Depending on the amount of class time available as well as background provided in course and unit, students may read context articles in Resources.
Instructor discusses political platforms generally including their intent and content. Three abbreviated political platforms from 1932 are distributed to each student. Check to determine understanding of key vocabulary and concepts, including Communism, for example. Have students read platforms.
Divide class into seven groups. Ask students to read their assigned case study (based on real citizens of the time) and discuss which of the three parties the person would vote for. Remind them this is during the Depression, it is a democratic system, and the Nazis are not in power. Each group should answer the following questions and pick a spokesperson to report:
- Briefly, who is the citizen—profession and social/economic strata (upper, middle, lower class)? Students should not simply read the description.
- Which party got their vote? If there, is disagreement, there can be a “minority report.”
- Briefly, what was the attraction or main motivation? (for example, fear of Communism, nationalism, anger about some part of the Versailles treaty, jobs, moral values, national security, career opportunity, economic stability, etc.)
Students discuss and choose a party and deliberate on reasons for choice. Instructor should circulate for observation and to answer questions during discussion period.
Prepare a chart on an overhead, computer projection, or blackboard. The chart should have four columns:
- Name (teacher lists seven voters)
- Who? (description)
- Vote? (student responses)
- Why? (student responses)
List key points of Versailles treaty (limitation of military, loss of territory, loss of population, massive reparations, blame for war). Instructor will refer to this list during discussion.
When all groups are ready, process information. Ask representatives from each group to present answers and fill in chart accordingly. Ask for clarifications as needed. If time allows, ask why voter did not vote for one or both of the other two choices. If there is disagreement, allow other choice representative to explain reasoning.
Inform students that during this election, there were four likely Nazi voters (Munchen, Von Ronheim, Struts, and Schultz). Often students may decide one or all of the other three voted for the Nazi Party. (They have not gotten the wrong answer if they chose incorrectly.) This underscores that the Nazis may have interested many people. It is not clear who the other three voted for.
Circle the four Nazi voters on the chart. Circle the descriptions of the four Nazi voters profession/class. Ask students either: "What do you see?" or "Who is a typical Nazi voter?" The answer is that there was not a typical Nazi voter.
KEY CONCEPT: The Nazis had broad appeal to many segments of the German population.
Next, students consider the column listing reasons for voting. Circle the reasons for the Nazi voters.
Ask either: "What do you see?" or "What don’t you see?" If they are still stumped, ask them what policy or ideology do most people think of first when the Nazi Party is discussed. Antisemitism will not arise in the chart.
KEY CONCEPT: Everyone knew from the first that the Nazis blamed the Jews for Germany's problems and they wanted the Jews to leave Germany. BUT, there were other reasons to vote for the Nazis as well (such as fear of Communism, national pride, the thirst for a strong leader, anger about the Versailles treaty, economic issues both in the cities and in the countryside). Again, emphasize that these results do not diminish the centrality of antisemitism to the Nazi platform, but that other facets had appeal.
As time allows, relate this exercise to contemporary affairs in terms of how and why people vote: single issue? ranking concerns? propaganda and campaign information distribution, etc. Ask students what they expect of their government today.
Conclude with a reiteration of the two key concepts.
- Class participation
- Journal or essay assignment involving motivations for voting, then and now