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How did the economic depression help the Nazis?


The Wall Street Crash in October 1929 led to a world economic depression. Germany felt the impact of the Wall Street Crash earlier than many other European countries because so much US money had been pumped into the German economy since 1925 in the form of short-term loans. These loans were rapidly called in by American banks, resulting in a sudden fall in industrial output. Factories were forced to close or reduce their workforce. The result was increasing unemployment which soon brought millions of families to the brink of poverty and despair. Some historians believe that without the world depression the Weimar Republic would have survived and Hitler would not have gained power. So what impact did the economic depression have on Germany's political parties? To find out study the sources below and complete the task.

Source 1: A table showing the number of seats won by the main parties in the Reichstag in the elections of 1928-1932

Political Party
Date of Election
May 1928
Sept 1930
July 1932
Nov 1932
NSDAP (Nazis)
12
107
230
196
Nationalists
79
41
40
51
People's Party
45
30
7
11
Centre
61
68
75
70
Democrats
25
14
4
2
Social Democrats
152
143
133
121
KPD (Communists)
54
77
89
100

Source 2: A table showing unemployment figures in Germany, 1928-33

Year
Number Unemployed
1928
1,862,000
1929
2,850,000
1930
3,217,000
1931
4,886,000
1932
6,042,000
 

 

 



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