Economic turmoil in Germany increased the appeal of radical political parties, as Germans from across the social spectrum grew convinced that mainstream parties were incapable of solving the country’s problems. Seeking to take advantage of this favorable economic climate, Nazis and communists alike promised to address the fundamental needs of the German people. The slogan on this 1932 Communist Party election poster captures the desperate mood of the early 1930s: “If you want work, freedom, and food, vote red!” The document in the background is a worker’s unemployment card.

Courtesy of CCI / The Art Archive at Art Resource, N.Y.