1.6 Growth in Support/ the great depression Flashcards
(16 cards)
What was the Wall Street crash and what did it lead to?
The Wall Street crash refers to when the US economy crashed and companies lost billions of dollars in value overnight. Many banks and businesses were ruined.
The US had to stop sending money to Germany, and demanded for immediate repayment of all loans (the high interest loans that Stresemann had organised to be lent through the Dawes Plan and the Young Plan) -> this caused The Great Depression.
Effect of the Great Depression: businesses
- Had to pay back loans
- Received no more investment from the US
- Had to pay increased taxes to the government
- No one had enough money to buy anything so lack of business
Effect of the Great Depression: Government
- Couldn’t borrow money from the US
- Refused to print more money
- Increased taxes
- Made cuts in unemployment benefit
- Government workers had wages cut an some lost their jobs
Effect of the Great Depression: People
- Businesses reduced staff or closed
- Millions of workers and farm labourers lost their jobs
- Young people were badly affected as the job market declined
- With no work, and benefits slashed, families suffered terrible poverty
How the Depression benefited Hitler brief overview?
- Economic Problems
- Unemployment
- People blamed the weak Weimar government
- Increased membership of extremist parties
Although support for the communists grew as well, the Nazis had more overall support because most of the supporters of the communists were…
working classes from cities, who wanted a party that could protect their jobs and wages.
which two parties attracted the most support during this time?
KDP - communists - working class viewed them as the only party that would defend their jobs/ their wages.
NSDAP - idea of communism scared middle/ upper classes - as KDP gained followers so did the Nazis - saw Hitler as their defence and saviour from the Weimar Republic and communists.
Wall street crash led to a Banking Crisis since…
the USA asked for the loans back and Banks began demanding money from industries.
The banking crisis led to…
- falling benefits - the Weimar government decreased benefits so that they could keep money they needed to pay back loans.
- unemployment and thus company closures
- rising taxes - to cope with the economic crisis, the Weimar republic had to increase taxes
Reasons for the rise of Hitler/Nazi Party - Wall Street Crash
Many blamed the political centre parties that had been running the countries. People started to support extremist parties in hope that they could make change. Unemployment and poverty increased and unhappiness with the government - so did support for the NSDAP.
Reasons for the rise of Hitler/Nazi Party - Weak Opposition
Opposition for Nazis was weak and divided - rivals with KDP and SDP who were also enemies for each other - couldn’t be collective against them.
People had lost trust in the parties who ruled during the Great Depression.
Reasons for the rise of Hitler/Nazi Party - Fear of communism
As support for the KDP grew so did support for the NSDAP. They viewed Hitler as their defence from communism - middle and upper classes who wanted nationalists and capitalists.
How did the Nazi Party Appeal to the Upper, Middle and Working Classes?
- Upper classes hated communists
- middle classes had lost their companies, savings and their pensions during the Great Depression - they saw Hitler as a strong leader who could help the country recover - they too were afraid of communism
- working classes mainly voted for the KDP but the name of the party, appealing to workers and the propaganda that emphasised ‘work and bread’ too.
Farmers =
Land would be confiscated if it was owned by Jews.
Hitler would protect them from communists.
Nazis gained 60% of votes in agricultural communities.
The Nazis were quick to use modern technology:
- aeroplanes and jets - Hitler was able to speak to as many as 5 cities on the same day, flying from one venue to the next.
- Goebbels ensured that there were mass rallies
- Radios
- Propaganda - posters everywhere
The Nazis owned 120 daily/ weekly…
NEWSPAPERS
