Popular support, 1933-45 Flashcards
(9 cards)
How did the Nazis win support?
- Propaganda
- Awarded compliance
- Resonated with people with similar beliefs
- People who benefitted from their rule
Use of propaganda
- Tied people together with unifying ideas, like the derogatory image of a Jewish man, shown in ‘Der Ewige Jude’ and ‘Jud Suss’, and also the image of the German empire through films like ‘Olympia’ and ‘Triumph of the Will’.
- The Volksempfanger (the people’s receiver) broadcasted Hitler’s speeches and nazi approved stations. It was a cheap radio and was owned by 70% in 1939.
- There were different approaches to film, however, as Goebbels wanted to subtly drip feed it in film (only 1/6 of the almost 2000 films made during the era had a strong political message). His purpose for film was escapism, otherwise the average filmgoer may be put off. Hitler wanted films to have a clear message, like ‘Triumph of the Will’ and ‘Der Ewige Jude’.
- The Hitler Myth
The Hitler Myth
Hitler was represented as:
- A messiah figure saving Germany from communism
- A representative, a spokesperson for all Germans
- Someone who stood up for Germanic values.
It allowed Germans to feel loyalty and respect for Hitler and increased support for the regime
How effective was propaganda?
- It was widespread, for example the Volkempfager by 1939 (70% of homes)
- More effective at cementing pre-existing racial beliefs, and less effective at creating new ones.
Apparent achievements as a reason for support
- The economy had improved in the early years due to the Reinhardt Programme which created many jobs and decreased unemployment which stood at 1.2% in 1936. They painted this as some sort of ‘miracle’ thanks to Hitler.
- They had left the League of Nations and remilitarised the Rhineland in 1936 which boosted national pride
Events of national pride
- Reich Harvest Festival
- Hitler’s birthday
- The 1936 Berlin Olympics, where the German’s won 33 golds
The WW1 youth
Likely to support the Nazis. Were in school during WW1 so were only exposed to the patriotic nature of it, idolising the soldiers. However when they lost, their blame turned towards socialists and democrats. Therefore the Nazi promise to overturn Versailles may have sat well with them, as they were probably in their 30s at the time.
The middle class
Likely to have lost their savings in the hyperinflation crisis, and then found employment hard to come by after the Depression. As well as this, Bruning’s policy of austerity made it difficult for those in government and civil service because of wage cuts. Therefore, the nazi promise to create jobs for the educated, as the Restoration of the Civil Service meant that Jews were expelled and freed up jobs for Aryans. The middle class also had no opponents in the form of socialists. The KPD and SPD were banned.
Working Class
Most important thing here is the DAF under Robert Ley. Unemployment was kept down and the Beauty through Labour group incentivised workers. However, as consumer goods were pushed to the side through the mid-late 30s after the implementation of the Four Year Plan, less people were buying goods.
