Democracy and Dictatorships in Germany 1929-33: 'Rise of Nazism'

Question 1

Which of the following was more important in Hitler becoming second in the Presidential race after Hindenburg in April 1932: [10]

i) The Wall Street Crash
ii) Nazi propaganda and campaigning methods

Answer 1

Plan:
i)
-Wall Street Crash did lead to an increase in Nazi members to 130,000 in December 1929
-By 1932, people were tired of Weimar politicians who seemed incapable of taking care of Germany’s economic problems, while Hitler blamed the Treaty of Versailles for these failures
-The Wall Street Crash pushed people to support more radical leaders as 50,000 businesses had collapsed in just 3 years
-economic problems were the main issue for people as this influenced their daily lives the most, so more radical parties that made promises to give jobs became more attractive than those that had so far failed. the Nazis were one such party
ii)
-Hitler used new, American-style election campaigning methods which impressed people who were flooded with Nazi propaganda on the streets, radio and in speeches and rallies
-the use of the aeroplane allowed Hitler to target areas where Weimar politicians did not necessarily visit in person, and with the help of SA marches, people began to think they were the odd ones out if they did not support the Nazis
-this was especially impressive at a time when economic after economic crisis was crippling Germany and most politicians in power took actions which seemed both counter-productive or ineffectual, such as Bruning’s backtracking of unemployment insurance
Conclusion:
-though Goebbel’s propaganda was effective, it only worked because promises of ‘Bread and Jobs’ were hugely appealing to those millions of people who had lost their jobs due to the crash.
-therefore, the Wall Street Crash was largely responsible for causing a surge in Nazi support by April 1932

Question 2

‘Von Papen’s failure was the most important reason why Hitler was appointed chancellor in 1933.’
To what extent do you agree? [20 marks]

Answer 2

Plan:
Intro: Von Papen failed to rescue the German economy and did not command a majority in the Reichstag, however, it was Schleicher’s
1) -Von Papen’s failure to control the Reichstag after Bruning and his subsequent involvement in the Backstairs Intrigue in which he undermined Schleicher and pressured Hindenburg into appointing Hitler.
-
2) -Schleicher’s lost the support of both Papen’s right-wing land owners and of the left through his doubts over the trade unions.
-he also isolated the left-wing elements of the Nazi Party and so quickly lost support in the Reichstag
-this led to
3) -Hindenburg and the army were unwilling to support General Schleicher and were persuaded by Papen that they could manipulate Hitler.
-This belief prompted Hind. to appoint Hitler as chancellor in January 1933.
4) Hitler’s appeal and the Nazis being the largest party in July 1932 with 230 seats.
Conclusion:

Question 3

Assess the reasons for the appeal of the Nazi Party to German voters between 1930 and 1932. [20]

Answer 3

Plan:
Introduction: 
1)
2)
3)
4)
Conclusion:

Question 4

Which of the following was of greater importance for Hitler’s accession to power?
i) Backstairs intrigue
ii) Popular support
Explain your answer with reference to both i) and ii) [10 marks]

Answer 4

Plan:
i) The Backstairs Intrigue was very important for Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor. Though at the time Hitler commanded the largest party in the Reichstag, he did not command a majority, meaning he was not necessarily the only candidate for chancellorship. However, it was thanks to the plotting and scheming of the disgruntled ex-chancellor von Papen that Hitler was appointed as chancellor in the belief that he could be controlled and used by Papen against Scheicher and socialist aspects of government. There is evidence that the Nazi were actually gradually losing support, with their share of the vote decreasing from 230 seats in July to 196 seats in November 1932. Therefore, Hitler’s appointment as chancellor was due to Papen’s negotiations with Hindenburg more than Hitler’s popular support.
ii) However, since 1929, Hitler had seen support in the Nazi Party rise at a massive rate, and though the November election had slightly decreased his number of seats, Hitler’s surprising success in the Presidential election, landing him 2nd place, had shown that he would break the trend of chancellors not commanding the majority of the will of the population in the Reichstag, as Bruning, Papen and now Scheicher was doing. Nazi propaganda had attracted millions, and reached previously more isolated groups such as the rural middle and lower classes, raising turnout and gaining the Nazis seats. Hindenburg could not ignore Hitler’s growing support and some could say he had little choice but to appoint Hitler as chancellor and avoid the Nazis stirring violence against the government. However, Hindenburg himself despised Hitler and was only persuaded to appoint him with Papen saying he could be used and controlled.
Conclusion:
Therefore, though Hitler had considerable popular support backing the Nazi Party, his failure to command a majority meant that his appointment relied on undemocratic flaws within the Weimar Constitution which gave the power to the President to appoint chancellors without an election. Therefore, the backstairs intrigue was more responsible for Hitler’s accession to power than his popular support.