Opposition-The Communists

The Communists were, after all. the natural opponents of the Nazis. It would make sense or them to oppose.

Strengths

• They had 300,000 members.

• In 1932, they received 17% of the vote. Thalmann, as their leader had received 5 million votes.

• They were international and had contacts all over Europe.

Weaknesses

• There were disagreements, for example, the Socialists and communists did not co-operate. Had they have done, then maybe the regime would have been brought down.

• Germans were distrustful of their international contacts. They viewed this as 'non-German'.

• They had no major charismatic leader that the Nazis did.

• There was no Red Guard

• Other parties feared and distrusted the KDP and united against them.

They were repressed by the Nazis from the start (Reichstag fire)

1935: The Gestapo had infiltrated them as they had tried to continue with pamphlets and posters.

There were mass trials and the Communists were forced underground.

A famous example is the Red Orchestra (Rote Kapelle) which was a spy network and managed to permeate the government and military from aristocratic sympathiser Schulz-Boysen

1938-1942-Sent information to Moscow.

In 1939, Hitler made a Nazi-Soviet pact. communists were hostile because they did not see how Communists could ally themselves with Hitler.

in 1941, Communist resistance increased.

Ultimately, they failed because informers were able to find their way into the party. The Communists were more geared for self-preservation when they could take the place of Naziism rather than actual opposition.