Germany: political 1929-45

Question 1

Stock Market Crash

Answer 1

. In USA 1929
. German economy ground to a halt, no US loans
. Banks collapsed, industrial prod fell, businesses bankrupt
. Unemployment: under 2mil before crash, 4.5mil 1931
. 6mil in 1932
. 1/3 Germans had no regular wages

Question 2

‘Grand Coalition’

Answer 2

. Headed by Hermann Muller, formed 1928
. Had to meet escalating unemployment benefit claims from a welfare system not designed to cope
. Diverse: SPD to DVP: impossible for all to agree
. March 1930 entire cabinet resigned
. Last truly democratic gov of Weimar Republic

Question 3

Heinrich Bruning

Answer 3

. Replaced Muller of SPD 1930
. Leader of Zentrum, challenged M’s refusal to allow reductions in unemployment benefit
. SPD remained biggest party in Reichstag
. Created new leadership: ‘emergency decree’ granted under Article 48

Question 4

Finance bill - Bruning

Answer 4

. Unable to get majority for it
. Forced it through by presidential decree
. First time decree used when Reichstag rejected
. SPD tried to force Bruning to withdraw measure
. July 1930: asked Hindenburg to dissolve Reichstag

Question 5

September 1930 election

Answer 5

. Gains for extremists
. Fragmented Reichstag further
. NSDAP: 18.3% of vote
. KPD: 13.1% of vote

Question 6

Bruning 1930-32

Answer 6

. 109 emergency decrees vs 29 Reichstag passed
.’32 ban on Nazi SA to curb street violence
. Unpopular austerity programme, more support for extremist parties
. Lost Hindenburg’s support in 1932, didn’t win Reichstag support for change to constitution that’d give H indefinite power

Question 7

1932 President election

Answer 7

. Hitler stood as a candidate
. Split the vote, preventing Hindenburg from getting overall majority
. His success made Bruning’s attempt to ban SA April 1932 unworkable
. Schleicher encouraged Hindenburg to oppose B’s Prussian land reform proposals
. B had to resign May 1932, no longer anyone to stop the Nazis

Question 8

Bruning’s land reform proposals

Answer 8

. 1932
. Proposal to break up large Prussian landed estates and give them to city families, providing them a means of living
. Landed Junkers opposed: ‘agrarian bolshevism’

Question 9

1932 Election stats

Answer 9

. First round of voting March: Hitler 11,340
. Hindenburg 13,420
. Second round April: Hitler 13,420
. Hindenburg: 19,360

Question 10

Papen

Answer 10

. Appointed Chancellor June 1932: direct acknowledgement of democracy broken down
. Neither Papen nor cabinet were Reichstag members so could only rule by decree
. A non-party gov of ‘national concentration’

Question 11

Papen and the Nazis

Answer 11

. Hoped to make gov by winning nazi support: mutual hatred of Communists, but he looked down on Hitler
. Lifted SA ban in June 1932, placed curbs on Communist press and agreed to Hitler’s request to call elections in July

Question 12

July 1932 Election

Answer 12

. Extremists made more gains + politics became more polarised
. Hitler won lots of middle class voters, increased vote from farmers + the unemployed
. Hitler refused offer of Vice-chancellor, wanted to be Chancellor
. No confidence vote in Papen’s gov: 512 votes vs 42
. Led to Nov election

Question 13

November 1932 Election

Answer 13

. Nazis 33% of vote vs 37.3% in July
. Seemed to have past their peak, bc:
- loss of middle class support bc attacking Papen
- slight improvement in economy so less call for extremism
- Nazis exhausted from 2 rapid elections

Question 14

Schleicher

Answer 14

. Made Hindenburg dismiss Papen + appoint him
. Negotiations w Gregor Strasser, socialist Nazi
. Backfired: Strasser dismissed from party in Dec 1932
. Failed to win over workers + trade unions: cancelled wage cuts + developing job creation schemes

Question 15

Schleicher + Hindenburg

Answer 15

. S alienated H by reviving proposal to break up large landed estates
. H wouldn’t let him abandon Reichstag + rule by decree

Question 16

Hitler and Papen

Answer 16

. Jan 1933: made a deal - H would be Chancellor and P would be Vice Chancellor
. Hindenburg persuaded: his son Oskar lobbied him, General von Blomberg gave army support
. Only 2 Nazis allowed in cabinet w H though
. Schleicher forced to resign 28 Jan 1933
. Hitler Chancellor 30 Jan

Question 17

Reichstag Fire

Answer 17

. 27 Feb 1933 by Communsit Van der Lubbe
. 28 Feb: H asked Hindenburg to use emergency decree, ‘For the Protection of People and State’ to prevent further Communist action
. Search, arrest + censor indefinitely: Nazis could remove opponents before election

Question 18

March Election

Answer 18

. 1933: despite voter intimidation Nazis only got 43.9% of vote
. Right wing DNVP (8% of vote) promised support, but a deal had to be made w Zentrum
. Hitler banned the KPD + Communists were exiled

Question 19

Last Democratic Reichstag session

Answer 19

. Held 23 March in an opera building opposite the Reichstag
. Some Socialists led by Otto Loels spoke out against the Enabling Act, but still passed w only 94 Socialists voting against it
. Let Hitler issue laws without consultation for 4 yrs

Question 20

Gleichschaltung

Answer 20

. Hitler’s consolidation of power, 1933:
. March: Enabling Act
. April: ‘Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service’, fired Jews + other enemies from civil service
. May: Trade unions disbanded, forced to join German Labour Front (DAF)

Question 21

Gleichschaltung June - Dec 1933

Answer 21

. June: SPD banned
. July: law against formation of new parties
- Concordat w Pope: Church banned from political activity but allowed religious freedom
. Nov: Elections - Nazis win 92% of vote
. Dec: ‘Law to ensure unity of Party and State’ - legally established one party state

Question 22

Gleichschaltung 1934

Answer 22

. Jan: ‘Law for Reconstruction of the State’ - federal states placed under Reich governors
. June: Night of the Long Knives
. Aug: Hindenburg dies, Hitler becomes Fuhrer, army swear oath of loyalty to Hitler

Question 23

Night of the Long Knives

Answer 23

. Rumours that SA leader Rohm wanted to merge SA w army, army hostile to SA
. Rumours gave Hitler excuse to order attack
. SS kill 86 plotters including Rohm 30 June 1934
. Strasser + Schleicher murdered
. H justified it, he acted on behalf of German people
. Reichstag allowed it, acceptable for him to kill

Question 24

Roles of Hindenburg and Hitler

Answer 24

. Hindenburg’s old age, right wing beliefs + willingness to submit to ‘inner circle’ contributed
. Hitler’s ambition, determination + calculation won him office
. Nazism might never have established itself without Hitler’s personality and leadership