Bruning - presidential government Flashcards
What happened in July 1930?
Bruning proposed to cut government expenditure to achieve a balanced budget. This was rejected by the Reichstag by 256 votes in July 1930. Bruning put the proposals into effect by emergency decree in Article 48. The Reichstag challenged the legality of this and voted for its withdrawal. Deadlock was reached and Bruning asked Hindenburg to dissolve the Reichstag and call for an election in September 1930.
Significance of the September 1930 election?
Nazi vote increased dramatically from 801,000 to 6,409,000. With 107 seats NSDAP became the second largest party. The vote for the DNVP halved to 7 per cent. The middle class parties of DDP and DVP lost 20 seats between them.
Bruning’s fall from power
In 1932, Hindenburg’s first 7 year term as president came to an end. Bruning committed himself to ensuring his re-election - he was re-elected with 19.3 million votes. However it was a negative victory because Hindenburg was the alternative to Hitler. He showed no real gratitude to Bruning and at the end of May 1932, the president forced the Chancellor to resign.
Bruning’s failure - banking crisis
In June 1931, the collapse of the major bank, the Danat and several others revived fear of a financial crash. By the end of the year unemployment was reaching 5 million. The ‘National Opposition’ was reborn in October 1931 and it demanded the resignation of Bruning.
Bruning’s failure - land reform
He planned to turn some Junker estates in east Prussia into 600,000 allotments for unemployed workers. This displeased Hindenburg (a Junker). Landowners saw it as a threat to their property interests and dubbed it ‘agrarian bolshevism’.
Bruning’s failure - intrigue
His land policy spurred on the right-wingers, such as Kurt von Schleicher who persuaded Hindenburg to force Bruning’s resignation. Bruning relied solely on the backing of Hindenburg and therefore was vulnerable to the intrigue of the presidential court.
What did he use to pass laws?
He used Article 48 to govern Germany. He was almost a semi-dictator from 1930-1932.
