1. Hitler\u2019s Role<\/p>\n
a. His skills as orator.<\/p>\n
b. Note his charismatic leadership \u2013<\/p>\n
c. He virtually re-founded the Party in 1925, based upon the F\u00fchrerprinzip. Cohesion and discipline was important in preventing the break up of the Party 1932-1933.<\/p>\n
d. He personally designed the flag.<\/p>\n
e. He recognised the importance of propaganda and was prepared to use every modern means available to spread the message during election campaigns.<\/p>\n
2. Party Organisation<\/p>\n
a. The country was divided into Gaus (areas), each headed by a Gauleiter, appointed by Hitler and subordinate to him but with considerable local freedom.<\/p>\n
b. Associated organisations were set up for women, young people, students, lawyers, factory workers. Especially important was the \u201cNazi Welfare Organisation\u201d which ran soup kitchens for people in distress.<\/p>\n
c. Central propaganda machine under Goebbels.<\/p>\n
d. Stress on local contacts. Nazis targeted key individuals in local communities, hoping they would influence others. (Note the example of Northeim)<\/p>\n
e. Growing membership allowed for door-to-door campaigning and leafleting. Distribution of posters was widespread.<\/p>\n
f. Considerable effort was made to train speakers. Over 6,000 had been trained by 1933. Speakers were licensed by the Party to ensure quality and were provided with booklets on policies and techniques.<\/p>\n
g. Use of a variety of strategies and modern technology:\u00a0mass rallies; marches in uniform; music; lighting; disciplined enthusiasm; loudspeakers; film; slides; plans. Once in power they had access to radio and films. Their newspaper was the \u201cV\u00f6lkischer Beobachter\u201d.<\/p>\n
h. They had a powerful message:<\/p>\n
– volksgemeinschaft<\/p>\n
– an end to economic ills<\/p>\n
– Germany first<\/p>\n
– strong leadership<\/p>\n
– smash Communism and Jewish interests<\/p>\n
– end Versailles<\/p>\n
– secure lebensraum<\/p>\n
i. An alliance with Alfred Hugenberg (DNVP) over opposition to the 1929 Young Plan, gave Hitler access to Hugenberg\u2019s vast media empire and to funds, enabling the Party to compete more effectively in elections. Through this, Hitler won apparent respectability, campaigning side by side with an established political party on a popular issue.<\/p>\n
j. Most Party funds came from ordinary members and charges made for attending meetings. Some industrialists provided money, notably Thyssen, but this was not a major factor in success. Efficient cash collections made the Nazis better off than less well organised parties of the right.<\/p>\n
k. The Nazis organised special sections to appeal to particular interest groups \u2013 students, lawyers, doctors, teachers, self-employed craftsmen and small businessmen. They also made a concerted effort to win farming votes. Walther Darr\u00e9 drew up an agrarian programme in 1930. The Nazis told the farmers what they wanted to hear: that their way of life was morally superior to urban life and should be preserved. The Nazi Party was therefore quick to take advantage of local grievances and to respond to national and regional issues.<\/p>\n
3. The Role of the SA<\/p>\n
Formed as the Sportabteilung 1920 (sports department) intended primarily to protect Nazi speakers, it was re-named Sturm-Abteilung 1921. By 1933, membership was 500,000. Brown shirts came from cheap, surplus German army tropical shirts, which were used after 1924.<\/p>\n
– R\u00f6hm led them<\/p>\n
\u201cSince I am an immature and wicked man, war and unrest appeal to me more than good bourgeois order.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00b7 over half came from the working class<\/p>\n
\u00b7 many were ruffians and bullies<\/p>\n
\u00b7 distributed pamphlets<\/p>\n
\u00b7 protected meetings<\/p>\n
\u00b7 used violence against Communists<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Br\u00fcning banned them in 1932. (They paraded instead without shirts)<\/p>\n
\u00b7 Papen allowed them back in an attempt to win Nazis support in June 1932<\/p>\n
\u00b7 many died as a result in street battles, nearly 100 in July1932 alone<\/p>\n
\u00b7 the SA focused attention on Hitler\u2019s determination to ban Communism: it appeared that he at least was doing something about it<\/p>\n
\u00b7 the SA created the impression of discipline and firm government<\/p>\n
\u00b7 fear of the SA persuaded some in power to bring Hitler into government, so that he would control the SA<\/p>\n
4. Conclusion<\/p>\n
Nazi success at the polls lay in combination of charismatic leadership; detailed Party organisation at a local level; impressive displays of unity and discipline; their powerful message of future national unity and pride, and terror tactics employed to intimidate the opposition and to coerce support. The example of Northeim gives a good indication of how these different factors could be employed. It must be remembered, however, that only 37% of Germans ever voted for Hitler. Many remained unpersuaded. Hitler\u2019s appeal was not universal nor was it inevitable that the tide of public support would bring him to power, as he later claimed.<\/p>\n
Unification of Germany<\/a> – Political systems within the Second Reich<\/a> – German Society during the Second Reich<\/a> – Collapse of the Second Reich<\/a><\/p>\n Interim Government<\/a> –\u00a0Founding of the Weimar Republic<\/a> –\u00a0Impact of the First World War on Germany<\/a> –\u00a0The Treaty of Versailles and its impact on Germany<\/a> –\u00a0Weimar Constitution<\/a> –\u00a01919-1923: Years of Crisis?<\/a> –\u00a0Spartacist Uprising<\/a> –\u00a0Kapp Putsch<\/a> – Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold<\/a> – Reparations<\/a> –\u00a0Hyperinflation in Germany, 1923<\/a> –\u00a01924-1928: A Golden Era?<\/a> – 1925 Presidential Election<\/a> – Gustav Stresemann<\/a> –\u00a0German Foreign Relations 1919-1932<\/a> –\u00a0Germany in the Great Depression<\/a> \u00a0–\u00a0Failings of the Weimar Republic<\/a> – Dada Movement<\/a><\/p>\n The Munich Putsch<\/a> –\u00a0Did the Economic Crisis of 1923 help the Nazi’s?<\/a> –\u00a0Origins of the Nazi Party<\/a> –\u00a0Rise of the Nazi Party<\/a><\/p>\n Totalitarian Regime in Nazi Germany<\/a> –\u00a0How did Hitler consolidate power?<\/a> –\u00a0Mein Kampf<\/a> –\u00a0Nazi methods of control<\/a> –\u00a0Opposition to the Nazi Regime<\/a> –\u00a0Organisation of the Nazi Party<\/a> –\u00a0Fuhrerprinzip<\/a> –\u00a0Kristallnacht<\/a> –\u00a0Youth and Education<\/a> –\u00a0Goering and the 2nd 4 Year Plan<\/a> –\u00a0Anti-Jewish Boycott, 1933<\/a> –\u00a0Nazi Anti-Semitism<\/a> –\u00a0DAF (The German Labour Front)<\/a> –\u00a0Propaganda in Germany 1919-39<\/a> –\u00a0Economic Policy of the Nazi Party<\/a> – Kreisau Circle<\/a> – The Confessing Church<\/a> – Catholic Church<\/a> – Edelweiss Pirates<\/a><\/p>\n Ludwig Beck<\/a> – Dietrich Bonhoeffer<\/a> – Bishop Clemens von Galen<\/a> – Carl Goerdeler<\/a> – Robert Ley<\/a> – Helmuth von Moltke<\/a> – Martin Niemoller<\/a> – Erwin Rommel<\/a>\u00a0– Hjalmar Schacht<\/a> – Sophie Scholl<\/a> – Albert Speer<\/a> – Claus von Stauffenberg<\/a> –\u00a0Fritz Todt<\/a> –<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 1. Hitler\u2019s Role a. His skills as orator. b. Note his charismatic leadership \u2013 belief in his own importance in Germany\u2019s future demonic willpower speeches \u2013 timing expression content \u201chypnotic\u201d gaze identification with the people in their emotions and expectation his importance in holding the Party together c. He virtually re-founded the Party in 1925,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":13,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1577","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tWeimar Republic<\/h3>\n
Rise of the Nazi Party<\/h3>\n
Nazi Germany<\/h3>\n
Biographies<\/h3>\n