Hitler's Legal Path To Power, 1930-1933 Flashcards
0
Q
Disagreement between the moderate parties as a factor in parliamentary government breakdown (1930)
A
- Germany’s coalition made up of four parties
- they either accepted or favoured the democratic system
- SDP/CE/Democratic Party and the peoples party. Headed by SDP’s Hermann muller
- unemployment rise, non socialist parties called for cuts in government spending (unemployment benefit)
- SDP could not support this, coalition was deadlocked and broke up
- No new government coalition could create a majority, neither could act independently. Extremists on the left and right gloated at failure
1
Q
Why did parliamentary government break down in 1930?
A
-constitution makers expected Germany to be ruled by government in all but the most exceptional circumstances. Parties could stay in power between elections if they had majority support and could change/laws based on their majority. however several factors made this impossible in 1930
1) disagreement between the moderate parties
2) the 1930 reichstag elections
2
Q
The 1930 elections as a factor in the breakdown of parliamentary government (1930)
A
- Moderate parties lost ground (SPD/DDP/Centre/DVP) but DNVP/NDSAP/KPD made gains.
- SPD 24%, nazis 18%
- moderate parties accumulated vote could not make up majority
3
Q
What happened as a result of the collapse of parliamentary government in 1930?
A
- Article 48 is used
- Presidential power to rule by decree in times of emergency
- constitution makers of 1919 odd not foresee that presidential decree would be used for more than a few weeks
- ‘presidential government’ used Hindenburg. Old, frail, heavily advised by his peers, all anti democratic extreme right wingers
- conservative elites back in control. Kurtz Von Schleicher was influential
- not dictatorship yet, still run by chancellor/advisers but all their wishes had to be passed by decree, so chancellors were slaves to the president
- Chancellors were no longer accountable to the reichstag, only to the president
4
Q
Kurt Von Schleicher
A
- Life: 1892-1934
- army general, army. Political spokesman
- military connections meant Schleicher was invaluable as an advisor to Hindenburg
- saw parliamentary crisis as a way to vanish the parliamentary system and further his own position
5
Q
Bruning’s appointment as chancellor in 1530
A
- Heinrich Bruining from the centre party
- served on the western front from 1915-18, so he was reliable in the eyes of hindenburgs advisors
- he had a conservative outlook, disapproved of the 1918-19 revolution and hoped for a return to monarchy
- financial expertise meant he was well armed to tackle the rising unemployment
- member of the reichstag since 1924, meant it was unlikely the reichstag would overturn presidential decrees. Correct ad SPD adopted policy of ‘toleration’
6
Q
Heinrich Bruning
A
- Life: 1885-1970
- conservative, trained economist, centre party
- reichstag from 1924-1933
- appointed as chancellor in 1930 when he was also chairman of the centre party’s group in the reichstag
7
Q
What were Bruning’s policies as chancellor?
A
- orthodox economist, assumed that the economy would eventually recover of its own accord. Live win the economy’s means and spend only what could be afforded. This meant deep cuts to government spending, reduced unemployment benefit, job cuts, wage reductions in public sector, even cuts to pensions of disabled war veterans
- spending to the army was not cut, no cuts to subsidies paid to farmers in eastern Germany (Junkers) as these cuts would be unacceptable to Hindenburg/his advisors
- believed that reparation payments weighed down German economy. Worked to reduce payments, suspended in 1931 and scrapped in 1932, but this did not have an affect on the economy
8
Q
How successful were Bruning’s policies as chancellor?
A
-unsuccessful as unemployment continued to rise and no end to economic depression was obvious
Unpopular, earned him nickname “the hunger chancellor”
9
Q
Why did Bruning lose office?
A
- failure of his economic policies
- economy went down, so support for the communists grew, resulting in communist/nazi clashes. 61 killed in 1930
- middle class fears of communist fear intensified
- Kurt Von Schleicher, driven by these circumstances, began to work towards a Germany without Bruning
- relationship between Hindenburg/ Bruning. 1932 Bruning failed to get reichstag to extend hindenburgs presidential term when it expired in 1932. Meant he had to run against hitler and although he won 19 million to 13 million overall, hitler got the right wing vote and he won on the support of Catholics/Social democrats. Enrages hindenburg
- Bruning had feud with Junkers, wanting to buy up their estates to settle unemployed workers on them. Enraged they told Hindenburg
- Bruning dismissed
10
Q
Franz Von papen as chancellor
A
- recommended to Hindenburg by Schleicher
- inexperienced, hard right winger
- part of Schleicher’s plan to get nazis working with them. Given their large electorate it would appear there was large spread support for authoritarian rule
- plan to use extreme form of ‘presidential government’ and sideline the reichstag, Germany run by presidential decree and army - needed army support
11
Q
Franz Von papen
A
- Life: 1879-1969
- junior army officer in ww1
- Prussian state parliament 1921-2
13
Q
How did Schleicher attempt to attract the nazis to working with Hindenburg and his advisors?
A
- Right wing ministers appointed to work alongside Von papen, ‘cabinet of barons’
- bruning’s ban on the SA was lifted
- Von papers government called for new elections as they knew the basis would do well
- Von papen removed Social democrat government of Prussia from office, removes opponent of nazism, violation of constitution
14
Q
What resulted from the elections called by Von Papen to attract the nazis?
A
- Nazis won 38% of the vote
- Talks began involving Hitler, Schleicher, von Papen and Hindenburg to discuss the terms of Hitler joining the government
- Hitler refused to negotiate and demanded the chancellorship, which Hindenburg refused on account of his lowly social origins
- August 1932, Hitler is sent away
15
Q
What was the result of Hitlers refusal to accept a lesser position than the chancellor in August 1932
A
- Hitler dismissed
- Hitler, in anger, ordered Nazis to join other parties such as the Communists in passing a vote of no-confidence in von Papen’s chancellorship
- Resulted in a further reichstag election in November 1932, Nazis suffered reversely as they lost 2000 000 voters from the July elections. Right wing voters were angered by Hitler’s selfish attitude and refusal to work under von Papen
- Schleicher believed von Papen had served his purpose and should be dismissed, but Hindenburg was reluctant to dismiss him and only did so when Schleicher told him that the army wanted him out
- Schleicher resorts to taking over as chancellor
