Why was the popularity of the Nazis in 1928 different to the popularity in 1932?

Answer 1

It is hard to convey the sea change in Germany between those two dates. In 1928 Germany was enjoying the benefits of the Roaring Twenties; the reparations had been rescheduled; the country had been admitted to the League of Nations in 1926 and was no longer an outcast. Culturally, Germany was widely admired. Germany was affected more drastically than any other European country. Unemployment soared to 28-30%; it became impossible to form a viable coalition government and from late 1930 onwards the country was to a large extent governed by decree. Germany polarized sharply into Left and Right. In some of the large cities street fighting between these two groups became common. The traditional elites panicked. The main concerns of the electorate were jobs and living standards. At the same time the Nazis stirred up increased resentments. In some neighbouring countries there were similar developments, and various dicatators came to power. In Germany, however, there was no conventional conservative party with a mass base, and the Nazis filled the gap.