Hitlers rise to power 1930-33

Question 1

What was the Great Depression in Germany?

Answer 1

The Great Depression was a world-wide economic depression between 1929 and 1939. It caused mass unemployment and terrible suffering.

Question 2

Why did the Great Depression have an effect on Weimar Germany?
The Great Depression affected Germany for 7 key reasons:

Answer 2

1. American banks and businesses had loaned money to Germany under the terms of the Dawes Plan in 1924. This connected America’s economy directly to Germany’s.
2. German banks suffered terrible losses because they were investors on the US stock exchange on Wall Street.
3. Ordinary people panicked about their savings in the banks and rushed to withdraw them. This caused some banks to run out of money.
4. German industry and businesses were affected because the collapsed German banks demanded they pay back any bank loans.
5. As a result, businesses, farms and industry had less money and had to reduce production or close. Both led to job losses.
6. After the Wall Street Crash, US banks and businesses recalled the loans they had made to Weimar Germany.
7. Businesses were closing all over the world, which meant there was lower demand for goods, which led to businesses laying off workers. By January 1933, there were 6.1 million Germans unemployed.

Question 3

What were the economic effects of the Great Depression on Weimar Germany?
The Great Depression had 7 key economic consequences for Germany:

Answer 3

1. Industrial production fell rapidly as demand for goods dropped. Between 1929 and 1932, industrial production fell by 40% and world trade dropped by approximately 70%.
2. Unemployment increased rapidly. In September 1929, Germany had 1.3 million people unemployed. This increased to 6.1 million by January 1933.
3. As the number of unemployed people increased, the government struggled to pay their benefits. They reduced unemployment benefits, which meant people suffered even more.
4. People who had jobs also struggled as taxes were increased to help pay for those who were unemployed. Wages were also cut.
5. Homelessness increased as people could not afford to pay their rent. The combination of unemployment and homelessness led to more crime and violence.
6. The crash of the US stock market affected people with savings who had invested in shares. Their shares became worthless and so too did their savings.
7. Everyone was affected, from the young to the elderly.

Question 4

What were the political effects of the Great Depression on Weimar Germany?
The Great Depression had 8 very important political consequences for Weimar Germany:

Answer 4

1. The people blamed the Weimar Republic for the economic problems as they had become dependent on American loans.
2. The chancellor between 1930 to 1932, Heinrich Brüning, was nicknamed the ‘Hunger Chancellor’ because his policies of cutting unemployment benefits and increasing taxes made the situation worse.
3. Brüning struggled to get the different political parties in the Reichstag to pass his laws.
4. He asked President von Hindenburg to use Article 48 to pass emergency laws. Brüning’s government increasingly relied on using decrees to pass laws. Approximately 100 decrees were passed between 1931 and 1932.
5. The Reichstag couldn’t agree on how to solve the economic crisis of the Great Depression and by 1932 it was meeting infrequently. Democracy was failing.
6. The extremist parties such as the Communists (KPD) and the Nazis (NSDAP) increased their share of votes in the September 1930 and July 1932 general elections.
7. Between May 1932 and January 1933, the Weimar government was damaged by political intrigue which allowed Hitler to become chancellor.
8. Several events involving General von Schleicher, Franz von Papen and President von Hindenburg helped Hitler become the chancellor in January 1933 because of the Great Depression.

Question 5

What was the increase in support for the Nazi Party?

Answer 5

Support for the Nazi Party increased because of the effects of the Great Depression on Weimar Germany.

Question 6

When did support for the Nazi Party increase?

Answer 6

Support for the Nazi Party increased in the early 1930s, during the Great Depression.

Question 7

Why did the support for the Nazi Party increase in the 1930s?
There were 5 key reasons why support for the Nazi Party increased:

Answer 7

1. Unhappiness with the Weimar Republic’s failure to solve the Great Depression.
2. Hitler appealed to many voters.
3. The tactics of the Nazi Party.
4. The impact of the Great Depression.
5. The fear of the Communist Party.

Question 8

How did the appeal of Hitler help increase support for the Nazi Party?
There were 4 main reasons why Hitler appealed to the voters because:

Answer 8

1. He presented himself as a strong leader who promised to solve the crisis.
2. He promised to restore law and order which was breaking down.
3. He was a powerful speaker.
4. He promised something for everyone.

Question 9

How did Nazi Party tactics help increase support for the Nazi Party?
Nazi Party used 4 main tactics to increase their support:

Answer 9

1. Propaganda was used to target different groups in society with different election promises.
2. They spent a lot of money on propaganda such as posters, newspapers, rallies and speeches.
3. The SA increased support for the Nazi Party because they were well organised and disciplined.
4. The SA attacked the Communists (KPD) whom the middle class and upper class people feared.

Question 10

How did the fear of the communists help increase support for the Nazi Party?
The fear of the Communist Party helped increase support for the Nazi Party for 2 key reasons:

Answer 10

1. Some people were afraid of the Communist Party (KPD) because their support had also increased between 1930 and 1932.
2. The Nazi Party was anti-communist so more people supported them.

Question 11

How did the failings of the Weimar Republic help increase support for the Nazi Party?
The failures of the Weimar Republic helped increase support for the Nazi Party for 4 key reasons:

Answer 11

1. They had failed to solve the crisis of the Great Depression.
   2 During the crisis, the weaknesses of the constitution were highlighted as not one party could gain a majority in the elections and the coalition governments kept collapsing on a regular basis.
2. The policies of the Weimar government made the situation worse. For example, Chancellor Brüning had cut unemployment benefit at the same time as increasing taxes.
3. The method of focusing on the problems of the current government, rather than the positive policies of the Nazi party, is known as “negative cohesion”.

Question 12

How did the Great Depression help increase support for the Nazi Party?
The Great Depression helped increase support for the Nazi Party for 3 key reasons:

Answer 12

1. There were 6.1 million people unemployed and 17 million relying on benefits. The Nazis promised them ‘work and bread’.
2. The terrible suffering encouraged people to turn to the extremist parties, like the Nazis, as they searched for a solution.
3. The moderate political parties seemed unable to solve the crisis.

Question 13

Which groups increased their support for the Nazi Party?
Many different groups supported the Nazi Party in the 1930s: (6 groups)

Answer 13

1. Big businesses.
2. Some working class people.
3. The middle classes.
4. Farmers.
   5.Young people supported them because the Nazi Party appeared exciting with its rallies and the SA.
5. Some women.

Question 14

Why did big business increase its support for the Nazi Party?
There were 3 main reasons why big businesses supported the Nazi Party:

Answer 14

1. The Nazis promised to protect them from the communists who would take their businesses away from them.
2. Hitler promised strong leadership.
3. Hitler’s plans to use factories to build weapons, battleships and fighter planes meant more money for them.

Question 15

Why did the working class increase support for the Nazi Party?
Some working class people supported the Nazi Party because: (2 things)

Answer 15

1. The Nazis promised ‘work and bread’ for all, which attracted unemployed people.
2. However, working class people tended to support the communists more.

Question 16

Why did the middle class increase support for the Nazi Party?
There were 4 main reasons why many middle class people supported the Nazi Party:

Answer 16

1. The Nazis promised to solve the crisis of the Great Depression which the Weimar government appeared incapable of doing.
2. The Nazis promised to bring back law and order which they felt had broken down with increasing violence on the street.
3. The Nazis promised to protect them from the communists who wanted to take away their private property.
4. Many middle class people still felt bitter that they had lost their savings in the 1923 hyperinflation crisis and blamed the Weimar Republic for their suffering.

Question 17

Why did farmers increase support for the Nazi Party?
There were 3 key reasons why many farmers supported the Nazi Party:

Answer 17

1. They promised protection from the communists who they feared would take away their land.
2. The Nazis promised they would confiscate land from Jewish people and redistribute it to them.
3. The Nazis promised higher prices for their crops. Prices had fallen because of the Great Depression, and farmers felt the Weimar Republic had failed to help them.

Question 18

Why did women increasingly support the Nazi Party?
There were 3 key reasons why some women supported the Nazi Party:

Answer 18

1. They promised to solve the economic crisis.
2. They supported traditional values, such as women staying at home and having children, which appealed to some.
3. Some women felt that over the past ten years the youth had been corrupted by Weimar culture.

Question 19

Which elections did the Nazi Party take part in?

Answer 19

These were in May 1924, December 1924, May 1928, September 1930, July 1932 and November 1932.

Question 20

What was the importance of the Nazi Party’s election results?

Answer 20

The election results show that support for the Nazis changed depending on how popular the Weimar government was, and how strong the economy was. Hitler was not guaranteed support and had to capitalise on occasions when the Weimar government was weak.

Question 21

What were the Nazi Party’s election results in May 1924?

Answer 21

won 32 seats in the May 1924 general election.

Question 22

What were the Nazi Party’s election results in December 1924?

Answer 22

The Nazi Party won 14 seats in the December 1924 general election

Question 23

What were the Nazi Party’s election results in May 1928?

Answer 23

won 12 seats in the May 1928 general election.

Question 24

What were the Nazi Party’s election results in September 1930?

Answer 24

The Nazi Party won 107 seats in the September 1930 general election.

Question 25

What were the Nazi Party’s election results in July 1932?

Answer 25

The Nazi Party won 230 seats in the July 1932 general election.

Question 26

What were the Nazi Party’s election results in November 1932?

Answer 26

The Nazi Party won 196 seats in the November 1932 general election.

Question 27

What happened in the presidential election in 1932?

Answer 27

The presidential elections in 1932 saw Adolf Hitler try to become president of the Weimar Republic.

Question 27

When was the presidential election of 1932?

Answer 27

There were two rounds to the presidential election of 1932. The first round was in March, but as no candidate won 50% of the vote there was a second round in April

Question 28

Who were the candidates in the presidential election of 1932 in Germany?

Answer 28

The three main candidates were: President Paul von Hindenburg, standing for re-election; Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP); and Ernst Thälmann, leader of the Communist Party (KPD).

Question 29

What were the results of the presidential election of 1932?
The results of the two rounds were:

Answer 29

1. March 1932: Hindenburg, 18 million votes (49.6%); Hitler, 11 million votes (30%); Thälmann, 5 million votes (14%).
2. April 1932: Hindenburg, 19 million votes (53%); Hitler, 13 million votes (36%); Thälmann, 4 million votes (11%).

Question 30

Why was the presidential election of 1932 in Weimar Germany important?

Answer 30

The presidential election was important because it showed how popular Hitler was. He increased his profile by travelling around the country to give speeches.

Question 31

What did Hitler do to become chancellor of Germany?

Answer 31

Hitler became chancellor of Germany because he was able to take advantage of the political and economic crises that had befallen Germany.

Question 32

How did Hitler become chancellor?
There were 3 main ways in which Hitler became chancellor of Germany:

Answer 32

1. The Nazis rose to popularity during the Great Depression, having taken advantage of rising unemployment to gain votes.
2. Hitler also took initiative within the political intrigue caused by General von Schleicher, Franz von Papen and President von Hindenburg to achieve the chancellorship.
3. These showcased that the Nazis and their leader were quick to react to opportunity.

Question 33

When did Hitler become the chancellor of Germany?

Answer 33

Hitler became chancellor of Germany on 30th January, 1933.

Question 34

Why did Hitler become the chancellor of Germany?
There are 5 key reasons why Hitler became chancellor:

Answer 34

1. The Nazi Party increased its number of seats in the Reichstag to 230 in July 1932 to become the biggest party in the Reichstag.
2. The actions of General von Schleicher, an army general and Franz von Papen, a politician.
3. Without von Schleicher and von Papen, Hitler may not have become chancellor because he did not have enough seats in the Reichstag. They thought they could control Hitler.
4. The failure of the Weimar government to solve the crisis of the Great Depression.
5. Funding from big business that meant the Nazis could spend a lot of money on propaganda.

Question 35

Who helped Hitler become the chancellor of Germany?
There were 3 key men involved with Hitler becoming chancellor:

Answer 35

1. General von Schleicher, a high ranking army officer.
2. Franz von Papen, a politician.
3. President von Hindenburg of the Weimar Republic.

Question 36

What role did General von Schleicher play in Hitler becoming chancellor?
General von Schleicher interfered with the dismissal and appointment of who was chancellor between May 1932 and January 1933 in the following 5 key ways:

Answer 36

1. On 30th May 1932, von Schleicher persuaded President von Hindenburg to appoint von Papen as chancellor.
2. The new government did not have the support of the majority of the Reichstag.
3. The number of seats won by the Nazis dropped to 196 in November 1932 but they were still the largest party. Von Schleicher persuaded the president to sack von Papen and appointed Schleicher as chancellor on 2nd December.
4. Von Papen now plotted with Hitler against von Schleicher.
5. Von Papen persuaded President von Hindenburg to sack von Schleicher and appoint Hitler as chancellor on 30th January, 1933.

Question 37

What role did Franz von Papen play in Hitler becoming chancellor?
Franz von Papen helped Hitler by interfering with the appointment of who would be chancellor and plotting with Hitler in 8 key ways:

Answer 37

1. General von Schleicher persuaded President von Hindenburg to appoint von Papen as chancellor on 30th May, 1932.
2. This new government did not have the support of the majority of the Reichstag.
3. Von Papen’s government struggled and he called new elections in July 1932, in which the Nazis won 230 seats, making them the largest party in the Reichstag.
4. Hitler demanded von Papen be sacked and himself be appointed chancellor.
5. He called for new elections in November 1932. The number of seats won by the Nazis dropped to 196 but they were still the largest party.
6. Von Schleicher persuaded the president to sack von Papen and appointed Schleicher as chancellor on 2nd December, 1932.
7. Von Papen told the president that von Schleicher was planning a military coup.
8. He persuaded the president to sack von Schleicher and appoint Hitler as chancellor as he believed he could control him.

Question 38

What role did President von Hindenburg play in Hitler becoming chancellor?
President Paul von Hindenburg helped Hitler become chancellor in 5 key ways:

Answer 38

1. He allowed himself to be persuaded by General von Schleicher to appoint Franz von Papen as chancellor in May 1932. The Nazis were part of this government.
2. He allowed himself to be persuaded by General von Schleicher to sack von Papen as chancellor in November, 1932 and appoint von Schleicher in von Papen’s place on 2nd December, 1932.
3. He believed the rumours that Chancellor von Schleicher was planning a military coup.
4. He was persuaded by von Papen to sack von Schleicher as chancellor on 30th January, 1933 and appoint Hitler to the role.
5. He did not want Hitler to be chancellor but he had little choice. He thought he could control him by limiting the number of Nazis allowed in the cabinet.

Question 39

What role did big business play in Hitler becoming chancellor?

Answer 39

Big business helped Hitler become chancellor when, in December 1932, 39 businessmen wrote a letter to President von Hindenburg demanding his appointment to save the country from the communists.