40108490
Description
| Question | Answer |
| Support- overview | The two elections in 1932 put them significantly ahead of their main opposition. When they came to power in 1933, the last free elections to take place in Germany until after the War, in March 1933, compounded this support. The Nazis continued to remain popular amongst the German people throughout the 1930s and even, amongst many, until the end of the War in 1945. |
| Why was support needed | Widespread support was essential to the Nazis. The Thousand Year Reich could not be secured without the support and following of the German people. If this support could be won over genuinely, then it would be easier to retain, however, and despite their best efforts at securing a totalitarian regime, the Nazis could not win over the ‘hearts and minds’ of the entire population. Here, terror played its part, and yet there were still those who remained detached from any efforts and would simply never support the regime. |
| Active support | openly demonstrated their support for the regime. Those who go out of their way to show their support through various acts, from giving the Heil Hitler salute to hanging the swastika flag outside their house. From sending their children to Hitler Youth to voluntarily joining the party. |
| Tacit support | could find itself through conformity, rather than active participation. If you didn’t oppose, then by conforming you were offering tacit support to the regime. Whilst this never demonstrated the enthusiasm that the Nazis would have prefered, conforming menat you were not opposing and consequently, you were under control. |
| Broad reasons for support- for all groups | Hitler Propaganda Successful Economic policies Successful Foreign Policy Terror |
| Hitler | His charisma, ability to tap into what the people wanted, the strong, powerful persona he projected all contributed to his broad appeal amongst the public. Hitler Myth was essential to the Nazis maintaining support for the regime. People believed that he was this all powerful, all consuming leader who had nothing but their best interests at heart and would always act for the greater good of the German people, with his ability to always know what was best for the people, even if they didn’t know it themselves. |
| Propoganda | Everywhere- With its very own ministry, commanded over by Goebbels, the significance of the impact propaganda could have was not missed by the Nazis and great effort was placed upon it. Propaganda could be used to both reinforce the successes of the regime, for example with foreign or economic policy, as well as to highlight the failings or weaknesses of their opposition - it could be used for both positive or negative purposes. You were not allowed to forget what the regime had done for you or Germany and similarly you were under no illusion of how their ‘enemies’ were treated or thought of. |
| Economic policy | The Nazis economic policy followed three stages: Recovery Rearmament Total War Each of these affected reasons for support. When the Nazis came to power in 1933, 5.5 million people were out of a job. This had to be dealt with, and it was. Providing people with a job generated a level of support which also in turn created sense of loyalty that led to more long lasting support. |
| Foreign policy | The German people longed to right the wrongs of Versailles and the initial successes of Nazi foreign policy therefore generated a great deal of support. This peakedin 1941 with the surrender of France and the initial unresounding success of the Second World War. Foreign policy was only able to generate support as long as it was successful though, as clearly demonstrated from 1942 onwards, when, as the War started to turn against Germany, there were a obvious decline in levels of general ‘active’ support at the same time as a rise in both lower level opposition and examples of resistance. |
| Terror | Terror as a reason for support is difficult to reconcile. Simply because, unlike the other broader reasons, it doesn’t generate genuine support. If you support the regime because you are scared of what will happen if you don’t, is that really support? All the other reasons listed create genuine support for the regime, and as long as the policies surrounding them remain successful, they will continue to generate support. Terror, however, doesn’t create genuine support and so has to be maintained at a particular level throughout in order for it to be effective. |
| Terror P2 | Undoubtedly, as a police state, the Nazis utilised the power of terror effectively across the regime. No german was left in doubt of what would happen if they ‘disobeyed’ the regime. However, despite this, there were many examples of opposition, both low level and more extreme, indicating that whilst it was effective, it didn’t work on all. |
0 comments
Want to create your own Flashcards for free with GoConqr? Learn more.