11 - The Appointment of Hitler as Chancellor Flashcards
When did Muller’s coalition collapse?
March 1930
Why did Muller’s Grand Coalition collapse?
- state budget in severe deficit, SPD wanting to raise tax and protect benefit, DVP want to reduce benefit
- large amount of parties together
What were the democratic issues with the Weimar Constitution?
- article 48, President with undisputed power
- proportional representation
How did rise in extremism help Hitler become Chancellor?
- votes polarised, KPD and Nazis experiencing success
- extremist groups wanted to overthrow democracy
What is the democratic process to Hitler becoming Chancellor?
- parliamentary, Muller leads a coalition
- presidential, series of Chancellors with little Reichstag support
- dictatorship, Hitler as Chancellor then Fuhrer
What did Hitler and the elites agree on?
- anti - communist
- right wing
- anti ToV
What kept Hitler and the elites apart?
- class divide
- nationality (Hitler was Austrian)
What did Hindenburg call Hitler?
‘Bohemian Corporal’
- Bohemia, German state with large traveller population
- shock about Hitler’s rank
What was the evidence that Bruning did his best?
- suspended reparation payments in July 1931
- when forced to resign, was close to reaching his aims
- held elections in Sep 1930
- ministers from Muller’s coalition
What evidence was there that Bruning was undemocratic?
- excluded the SPD
- often ruled by article 48 rather than through the Reichstag
- planned to restore the monarchy
- april 1932, banned the SA
When was Bruning in power?
March 1930 - May 1932
What were Bruning’s policies?
- deflationary tactics, allowing depression to get so bad to the point that reparations were ended
- tried to reverse well-being policies to reduce deficit (38% lower in 32 compared to 38)
- pressed for a disarmament conference, but didn’t happen until 7 months after his removal
- depression got so bad that unemployment over 6 million for first time
What was Bruning’s downfall?
- ban on SA in April 1932, Schleicher was worried this would cause an uprising
- Nazis were the second largest party, needed for government to function
- proposed to share land out, but this upset elites
- Hindenburg’s support is lost
When does Bruning resign?
30th May 1932
Who takes power after Bruning?
Franz von Papen
What was Papen’s cabinet of Barons?
Was dominated by landowners and industrialists, not many members of the Reichstag
Only 3 non noble, 6 nobles
Why did Hitler agree to not oppose Papen’s government?
- dissolution of Reichstag and calling fresh elections
- end of government ban on the SA and SS
When did Papen organise an election for?
31st July 1932
What percentage of votes did the Nazis recieve in July 1932?
37.3%
What did Papen do on 20th July 1932?
Abolished the Prussian regional government and appointed himself Reich Comissioner
What was the significance of 20th July 1932?
- arbitrary and unconstitutional act
- replaced parliamentary government with presidential authoritarian government
What were the differences between the Sept 1930 and July 1932 election?
- higher turnout, 31 more seats in the Reichstag
- Nazis gained 132 seats and SPD lost 10
- KPD still popular with 89 seats
How had the Nazis upped their percentage so significantly?
By tapping into those who would not normally vote
What proportion of seats in July 1932 were pro vs anti Weimar?
pro - 39.5%
KPD and Nazi - 51.6%
