Hitlers rise to power (copy)

The SA was an anti-communist group, loyal to the Nazi party. Many members of the group were ex-servicemen. Much of the public (especially business leaders and farmers) feared the communists and therefore supported the SA. The SA shut down any political rally with violence. Many people felt that the SA imposed order while the Weimar republic was unstable and others were scared of them, therefore the SA helped Hitler rise to power.

After the Wall Street crash in America, the US banks recalled their loans causing Germany’s economy crash once again. By 1932, there were 6 million unemployed Germans. The Nazi party’s aims “work, bread and freedom” suddenly became just what the public needed and by 1932, the votes for the Nazi party had surged drastically.

The Nazi party’s hatred of the Treaty of Versailles resonated with many German people as they hated the treaty. Hitler promised to rebuild the German army and stop paying reparations to the allies, therefore abolishing the treaty.

Hitler and the Nazis promised to get people back their jobs and provide food (“work, bread and freedom”). They gained support in all areas of German society, including powerful industrialists, farmers, and the elderly. They offered a strong repose to communism as well as organized simple ideas which was appealing to the German people as the Weimar republic was complex and unstable.

Hitler appointed Joseph Goebbels to take charge of propaganda and he was very efficient at spreading the Nazi message. Both Goebbels and Hitler believed that the best way to reach to the masses was to appeal to the public’s feelings. Posters and leaflets were everywhere. He organized rallies, which “won people over” with their size, simple, well-structured ideas, and enthusiasm.

Hitler was a very powerful speaker who moved masses with his emotive words and well-structured ideas. He used negative cohesion, meaning the Nazi party did not gain peoples support because they shared the Nazi views, but because they shared the Nazi fears and dislikes.