History

How, by 1932, had the Nazi Party become the largest Party in the Reichstag?

Hitler's Nazi party came to power almost entirely because of accidents. In

1929 the American Stock Market crashed, a powerful symbol of the growing

depression. Germany was particularly badly affected, since Germany's

economy was partly dependent on Americas prosperity and a large number of

loans made by America to Germany were called back and the German economy

crashed.

Since the German government suffered badly in the depression the

existing Weimar government, put in place by the victorious allies, was

blamed. Without the depression the government was not particularly liked

since it was indecisive and it had not central power. Hitler used his

twenty-five points from the beginning of the Nazi party. These were a set

of promises appealing to everybody, they included elements of socialism and

told people what they wanted to hear. They promised to stop reparations to

the victors of the First World War, end unemployment, give a strong

leadership and they attacked immigrants and particularly Jews. The

twenty-five points were attractive to those most vulnerable to the

depression, especially ex-soldiers, the unemployed and the middle classes.

In the time of crisis the German people had swung to an extreme group,

and the Nazis were an easy way out, more appealing than the Communists to

the industrialists, and they were also attractive since they apparently

promoted the old and respected German militaristic values. In the hard

times they were effective since the democratic parties could not solve any

of the problems facing Germany. In the 1930 elections the Nazis greatly

increased the number of seats that they held in parliament, by 1932 they

had nearly 200 seats, although they did not have a majority they were the

largest single party.