When the Nazis took over Germany in the 1930s, Furtwängler was in an awkward position. He wanted to conduct some kinds of music that the Nazis did not like. He left some of his conducting jobs in protest when they did not let him perform. In 1936 he almost left Germany to live in the United States, where the New York Philharmonic Orchestra wanted him to conduct. However, the Nazis still thought he was a good conductor, and they kept him in Germany. He also wanted to stay to protect the German music from the Nazis. People in the United States did not like him for staying, even though he did not really like the Nazis.