How Popular was the Nazi Regime with the German People?
HW HOW POPULAR WAS THE NAZI REGIME WITH THE GERMAN PEOPLE? 19th APR 2014
Although the Nazi regime was not popular with everyone, especially not persecuted minority groups, many people did support the Nazi regime – without the support of Germans the Nazi regime may never have come to power in first place. The Nazis were popular with many German people as they reaped the benefits of the Nazi policies, while other people, for example people who weren’t part of the superior ‘Aryan’ race, paid the price. This caused a large degree of separation between the two groups, as one was benefitting while the other was suffering.
On one hand many people did benefit from Nazi rule. Firstly, workers. Nazi rule saw the return to full employment – rearmament boosted domestic production and industry which created jobs as did public work schemes and conscription. Unemployment fell from 6 million in 1933 to 300,000 in 1939. This was very good for the ‘average’ working class German and it made the Nazi regime popular with them. The widely perceived threat of a Communist seizure of power and Nazi propaganda also helped to keep German people in line.
Perhaps the most obvious group to gain from Nazi rule was the Nazis themselves. For members of the party there was plenty of opportunity for wielding power and accumulating wealth – jobs were given to unemployed Nazis and party membership increased chances of promotion for those who already had jobs.
Furthermore there is no doubt that the Nazi regime was popular with members of the German armed forces. The armed forces benefited from the introduction of conscription (1935) and the remilitarisation of the Rhineland – military expenditure rose significantly from 1935 onwards.
On the other hand many German people did not benefit from the Nazi rule and therefore it was not as popular with them. The German Jews and other minority groups were persecuted and sent to concentration camps. Ultimately, over 6 million Jews alone were
Although the Nazi regime was not popular with everyone, especially not persecuted minority groups, many people did support the Nazi regime – without the support of Germans the Nazi regime may never have come to power in first place. The Nazis were popular with many German people as they reaped the benefits of the Nazi policies, while other people, for example people who weren’t part of the superior ‘Aryan’ race, paid the price. This caused a large degree of separation between the two groups, as one was benefitting while the other was suffering.
On one hand many people did benefit from Nazi rule. Firstly, workers. Nazi rule saw the return to full employment – rearmament boosted domestic production and industry which created jobs as did public work schemes and conscription. Unemployment fell from 6 million in 1933 to 300,000 in 1939. This was very good for the ‘average’ working class German and it made the Nazi regime popular with them. The widely perceived threat of a Communist seizure of power and Nazi propaganda also helped to keep German people in line.
Perhaps the most obvious group to gain from Nazi rule was the Nazis themselves. For members of the party there was plenty of opportunity for wielding power and accumulating wealth – jobs were given to unemployed Nazis and party membership increased chances of promotion for those who already had jobs.
Furthermore there is no doubt that the Nazi regime was popular with members of the German armed forces. The armed forces benefited from the introduction of conscription (1935) and the remilitarisation of the Rhineland – military expenditure rose significantly from 1935 onwards.
On the other hand many German people did not benefit from the Nazi rule and therefore it was not as popular with them. The German Jews and other minority groups were persecuted and sent to concentration camps. Ultimately, over 6 million Jews alone were