains but it backfired as Hitler became stronger than them. -HOWEVER, Nazi votes were in decline from 230 seats in July 1932 to 196 in November) |
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5. Propaganda |
- Portrayed Hitler as a solution and that communism was the threat. Used the Reichstag fire and arrest of Van der Lubbe to create a communist conspiracy and that only the SA were capable of stopping it - Propaganda targeted to different audiences through associationism (e.g Hitler Youth, Nazi Teacher’s Association when 97% joined) - Nazi membership tripled 1925-7 - Access to Hugenburg’s mass media empire, used sophisticated technology and cheap poster campaigns to spread Nazi ideals and increase awareness and popularity |