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History Assignment Week 3

Timur Shah 24/9/18

“The Nazis failed in their attempt to win the hearts and minds of the German people”.
How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.

During Nazi rule, there were mixed feelings of trust of the Nazis amongst the German
people. Saying that the Nazis outright failed in winning the people’s hearts and minds,
however, wouldn’t be entirely true, as the evidence would suggest that this wasn’t
always the case with the population.

To start with, many liked the work being done by the Nazis, and commended Hitler for
his resilience and strengthening Germany again after the weak Weimar Republic and
the miserable Great Depression. Hitler remilitarised the Rhineland, which was received
favourably by nationalists and imperialists. For those who were upset about the Treaty
of Versailles, the Germany managed to secure some victories pertaining to foreign
affairs in the time between 1933 and 1935. In addition to that, the Nazi values of
discipline and tradition were popular amongst the people.

A reason that the Nazis won the hearts of the people is that Germans were glad to be out
of the Great Depression and rid of the Republic, but a reason that the Nazis won the
minds of the people is that the change pursued by the Nazis was generally supported,
and it was realised that Nazis were the only option, so what would the harm have been
in supporting them? The Nazis were the only option politically because in 1933, Hitler
banned all other parties, thus reducing the choices. The Nazis’ use of propaganda also
increased their support, showing pictures of an ideal Germany that all Germans would
want.

On the other hand, it can be argues that the Nazis did not win the minds of the people
because of the level of fear in Germany. People feared for their jobs, and so relied on
Nazis for support. People feared for the economy, and so relied on Nazis to fix it. And,
people feared for their safety, and came to the conclusion that publicly supporting the
Nazis would at least guarantee them that. Hitler was using the most powerful weapon at
his disposal, fear. The rumours of concentration camps spread, and the uncertainty of
the punishments terrified the Germans.

Also, Hitler implemented censorship into the German society, so the news people
received was written by the Nazis. Those outside of Germany were possibly more aware
of what was actually happen than those within the country itself. Most of the population
were unaware of the lies they were being told, but those who did know, were too scared
to act on it. Finally, the portrayal of Hitler as a God-like figure in the Nazi propaganda
worked well enough to allow several Germans to think of him as one.

In conclusion, it is clear to say, after reviewing the evidence, that the Nazis did not
succeeding in winning the hearts and minds of the people, as most were complying
through fear or misunderstanding. Granted, there were some who supported the
policies of the Nazis, but the majority of those who went along with the Nazis had little
to no other choice, and did so only out of necessity.

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