The document summarizes the rise of the Nazi party in Germany between 1930-1933, enabled by the economic crisis following the Wall Street crash. It describes how unemployment and economic hardship boosted support for the Nazis and Communists, with the Nazis receiving over 6 million votes in 1930, becoming the second largest party. Through tactics like gaining industrialist support, founding the SA and using mass propaganda, the Nazis saw their vote share increase further to 37% by 1932, though Hindenburg refused to appoint Hitler chancellor. Political instability followed until January 1933, when Hindenburg finally appointed Hitler chancellor with von Papen as vice-chancellor.

1. DEPTH STUDY
NAZI GERMANY
HITLER DOMINATING
GERMANY BY 1934
HITLER BECOMING
CHANCELLOR BY 1933
9

2. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
THE NAZIS AND WORLD ECONOMIC
DEPRESSION
• The world depression transformed the prospects of the Nazi
Party.
• In Germany there were wage cuts, short-time working,
unemployment, homelessness, and poverty on a scale never
seen before.
• The established parties that made up the Weimar coalitions,
such as Social Democrats, took the blame.
• Voters changed support to the parties that had been the most
critical of the Weimar coalitions, the Communists and the
Nazis.
• The breakthrough point for the Nazis came in the general
election of September 1930.

3. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
THE EFFECTS OF THE WALL STREET
CRASH ON GERMANY
• By 1929 Hitler and the Nazi Party were placed to benefit
from any disaster .
• Between 1929 and 1932 the Depression hit Germany very
hard.
INDICATOR 1929 1932
Unemployment (millions) 1.4 5.6
Wages (1913=100) 169 113
Government income (1928-1929) 9 6.6
Government expenditure on welfare
services
102 106

4. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
THE NAZIS AND WORLD ECONOMIC
DEPRESSION
• No one could afford to buy goods.
• Unemployment rose but unemployment pay was cut.
• This caused major disagreement and the fall of the
government.
• Although government expenditure on welfare services
increased a little bit, its income fell by one-third.
• By 1933 Germany appeared bankrupt.

5. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
INCREASING NUMBER OF VOTES
• Unemployment stood at more than 2 million and the
Nazis polled over 6 million votes, making them the second
largest party in the Reichstag next to the Social Democrats.
• The Communists, with more than 4.5 million votes were
the third largest party.
• Between the elections of May 1928 and July 1932, the
percentage of votes cast for the Nazi Party in the
Reichstag elections leapt from 2.6% to 37.4%.

6. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS 1930-1932
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1930 September 1932 July 1932 November
Percentage of the Nazis and Communists
Nazis Communists

7. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
THE WEAKNESS OF THE GOVERNMENT
• Between March 1930 and January 1931, none of the three
governments of BRUNING, VON PAPEN AND SCHLEICHER
was able to rule with a majority in the Reichstag.
• President Hindenburg had to use his powers under the
Weimar Republic Constitution to rule by decree.
• This was because parties did not agree about whether to
tax workers or employers to pay the unemployed.
• Others argued that unemployment benefits should be cut.
• In 1930 Chancellor Bruning called an election.
• There were big gains for the Nazis and the Communists.
The Reichstag was even more unmanageable.

8. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
PRESIDENT HINDENBURG CHOICES
• President Hindenburg acted constitutionally, but it is clear
that he preferred to rule by decree, rather than allowing
the Communists or the Nazis into power.
• He refused Hitler’s demand to be made Chancellor.

9. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
HITLER’S TACTICS
• Hitler gained the support of the industrialists.
• Sturm Abteilung was founded.
• Hitler himself was important for the Nazi success.
• The use of propaganda was massive.

10. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
GAINING SUPPORT FROM THE
INDUSTRIALISTS
• Hitler gained the support of the industrialists.
• People like Alfred Hugenberg and Fritz
Thyssen liked Hitler’s ideas because they
have reacted against the Young Plan.
• This provided money and media coverage.
• Most financial support still came from
ordinary people’s contributions at meetings.

11. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
THE STURM ABTEILUNG WAS FOUNDED
• The SA gave
invaluable
support.
• They provided
over 100
“martyrs” to the
cause and
focused
attention against
the Communists.
• Their disciplined
militarism

12. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
HITLER WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE NAZI
SUCCESS
• He refused to cooperate with any
other party unless he was given the
Chancellorship and power to rule
without the Reichstag.
• Support for the Nazis rose in each
election.
• He used the latest technology, such as
loudspeakers, slide shows, films and
the first aerial political campaign
“Fuhrer over Germany” (Hitler uber
Deutschland), in the 1932 campaign.

13. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
NAZIS AND PROPAGANDA
• Over the next 18 months, the economy continued to
deteriorate and the Nazis used any opportunity to attack
the coalition.
• The propaganda machine, led by Josef Goebbels, was
working at full capacity as the Party message was spread
by thousands of posters, pamphlets.
• Those already faithful to the Party were invited to attend
torch-lit parades and mass rallies.
• The Nazis were the masters of spectacle and technology.

14. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
NAZIS AND PROPAGANDA
• During the 1932 presidential election, when Hitler stood
against Hindenburg, the Nazi leader was flown by
aeroplane from one speaking venue to the next one,
visiting 5 cities per day.
• The depression also boosted the fortunes of the
Communists, who argued that the root of the problem is
the capitalist system.
• Nazis portrayed themselves as the defender of the actual
system, calling the Communist as “scheming
revolutionaries” together with the Jews.
• Wealthy industrialists began contributing to the Nazi Party

15. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
POLITICAL MANOEUVERINGS 1932-1933
• During the general elections of July 1932, the
unemployment reached 6 million.
• Nazis became the largest party in the Reichstag with 13
million votes.
• Normally, the leader of the largest party was expected to
become a chancellor, but president Hindenburg had no
intentions of appointing a man he had privately described
as “the vulgar little corporal”.
• Instead, Franz von Papen (from Centre Party) was invited
to form a government.
• Without Nazi cooperation, von Papen was unable to

16. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
Franz von Papen Kurt von Schleicher

17. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
1932-1933
• The Nazis lost 2 million votes and 34 seats in this election,
they remained the largest party in the Reichstag.
• Von Papen couldn’t form the government and Von
Schleicher (former general) tried to form the next
government.
• Towards the end of January, von Papen (who was von
Schleicher’s rival) persuaded Hindenburg to appoint Hitler
as chancellor and himself as vice-chancellor.
• Hitler was to be offered 3 positions in a total of 12
ministers.