Why was it Hitler and the Nazi's were able to gain a lot of support?

Revanchism mainly; Germany was destroyed economically bythe Treaty of Versailles and hyperinflation. The NSDAP provided a convenient scapegoat.

Please no smart answers, eg "Google might know".

*gets out history book*
Oh I wrote a 2 paged essay on this.

Would you like main points or the whole thing lol

Please no smart answers, eg "Google might know".

Haha, I have an essay due on it! Have a fair few points but it is worth 60% so need to make it top class lol. Main points would be great! Plagiarism and all that haha

Fair enough!

Right my essay was how he became chancellor so perhaps some of this won't be relevant. But anyway.

1) "behind the scenes" political activity from Hindenburg and Von Papen. After Von Schliefen stood down, the Reichstag was unstable and the president (Hindenburg) needed a strong public speaker to take control, Hitler. They thought they could use his speaking skills to get support for Von Papen's policies and also to keep control of the Communists in Germany. They also thought they could restrict his extreme ideologies, which of course they couldn't. With secret meetings with army leaders, industrialists and politicans, Hitler became chancellor.

2) His speaking skills. After the war the Germans were in a state of despair and depression. Unemployment rate was over 1.8 million in 1920 and over 3.2 million 10 years later. 2 years after that at over 6 million (caused by Wall Street Crash). Hitler tried to appeal to the majority - including middle class, upper class, working class, woman, people from the countryside, industralists, etc. People were looking for a solution to the problems, no matter how extreme. Hitler was very patriotic and believed the ToV was unforgivable and wanted to restore Germany's status. His very powerful aggressive public speaking often won over the public. Also a lot of people turned to Communism; this scared wealthy businessmen and so they funded Hitler. Despite this a lot of German's did still believe he was an extremist and were against his ideologies.

3) The SA, the Nazi's private army (led by Ernst Rohm) were more of a thuggish group who often intimidated the public and other political activists. One event was the Munich Putsch where they took over the streets trying to promote Nazi activities. Also they would attend voting polls and intimidate people to vote for the Nazi's. Meant they got votes from plain fear rather than agreement.

4) Failure of other parties, only 43% of votes so not majority, so if the other parties worked together there was a chance they could have overcome the Nazi's.

5) Goebbels, the minister of propoganda, helped the Nazi's gain recognition (but not popularity, due to Stresemann's foreign policies)

6) Hitler's connection with wealthy businessmen, and Rohm's connection with army leaders, could be supplied ammunition and weapons etc.


Apologies if that doesn't make complete sense I'm a little tired :P

Germany got cripplingly penalised for a war they didn't start.

Mass unemployment and inflation so bad that people took their pay home in wheelbarrows (when people got mugged, it was the wheel barrow that got stolen not the money because it was worth more) and the only solution that worked was to physically burn money. Significant loss of land as well.

This created a lot of resent me to other countries such as france but also individuals such as the november criminals.

Then suddenly this charismatic dude pops up says all their problems are the fault of these people (particularly the november criminals and jewish people), goes on about how the country can be great again, gets people employed and the country working again. So not only has he reduced major problems in the country but he's also given the population a target they can hate and focus on.

You watch political news now. UKIP are doing worryingly well.

We have significant unemployment, significant national financial problems and this upstart is saying its all the fault of a specific group (The EU). Suddenly this party that no one really paid attention to, is getting votes. People that are disenfranchised are voting for something that loudly promises to fix the problems, regardless of the actual views of the party they're suddenly voting for.

Before some Ukipper throws a hissy fit, no I'm not saying UKIP are Nazis (even if they have formed an alliance in the EU with a party of holocaust deniers), I'm simply saying the reason they are gaining momentum is for similar reasons.

Thanks so much!!! Have a good few of the same points, propaganda, the SA and his speaking skills but you have other info that I've left out!

Really appreciate it

Worryingly true!

Thanks for your reply. Never thought of it in that way!

No problem.

I'd recommend watching 'Hitler: The Rise of Evil' where Hitler is played by Robert Carlyle. It depicts Hitler from shortly before WW1 to I think the start of WW2 and Carlyle is brilliant. He really gets across how commanding a presence Hitler could be. I found quite unnerving to watch actually for that reason. You hear that he was charismatic but actually seeing someone playing him the way someone would play a character like churchill or Henry V gets it across very well.

Just looked it up the 2 and a half hour film is on youtube.