2.4 How Hitler became chancellor, 1932 - 33 Flashcards
Political developments in 1932:
March 1932: Hindenburg stands for re-election
Hindenburg’s term of office as President ended. He was persuaded to re elect, to keep the government as stable as possible.
When the election took place he had 49.6% of the votes with Hitler getting 30%.
Political developments in 1932:
April 1932: Hindenburg stands for re-election again
No candidate had achieved 50% of the vote, so the election was repeated. Hitler campaigned furiously. His SA paraded in support of the Nazis and disrupted communist rallies.
However, Hindenburg was re-elected with 53% of the votes, and Hitler second with 36% of the votes.
What steps did Bruning take to lose majority support of the Reichstag in April 1932
- First, he banned the SA and SS. There were genuine fears of civil war breaking out on the streets and he wanted to calm unrest and control the Nazis.
- Then he announced a plan to buy up land from the large landowners and use it to house the unemployed.
Why did the steps taken by Bruning force him to resign
- The ban on the SA and SS enraged Hitler.
- The landowning classes were furious about the plan to buy up their land,
- Also made President Hindenburg furious.
This united the right-wing groups.
Bruning now had neither the support of the President nor the support of a majority of the Reichstag. Without this he was unable to govern,
Political developments in 1932:
May 1932 von Papen becomes Chancellor
Hindenburg made Von Papen chancellor. Von Schleicher assumed that he could control the Nazis. Nevertheless, Hitler and the Nazi Party were, for the first time, part of the German government, as part of a coalition as Hindenburg, etc didn’t have a majority in the Reichstag so it could govern without the Reichstag.
Political developments in 1932:
July 1932: Reichstag elections
The NSDAP had won 230 seats in the Reichstag.
The Nazis share of the vote had increased by 20% in 1932. The Nazi Party was now the largest party in the Reichstag. Hitler demanded that Hindenburg sack von Papen and appoint him as chancellor instead.
November 1932:Von Papen was sacked
He refused to make Hitler chancellor, as he detested Hitler during WW1.
At this point, Von Schleicher abandoned Von Papen and told Hindenburg that the country would descend into civil war if Von Papen isn’t sacked.
Political developments in 1932:
December 1932: von Schleicher becomes chancellow
Hindenburg still refused to make Hitler chancellor. Von Schleicher told Hindenburg that the November election results showed support for the Nazis was fading.
Political developments in 1932:
January 1933: Hitler becomes Chancellor
Von Papen and Hindenburg turned to Hitler, appointing him as Chancellor with Von Papen as Vice Chancellor. They believed they could control Hitler and get him to do what they wanted. As Von Schleicher had no real political support and asked Hindenburg to suspend the constitution and make him had of a military dictatorship - to which Hindenburg refused. `
The roles of Hindenburg, von Schleicher and von Papen
Hindenburg - never fully supported the idea of a republic. He was a monarchist who preferred the style of government under the Kaiser before 1918 and was therefore more open to using Article 48, which weakened the Reichstag.
Von Schleicher and Von Papen - were right - wing conservatives who both wanted to move away from government by the parties elected to the Reichstag and towards a stronger government controlled by wealthy industrialists and landowners. By plotting to replace Bruning with the Cabinet of Barons and advising Hindenburg that he could use the German Army, rather than the Reichstag, to keep his chancellors in power, they undermined the Weimar Republic.
