Liberals into Nazis George S. Vascik Miami University Hamilton Downtown March 5, 2010

Liberals into Nazis My project –Sources –Historical GIS Why were Germans who voted Liberal before World War I early supporters of the Nazis? –What did German Liberals believe? –What my research shows

My project: Peasants and Jews

Quantity of data 37 newspapers and records found in 30 archives and libraries 290,000+ independent; 120,000+ dependent variables for 582 polling places hours to create database; hours to create GIS; 200+ hours for conference papers Vascik with 1/35 of his data set

simple GIS

GIS and more discrete units

GIS and data over time

Focus area of this study Hamburg Bremen Berlin

Polling places

Types of data village-level election results population and area soil and landscape type land tax livestock holdings confession settlement types railroads, transportation connectivity lists of supporters with occupational information campaigning (ads and tempo)

Findings on pre-War Agrarianism and anti-Semitism before the Great War, party-political anti- Semites were contained within a broad Agrarian-led coalition the most important variables in determining Agrarian voting patterns were tax valuation, population density, and transportation connectivity landscape form (Marsch, Geest, or Moor) framed the Agrarian/Liberal competition

Agrarian dominance,

The Impact of the Great War “no War, no Hitler” The Reichstag election of May 1924 The success of the Racist (Völkisch) coalition, which included the Nazis

1924_ _1 P value R2P value R2P value R2P value R2 All/tax hectare All/pop. density All/RR distance _ _1 P value R2P value R2P value R2P value R2 All/tax/density All/tax/distance All/density/dist All/den/tax/dist Determinants of Racist success in all villages (multiple variables) Determinants of Racist success in all villages (single variable)

Racist percentage of vote,1924

VSB

Racist percentage of vote,1924 Wittmund Bremervörde

Völkisch votes in relation to pre-War Agrarian hegemony, May 1924

Völkisch votes in relation to pre-War Liberal hegemony, May 1924

1924_ _1 P value R2P value R2P value R2P value R2 Ag/tax hectare Ag/pop. density Ag/RR distance _ _1 P value R2P value R2P value R2P value R2 Ag/tax/density Ag/tax/distance Ag/density/dist Ag/den/tax/dist Determinants of Racist success Liberal villages (multiple variables) Determinants of Racist success in Liberal villages (single variable)

Understanding anti-Semitism Why did the anti-Semitic Racist parties exert such appeal in traditionally Liberal areas after 1918? –“Triumph on the Periphery” Why was Nazism resisted in Conservative and traditionalist areas? –“Guardians of Tradition or Agents of Change?”

Why Wittmund?

Votes for the VSB in the election of May 1924

Historic political variables

Post-War political landscape

German liberalism What did German liberals believe? –Nationalism, a strong Germany –Rule of law and constitutional order Neither “democratic” nor egalitarian –“modern” Secularist, opposed to religious orthodoxy Pro-capitalist market economy –Education - “Bildung” Who was Liberal? –Most economically progressive and market- integrated farmers –Small business owners, merchants –The local “great and good”

Why Liberals became Nazis Fear of revolution Economic trauma Effective Racist propaganda

Why Liberals became Nazis Fear of revolution –Proximity to port cities and naval bases –Workers’ and Soldiers’ Councils (soviets) –Looting, strikes –Presence of Home Defense Forces –The “Jewish” nature of the revolution –Republican parties seen as supporters and beneficiaries of the revolution Revolutionary marines in Wilhelmshaven

Why Liberals became Nazis Economic trauma –Confiscatory nature of the war economy and economic controls –Open markets - loss of agricultural protection under the Treaty of Versailles –Inflation and stabilization Best farmers took on most debt Credit shortage 30% interest

Why Liberals became Nazis Effective propaganda –Formerly Liberal areas had least experience of modern politics –Proximity to small Racist groups in harbor towns –Hard-driving, young activists Jan Blankemeyer

Coming in April If Liberals were drawn to Nazism, but about Conservatives? “Loyal to the End: Ludwig Alpers and the Monarchist Opposition to the Rise of National Socialism” Ludwig Alpers

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