NSDAP victory in 1933: "Lippe must be a success"

If you risk a lot, you can win a lot – or lose everything After more than four years of constant success and regular, mostly spectacular increases in votes, the NSDAP suffered a significant setback on November 6, 1932: In the second Reichstag election in just over three months, the Hitler movement lost significantly for the first time

A good two million fewer voters than in the nationwide election on July 31, 1932 voted for her; their share fell from 37 3 to 33

6 percent, the number of mandates from 230 to 196 “Results are bad

Disgusting choking,” said the Berlin Nazi Gauleiter Joseph Goebbels angrily: “Now we are faced with heavy fighting The party must be maintained, the spirit lifted, the organization strengthened

” Many ordinary members were now unsettled Had National Socialism already passed its peak? In order to thwart this impression, a convincing victory was absolutely necessary - Hitler knew that

So he played va banque, put everything on one card – namely on the Free State of Lippe The regular state elections were held there on January 15, 1933

Lippe, located in Westphalia around the cities of Detmold and Lemgo, had a total of around 175,000 inhabitants, of whom 117,286 were eligible to vote, and was smaller than most of the individual districts of the Reich capital Berlin Politically, this country had almost no importance

But all of a sudden that changed Because Hitler absolutely needed a victory

In the last state election in Lippe in 1929, the NSDAP won exactly 2,713 votes, i e

3 4 percent

After an interim high during the Reichstag election on 31 On July 6, 1932, with 42,280 votes, the National Socialists had fallen back sharply on November 6, to just 33,938 votes: a minus of almost a quarter

But in no other non-city area (the NSDAP was always weaker in the cities anyway, because of the larger proportion of unionized industrial workers) could the election campaign be so focused on the most important asset of the brown movement, namely Hitler, as in Lippe And so he stayed in Lippe from the late evening of January 4th until the morning of January 15th, with the exception of a very short detour to Berlin on January 10th and 11th, a total of just 31 hours

During this time he appeared at 17 election campaign events, reaching well over 70,000 listeners - theoretically two out of three eligible voters Although many Nazi supporters may have taken the opportunity to hear their idol more than once

In terms of content, his statements were similar, as is usually the case: not cabinets and conferences, not plans and programs are capable of solving the problems, but "only fundamental and thorough reconstruction that begins with the people themselves" As in the long-term election campaign in 1932, which involved four nationwide votes, Hitler was noticeably reticent about his usual anti-jewish attacks at public events

The reason was simple: he didn't want to scare off middle-class swing voters with statements that were too radical Not only Hitler personally campaigned in Lippe

Joseph Goebbels, who was the best NSDAP speaker next to him, also drove from Berlin to Westphalia three times in less than two weeks although his wife Magda was "completely discouraged" in the clinic

"Lippe must be a success," he noted in his diary: "We have done everything for it " The result came on January 16, 1933 around noon

Of the 117,286 eligible voters, 99,812 exercised their right to vote, i e

a little over four-fifths: the turnout was high, significantly higher than in 1929 Exactly 871 voters had cast invalid ballots, knowingly or unknowingly, so that 98,941 valid votes remained

The NSDAP received 39,064 or 39 48 percent of these, putting it well ahead but still below the result of July 31, 1932

The SPD achieved 29,827 votes or 30 14 percent; it was below its 31 July result but above that of 6 November

Even the differences were somewhat similar to those of the Hitler party Nevertheless, the headline of “Vorwärts”, the most important SPD newspaper, in the evening edition of January 16, 1933: “Social Democratic success in Lippe”

That was an interpretation that one had to come up with first In the comment, the newspaper wrote: "If there is a fight, the SPD will stand its ground and muster all its strength to continue the positive progress that the election in Lippe has brought

" The editorial, which was not signed by name as was customary at the time, drove continued: "Social democracy is and remains the natural counterforce to all forms of reaction in general's trousers as well as in SA jackets The more desolate it is over there and the more grotesquely the incompetence of the national right manifests itself, the more certain the day of revenge and victory will come for them

” Goebbels was closer to reality On the night of the 16th on January 17, 1933, he noted: “Lippe is our great President

Keep it up!” Two weeks later, Hitler was the new head of the Reich Chancellery in Berlin You can also find "World History" on Facebook

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In order to thwart this impression, a convincing victory was absolutely necessary - Hitler knew that So he played va banque, put everything on one card – namely on the Free State of Lippe The regular state elections were held there on January 15, 1933 Lippe, located in Westphalia around the cities of Detmold and Lemgo, had a total of around 175,000 inhabitants, of whom 117,286 were eligible to vote, and was smaller than most of the individual districts of the Reich capital Berlin Politically, this country had almost no importance But all of a sudden that changed Because Hitler absolutely needed a victory In the last state election in Lippe in 1929, the NSDAP won exactly 2,713 votes, i e 3 4 percent After an interim high during the Reichstag election on 31 On July 6, 1932, with 42,280 votes, the National Socialists had fallen back sharply on November 6, to just 33,938 votes: a minus of almost a quarter But in no other non-city area (the NSDAP was always weaker in the cities anyway, because of the larger proportion of unionized industrial workers) could the election campaign be so focused on the most important asset of the brown movement, namely Hitler, as in Lippe And so he stayed in Lippe from the late evening of January 4th until the morning of January 15th, with the exception of a very short detour to Berlin on January 10th and 11th, a total of just 31 hours During this time he appeared at 17 election campaign events, reaching well over 70,000 listeners - theoretically two out of three eligible voters Although many Nazi supporters may have taken the opportunity to hear their idol more than once In terms of content, his statements were similar, as is usually the case: not cabinets and conferences, not plans and programs are capable of solving the problems, but "only fundamental and thorough reconstruction that begins with the people themselves" As in the long-term election campaign in 1932, which involved four nationwide votes, Hitler was noticeably reticent about his usual anti-Jewish attacks at public events The reason was simple: he didn't want to scare off middle-class swing voters with statements that were too radical Not only Hitler personally campaigned in Lippe Joseph Goebbels, who was the best NSDAP speaker next to him, also drove from Berlin to Westphalia three times in less than two weeks although his wife Magda was "completely discouraged" in the clinic "Lippe must be a success," he noted in his diary: "We have done everything for it " The result came on January 16, 1933 around noon Of the 117,286 eligible voters, 99,812 exercised their right to vote, i e a little over four-fifths: the turnout was high, significantly higher than in 1929 Exactly 871 voters had cast invalid ballots, knowingly or unknowingly, so that 98,941 valid votes remained The NSDAP received 39,064 or 39 48 percent of these, putting it well ahead but still below the result of July 31, 1932 The SPD achieved 29,827 votes or 30 14 percent; it was below its 31 July result but above that of 6 November Even the differences were somewhat similar to those of the Hitler party Nevertheless, the headline of “Vorwärts”, the most important SPD newspaper, in the evening edition of January 16, 1933: “Social Democratic success in Lippe” That was an interpretation that one had to come up with first In the comment, the newspaper wrote: "If there is a fight, the SPD will stand its ground and muster all its strength to continue the positive progress that the election in Lippe has brought " The editorial, which was not signed by name as was customary at the time, drove continued: "Social democracy is and remains the natural counterforce to all forms of reaction in general's trousers as well as in SA jackets The more desolate it is over there and the more grotesquely the incompetence of the national right manifests itself, the more certain the day of revenge and victory will come for them ” Goebbels was closer to reality On the night of the 16th on January 17, 1933, he noted: “Lippe is our great President Keep it up!