COLLAPSE OF THE WR Flashcards
When did the grand coalition led by muller collapse? What was the significance of this?
1930 the GC collapsed with the SPD’s resignation over the contentious issue of increasing employees’ national insurance contributions at a time when wages were falling
This was crucial in the shift to authoritarianism
Describe government policies under Brunings chancellorship?
His government was a minority administration and lacked Reichstag support; his gov followed with policies of cuts and austerity which exacerbated economic hardship, leading Bruning to me known as the ‘hunger chancellor’
What evidence is there that Brüning and Von Papen relied extensively on emergency decrees rather than parliamentary support?
44 emergency decrees under article 48 in 1931
There were only 5 in 1930
What evidence of support for extremism is there in Reichstag elections in 1930?
NSDAP-18.3 %
KPD- 13.1%
Was Burning aware of the r/w or l/w threat?
No the the danger of a right or left dictatorship wasn’t perceived very clearly by Bruning, whose idea of fighting international radicalism was to win a foreign policy victory
How did the Nazi’s become increasingly effective at getting there message across in 1930?
- Fuhrer cult; Hitler was portrayed as Germanys saviour- the man who would rescue the country from the grip of depression
-Volksgemeinschaft. The notion that the Nazis wanted to create one German community was popular
-Scapegoating the Jews for Germanys ills- Jews often portrayed as sub-human, or as a threat to both the racial purity and economic future of the country
What economic policy did Bruning enact? What was the consequence of this?
He adopted modest deflationary schemes that can be characterised by the notion of too little, too late- despite the Hoover moratorium which suspended the payment of all war debts for a year
This arguably underpinned the collapse of 5 major banks that occurred in 1931
What did national income shrink by 1929-32?
39%
How many were unemployed by 1933?
6 million, 1/3 of people working age were jobless
What did unemployment stand at in Autumn 1929?
2 million
What evidence is there of the Fuhrer cult in 1930?
A Frankfurt political and economic society collected a petition for the Appointment of Hitler as chancellor
How did Goebbels popularise Hitler in 1932?
He used modern technology such as radios and airplanes to fly Hitler from region to region to campaign. Hitler came out of this as a credible political leader.
Hitler cultivated an image of himself as a strong decisive leader- The Hitler myth
The NSDAP were the only party to have increased support from all classes
How much did the Nazis secure in the July elections 1932?
37.3% making them the largest party in the reichstag
How did Von papen pave the way for authoritarianism following his appointment as chancellor in 1932?
Papen had a dislike of democracy and was more willing to work with the NSDAP than Bruning.
He deposed the SPD led government of Prussia and became the Prussian Reich commissioner himself, thereby providing Hitler with a direct precedent for his takeover of gov branches in 1933
What evidence is there democratic norms began to break down in 1932?
461 riots on the streets of Prussia; largely responsibility of the SA who were crucial in creating chaos during elections
Which industrialists did Hitler gain the support of?
How did Hitler gain the support of industrialists?
He gained the support of industrialists such as Farben and Krupp, who urged Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as chancellor.
His pledge to destroy communism saw his popularity among the conservative elite rise; the NSDAP were funded by industrialists like Thyssen
When was Von Schleicher appointed chancellor? How did he attempt to control hitler?
near the end of 1932
Schleicher attempted to “tame” Hitler into cooperating with his government by threatening him with an anti-Nazi alliance of parties, the so-called Querfront (“cross-front”). Hitler refused to abandon his claim to the chancellorship and Schleicher’s plan failed
What is an example of political infighting in the Weimar years?
Von Schleicher and Von papen frequently worked to undermine each others chancellorship
How large was the SA at the end of 1932?
400,000; demonstrative of the failure of democracy
Why did Hindenburg appoint Hitler as chancellor in 1933?
The Reichstag couldn’t be continually dissolved and the constitution prohibited r/w elites from acting as they wished
They also assumed they would be able to control Hitler, governing him in an authoritarian manner- They were wrong
How many chancellors were there 1928-33
5 (including Hitler)
How many governments were there 1923-29?
7
