Essay
A* Level AQA A Level History Democracy and Nazism Sample Essay (Fear of communism)
- Course
- Institution
- Book
A* Level AQA A Level History Sample Essay (Fear of communism)
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
More summaries for
-
AQA A Level history Democracy and Nazism example essay plan (weimar republci)
-
AQA A Level History Democracy and Nazism example essay - A* standard (backstairs intrigue 1933)
-
AQA A Level history Democracy and Nazism example essay - A* standard (fear of communism)
Seller
Follow
rachelrevises
Reviews received
Content preview
‘Fear of communism was the main reason why increasing numbers of Germans votedfor the Nazis in the years 1930-1932.’
Assess the validity of this view.
In the years 1930 -1932 the Nazi party was able to increase it's vote share hugely from just
6.4 million in 1930 to over 13.7 million in July 1932. There are many reasons why the Nazis
were able to achieve such a vast feat; some of this was because the KPD were also
increasing their vote rapidly and so many ordinary voters supported the NAzis in order to
avoid communism which they feared as they didn’t want their property or wealth to be seized
by the state. However there were other reasons too, including the appeal of the Nazis
themselves, who now had policies designed to correct the failings of the Weimar Republic
such as saving the economy and abolishing the Treaty of Versailles.
By 1932, the Communist party had gained over 2 million votes in 4 years, meaning that it
genuinely was a major political force in Germany. In May 1928, they received 10.8% of the
vote, yet by July 1932 it was at 14.3%, rising further to 16.9% in November of the same year.
It had 100 seats in the 491 seat Reichstag, creating a genuine dilemma for many Germans
that there was the prospect that this success would be exponential and by the time the next
general election came around, they would be the largest party and therefore have serious
control over Germany and the ability to change Germany, in their eyes, for the worse. This
threat was enough to make many ordinary communism-fearing Germans vote for the only
party who they believed could beat the KPD: the Nazis. As a result of the rise in Communist
votes, the Nazis too were able to increase their vote share, by playing off the people’s fears -
becoming the largest party in the Reichstag with 37.3% of the vote in 1932. This tactic
worked because by 1933, the KPD had started to lose votes. Therefore it was due to fear of
communism that the Nazis increased their vote share in the years 1930-1932.
The main element of fearing the communist party was fearing the loss of property and
wealth. This was particularly apparent within the wealthy elites who were businessmen or
industrialists and wanted to keep their wealth - with which came it's own influence and
power. Though it wasn’t just the wealthy who valued the ability to own their own property, it
was also white-coolared workers, farmers, the self-employed and civil servants. The fear of
the elites was clear through the donations that many, including Hugenberg and Thyssen,
gave to the Nazi party with the aim of preventing a Communist government coming to power,
believing thst the only party who could beat them was the Nazis. Therefore the fear of
communism was an important factor in the Nazis gaining votes in the period of 1930-1932 as
millions wanted to avoid the confiscation of their property and wealth.
Additionally, fear of communism came when voters saw KPD policies which then drove them
to vote Nazi in the years 1930 - 1932. This was in part due to the link between the German
KPD party and the USSR, so German citizens could see from afar what communism was
doing to the country. And as a proud country, many Germans did not want to be ruled from
Moscow in the way that the KPD itself had taken orders directly from the Kremlin. The
German national pride also was a factor in driving voters to the Nazis because the KPD was
committed to demilitarisation and was an anti-war party, as a proud military nation (even
created through wars in the late 19th century), this policy was simply unacceptable to
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller rachelrevises. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.86. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
67474 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now