Shaken To Its Core: Politics

Politics 

Americans have long sought alternatives to the two party system of government. With the economic system in shambles, and growingly distraught public, the political landscape of the Great Depression became ripe with such alternatives. Franklin Roosevelt faced no fewer than six third-party candidates in his first election in 1932. In that election alone, Norman Thomas of the American Socialist party garnered 2.23% of the popular vote. 1936 saw the Presidential pool increase to eight including the ill-fated “Share Our Wealth” party. It is a well documented fact that during times of economic hardships, people flock to groups specifically naming scapegoats or dynamically different systems to those that have failed. While only making small gains in national elections, third political parties grow in membership at the state levels throughout the Great Depression. Perhaps the most popular among third-parties were the German American Bund (or the American Nazi Party), and the Communist League of America which later became the Workers Party of the United States.

German American Bund

Originally chartered by Rudolph Hess as the German American Volkbund in 1936, the German American Bund acted, at least loosely, as the American arm of the Nazi party. Well known for its admiration for Adolf Hitler and the achievements of Nazi Germany, the German American Bund program included anti-Semitism, and anti-Communist rhetoric. The groups anti-Semitism rang especially true during the Great Depression, when many American (and many in the rest of the world) erroneously blamed Jewish bankers for the stock market crash of 1929. Public opinion surveys of 1939 show that Fritz Kuhn, the leader of the German American Bund, was seen by the US public as the leading anti-Semite in the country. Capitalizing on the popularity of German-American Charles Lindbergh, the group also pressed strong isolationist stances.

American Brown Shirts In Chicago

Including a 8,000 member strong Sturmabteilungen (the equivalent of American Brown-shirts), the group’s membership swelled to as much as 25,000 or more by 1939. In February 1939, a rally was held on George Washington's birthday to proclaim the rights of white gentiles, the "true patriots." This Madison Square Garden rally drew a crowd of 20,000 who consistently booed President Franklin D. Roosevelt and chanted the Nazi salutation "Heil Hitler."

Communist League of America later The Workers Party of the United States

Union membership as a whole grew during the Great Depression. With the prospect of solidarity against company bosses, mutual funds, and collective bargaining, many workers joined Communist organizations of some form. The largest of these organizations was the Communist League of America which later became the Workers Party of The United States. Perhaps the most notable attributes of organizations like the Workers Party was their broad reaching publications like The Militant. Due to the mobile nature of a news magazine it is hard to know for sure the exact number of readers, but during its peak it was distributed in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Sweden, Iceland, and New Zealand.

Throughout the Great Depression the Communist Party also achieved marginal political success at the national level. In all three of the elections during the era, the Communist Party nominated Presidential candidates, though none received a full percentage point in the popular vote or a electoral college vote. While unsuccessful in executive elections on the national level, candidates from the Communist or Worker’s party maintained a presence in the legislative branch. During the decade long depression, the Communist Party sat at least one representative per session in Congress. Most of these represented burgeoning mining districts in the west or industrial towns in the northeast. In addition to national representation, statewide offices were particularly achievable for Communist candidates.

 The American public sought desperate political and economic measures to the desperate times of the Great Depression. With disposable income going to feed families rather than entertainment, many Americans turned to political organizations as a means of connection and support. These factors combined with the increased frustration with the two major political parties, it is easy to see why organizations such as the German-American Bund and Workers Party of America sprang up as feasible alternatives.