starter activity

How will future historians be able to work out who voted New Labour? How does this differ for historians trying to work out who voted for the Nazi Party?

Possible answersPossible answers

Opinion pollsOpinion polls Voting statisticsVoting statistics Membership recordsMembership records Campaigns in the media – e.g. TV, Campaigns in the media – e.g. TV,

radio & newspapersradio & newspapers Individual interviewsIndividual interviews

Your taskYour task

Copy the list of different types of Copy the list of different types of Germans on p. 118 of Hite & Hinton Germans on p. 118 of Hite & Hinton into your notes and decide on the into your notes and decide on the basis of what you currently know basis of what you currently know whether they would vote Nazi (+), or whether they would vote Nazi (+), or not (-) or you aren’t sure (?)not (-) or you aren’t sure (?)

NSDAP votersNSDAP voters Low ranking civil Low ranking civil

servantservant Retired professorRetired professor Army generalArmy general Shopkeeper in Shopkeeper in

northern Germanynorthern Germany Female industrial Female industrial

workerworker JunkerJunker Catholic priestCatholic priest Protestant small Protestant small

retailerretailer

Industrial workerIndustrial worker High-ranking civil High-ranking civil

servantservant Protestant studentProtestant student Small farmerSmall farmer Catholic unemployed Catholic unemployed

workerworker Unemployed ex-Unemployed ex-

soldiersoldier Unemployed artistUnemployed artist

Who voted Nazi?Who voted Nazi?

Historiographical problems in Historiographical problems in finding out about early finding out about early support for the NSDAPsupport for the NSDAP

How can we tell who How can we tell who voted Nazivoted Nazi

Problems- lack of opinion Problems- lack of opinion polls, secret ballotspolls, secret ballots

Some states held separate Some states held separate ballots for men & women ballots for men & women (blue & pink voting slips)(blue & pink voting slips)

Nazis did well in certain Nazis did well in certain areas, e.g. overwhelmingly areas, e.g. overwhelmingly Protestant, or farming Protestant, or farming areasareas

Membership records – SA Membership records – SA & Nazi Party& Nazi Party

Propaganda – who they Propaganda – who they appealed toappealed to

Autobiographies, e.g. Prof Autobiographies, e.g. Prof Abel, Columbia Uni, 581 Abel, Columbia Uni, 581 autobiogs.autobiogs.

What are some of the problems with these sources of evidence?

Why have historians views Why have historians views changed?changed?

Decline of Marxist theory Decline of Marxist theory of history – class struggle, of history – class struggle, oppression of working oppression of working classes by middle & elite classes by middle & elite classesclasses

More sophisticated More sophisticated analysis of voting analysis of voting behaviour – e.g. greater behaviour – e.g. greater importance attached to importance attached to religion & culturereligion & culture

More sophisticated data More sophisticated data analysis – use of analysis – use of computerised analysis, computerised analysis, local studieslocal studies

Collapse of Communism & Collapse of Communism & opening of state archivesopening of state archives

The fall of the Berlin Wall heralded the end of Communism and the opening of many state archives on Nazi Germany

Your taskYour task

Look at source 7.10 (p.119, Hite & Look at source 7.10 (p.119, Hite & Hinton). Hinton).

List 2 groups that were over-represeList 2 groups that were over-represented & 2 groups that were under-repnted & 2 groups that were under-representedresented

How did membership of the party chHow did membership of the party change between 1929 and 1933?ange between 1929 and 1933?

What does source 7.11 tell us about tWhat does source 7.11 tell us about the nature of Nazi support?he nature of Nazi support?

Over represented = white-collar Over represented = white-collar workers & self-employed artisansworkers & self-employed artisans

Under-represented = Peasants, Under-represented = Peasants, workersworkers

Membership of workers increased Membership of workers increased from 26 to 32.5%, possibly due to from 26 to 32.5%, possibly due to rising unemployment & economic rising unemployment & economic crisiscrisis

Membership of white-collar workers Membership of white-collar workers decreased, possibly due to fear at decreased, possibly due to fear at the growth in popularity of radical the growth in popularity of radical movement like NSDAPmovement like NSDAP

7.11 suggests many workers were 7.11 suggests many workers were attracted to NSDAP by promise of attracted to NSDAP by promise of greater social welfare (clothing, greater social welfare (clothing, accommodation & board) & a feeling accommodation & board) & a feeling that the SDP had abandoned its that the SDP had abandoned its socialist cause. socialist cause.

Your taskYour task

Look through the different tables on Look through the different tables on p.120-1 and note where NSDAP p.120-1 and note where NSDAP support was strongest in the support was strongest in the following categories:following categories: ReligionReligion AgeAge GenderGender RegionRegion Chronology (i.e. how did historical Chronology (i.e. how did historical

events impact on Nazi support)events impact on Nazi support)

Your taskYour task

Historians are divided in their Historians are divided in their analysis of who supported the Nazis. analysis of who supported the Nazis. Read through the sources on p.122-3 Read through the sources on p.122-3 and complete the table on p.122.and complete the table on p.122.

Why did people support the Why did people support the Nazis?Nazis?

Can you explain the appeal of these Nazi propaganda posters? Are they appealing to the

same sorts of people?

Your taskYour task

Copy the table below and study one of the Copy the table below and study one of the sources. Feedback as a class and compare sources. Feedback as a class and compare your findings. (5 columns, 11 rows)your findings. (5 columns, 11 rows)SourceSource Group Group

directed atdirected atTheir Their

grievancesgrievancesWhat the What the NSDAP NSDAP offeredoffered

Other Other comments?comments?

Your taskYour task

Read p. 118-126 (Hite & Hinton) Read p. 118-126 (Hite & Hinton) Write a CV for a typical Nazi voter Write a CV for a typical Nazi voter using the template on the history using the template on the history website.website.

Your taskYour task

You have been commissioned by the Nazi party You have been commissioned by the Nazi party to produce a poster for the 1932 presidential to produce a poster for the 1932 presidential campaign. Before committing to print the campaign. Before committing to print the NSDAP have asked you to send them a NSDAP have asked you to send them a design briefdesign brief for the poster. Decide which for the poster. Decide which socio-economicsocio-economic group the poster will group the poster will focus its message on, what focus its message on, what grievancesgrievances will will be expressed and what the NSDAP will be be expressed and what the NSDAP will be offering to offering to redressredress the situation. Write a the situation. Write a paragraph describing your poster – the more paragraph describing your poster – the more adventurous may wish to include a sketch as adventurous may wish to include a sketch as well.well.

Your taskYour task

Read p.126-7 and list the different Read p.126-7 and list the different ways in which historians have ways in which historians have explained the popularity of the Nazi explained the popularity of the Nazi Party.Party.

Historian’s assessment – Historian’s assessment – why did Germans support why did Germans support

the Nazis?the Nazis? Emotional appeal of Emotional appeal of

NazisNazis Petty bourgeoisiePetty bourgeoisie

under threat from under threat from big business and big business and radical working radical working classclass

Popular amongst Popular amongst Germans from weak, Germans from weak, unsupportive unsupportive communitiescommunities What qualities did the Fuhrer offer

that inspired such devoted support?

Propaganda, mass Propaganda, mass rallies (however, rallies (however, Noakes argues Noakes argues NSDAP were NSDAP were successful in elections successful in elections where there was little where there was little use of propaganda)use of propaganda)

Successful economic Successful economic policies (Brustein) – policies (Brustein) – alternative to Marxist alternative to Marxist state planning & state planning & laissez-faire laissez-faire capitalismcapitalism

How could the construction of autobahn be seen as a

propaganda exercise?

Anti-CommunismAnti-Communism Anti-Semitism, racialist & homophobic policies Anti-Semitism, racialist & homophobic policies

appealed to extremists or those with scores to appealed to extremists or those with scores to settle (however, Goldstein, argues anti-settle (however, Goldstein, argues anti-Semitism not crucial in electoral successesSemitism not crucial in electoral successes

What is the message behind this anti-

Semitic Nazi propaganda?

Your taskYour task

Read sources 7.34 and 7.35 and Read sources 7.34 and 7.35 and explain the differences between the explain the differences between the two views. two views.

How far do you agree with the How far do you agree with the explanation for Nazi support as explanation for Nazi support as ‘complementary rather than ‘complementary rather than competing’?competing’?