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Korrien Richards
Mr. Hawkins
Modern World History-P, Period 3
March 21, 2016
Inquiry Question: Why was the Nazi Party often identified with young men of the lower
middle class? Is there a similar pattern among racist groups today?
Website #1
After spending time in jail and writing his infamous book, Mein Kampf, Hitler decided to take
the legal approach to becoming Germanys ruler. He began to accumulate his following and build
support, but the Nazis received only 2.6 percent of the popular vote and twelve seats in the
Reichstag (website 1). Yet, as the Great Depression developed, Hitler saw an opportunity to
expand his party. During the Depression, unemployment climbed from 1.3 million in 1929
to 5 million in 1930 (website 1). This widespread tragic event mostly victimized the middleclass which is why Hitler aimed his speeches toward economic recovery. He preached about
making drastic change to their government that would benefit the people. Hitlers popularity
surged as German citizens voted with their wallets, and voted for the Nazis (website 1).
Because the people were desperate and vulnerable, Hitler made his appeal to them.
Website #2
The Nazi Party grew substantially. In the elections of September 1930, the Nazis suddenly
rose from obscurity to win more than 18% of the vote and 107 seats in the Reichstag,

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becoming the second largest party (website 2). Although, Hitler had a myriad of supporters,
but needed an extra push to land on top. Armed with only his words, he was able to persuade
most Germans that he was their savior from Depression, the Communists, the Versailles
Treaty and the Jews (website 2). Since Germany was in such an awful place both politically
and economically, Hitler proved himself to be the best leader to satisfy the peoples needs. [He]
won over the bulk of the German farmers, war veterans and the middle-class, who had
been hard hit by the inflation of the 1920s and the unemployment of the Depression
(website 2). The reason that those of the middle class were able to identify with the Nazi Party is
due to the fact that they were the majority and they suffered most. Unemployment was
everywhere and Hitler knew that he only had to sooth their wants, be the voice of the voiceless
people. In the end, he actually did make the change he promoted.
Website #3
It has been argued that governments pay more attention to the lower class and higher class,
ignoring the middle-class, the most important. Many think that the middle-class is the class that
makes up the majority of a country or identification with this class has decreased. For example, it
is said that the term middle class still resonates with politicians, many of whom are
certainly not hesitant to use it to describe those voters their policies are designed to benefit
(website 3). The middle-class has a say in more governmental decisions. In [one politicians]
announcement video, she used the term "everyday Americans" to describe her target
market, eschewing, at least for the moment, the term middle class (website 3). Appeal to
the middle-class is not simply what racists groups do, its a political strategy.

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