The appointment of Hitler as Chancellor (HISTORY - GERMANY)

1930 Sept. - Reichstag election = gains for NSDAP + KPD -> loses for moderate parties.

1932 April - Hindenburg was re-elected as President. + Bruning imposed a ban on the Nazi SA.

1932 May - Bruning was forced to resign as Chancellor -> replaced by Papen.

1932 June - Papen lifted the ban on the SA.

1932 July - Papen declared a state of emergency in Prussia and dismissed the SPD led gov. + Reichstag election = NSDAP becomes the largest Party (37% of vote)

1932 Sept. - Reichstag passed a vote of no confidence in Papen's gov.

1932 Nov. - Reichstag elections = NSDAP lost votes but are still the largest party.

1932 Dec. - Papen was forced to resign and was replaced by Schleicher.

1933 Jan - Hitler and Papen agree to work together in a coalition gov. + 30th Jan = Hitler appointed Chancellor. 

30th Jan 1933 = Hitler made Chancellor.

He was to lead a 'gov. of national concentration' -> a coalition gov. where NSDAP would share power with DNVP + others e.g Papen (Vice-Chancellor).

Papen and Hindenburg believed that Hitler was uneducated, naive and inexperienced = easy to control. 

The process that brought Hitler to the cabinet was long and complex. 1932 -> NSDAP was the largest Party but Hitler was not made Chancellor. 

Hitler came to power through backstage negotiation with key political figures.

Alan Bullock -> Hitler came to power 'as a part of a shoddy political deal with the 'Old Gang' whom he had been attacking for months past'. 

The fall of Bruning's gov. May 1932.

In power March 1930 -> May 1932 despite not having a majority. His appointment was heavily influenced by Schleicher (Bruning could only pass laws and remain in office with his support, he mainly ruled by decree).

Schleicher -> key broker in Weimar policies favoured authoritarian style of gov. 

Bruning's priority = reduce state expenditure e.g cut welfare benefits -> nicknamed the 'Hunger Chancellor' as his policies deepened the depression. 

Feb 1932 -> 6 million unemployed, support of KPD was growing. Mc was afrad of a communist revolution. 

April 1932 Brunning banned SA to stop street violence, Schleicher withdrew support in fear of a Nazi uprising. He came to the conclusion that no gov. could operate without NSDAP's support.

He asked Hitler to join a coalition gov. - H refused unless he was made Chancellor. Schleicher refused and they agreed that H would not oppose the new gov. if there was a new Reichstag election and the ban on the SA was lifted.

Schleicher recommended Hindenburg did not sign Bruning's next decree -> forced him to resign. 

Bruning was replaced by Papen + Schliecher -> Defence Minister. 

Papen's gov. May - Dec 1932 - 'The cabinet of barons':

Followed Hinden.'s orders and tried to form a 'gov. of national concentration' by basing it on a non-party-political basis. Only DNVP supported this gov. and were rewarded 2 positions in the cabinet.

All other positions = filled by people who were not members of political parties, many landowners and the industrial elite ('cabinet of barons'). Limited support in Reichstag = Papen had to rule by decree -> suited his preferred authoritarian style.

He believed the biggest threat = communist revolution. As an aristocrat, he looked down on the Nazis but sympathised with H's ideas and saw him as a useful ally. 

June 1932 -> he lifted the ban on the SA and repressed left-wing press = more street violence (especially during Reichstag election campaign of July 1932). 

This allowed Papen to impose authoritarian rule in Prussia- he dissolved the SPD led gov, declared a state of emergency, made himself Reich Commissioner in charge of Prussia and purged the SPD.

Papen's gov. May - Dec 1932 - 'The cabinet of barons':

Followed Hinden.'s orders and tried to form a 'gov. of national concentration' by basing it on a non-party-political basis. Only DNVP supported this gov. and were rewarded 2 positions in the cabinet.

All other positions = filled by people who were not members of political parties, many landowners and the industrial elite ('cabinet of barons'). Limited support in Reichstag = Papen had to rule by decree -> suited his preferred authoritarian style.

He believed the biggest threat = communist revolution. As an aristocrat, he looked down on the Nazis but sympathised with H's ideas and saw him as a useful ally. 

June 1932 -> he lifted the ban on the SA and repressed left-wing press = more street violence (especially during Reichstag election campaign of July 1932). 

This allowed Papen to impose authoritarian rule in Prussia- he dissolved the SPD led gov, declared a state of emergency, made himself Reich Commissioner in charge of Prussia and purged the SPD.

LEFT:

KPD - 89 seats - 14.3% of the vote.

SPD - 133 seats - 21.6% of the vote.

CENTRE:

DDP - 4 seats - 1.0% of the vote.

Centre Party - 75 seats - 12.4% of the vote.

RIGHT:

DVP - 7 eats - 1.2% of the vote.

DNVP - 37 seats - 5.9% of the vote.

NSDAP - 230 seats - 37.3% of the vote.

Most moderate parties (apart from the Centre Party) suffered losses as political life grew increasingly polarised.

The DVP and the DDP lost a large amount of support and were reduced down to 'fringe parties'.

DNVP suffered heavy losses.

NSDAP established as the largest party- attracted the support of mv voters and many unemployed people. They did not attract the support of the SPD, KDP or Catholic voters that remained loyal to the Centre Party. 

After the election, Papen invited H to join his coalition but he refused- he would only take part if he was made Chancellor. 

H broke the agreement with Schleicher and attacked Papen's gov. -> sided with communists to debate a vote of no confidence in Papen's gov. (Sept. 1932) which was passed by a massive majority of 512 votes to 42.

Papen had to ask Hiden. to dissolve the Reichstag and call a new election in Nov. 

LEFT:

KPD - 100 seats - 16.9% of the vote.

SPD - 121 seats - 20.4% of the vote.

CENTRE:

DDP - 2 seats - 1.0% of the vote.

Centre Party - 70 seats - 11.9% of the vote.

RIGHT:

DVP - 11 seats - 1.9% of the vote.

DNVP - 52 seats - 8.8% of the vote.

NSDAP - 196 seats - 33.1% of the vote.

NSDAP was the biggest party but had lost 2 mil votes and 34 seats in the Reichstag.

Support had peaked in July but was now declining- possibly because H's attacks on Papen and refusal to join coalitions alienated the mc voters.

These mc votes returned to the DVP and DNVP.

NSDAP supported a communist-led campaign to ensure a vote of no confidence in Papen's gov, this made them lose respect in the eyes of mc voters who were terrified of a communist revolution.

3 election campaigns in 8 months -> exhausted the funds of NSDAP.

Centre parties suffered losses.

Communists made significant gains.

Divisions were begging to appear inside the Nazi Party.

Papen was the biggest loser of the election even though he was not a candidate.

His gov. faced a large Reichstag majority and was losing credibility in the eyes of the army.

He considered banning the communists and the Nazis and using the army to enforce an authoritarian style of gov.

Schleicher informed Papen that the army would not support him and so he had no choice but to resign. 

Schleicher preferred to control politics from behind the scenes but had no choice but to become chancellor.

He wanted to establish an authoritarian form of gov. but know this could only be achieved through an alliance with NSDAP.

Schleicher's gov. Dec 1932 - Jan 1933: Papen resigned -> Sch. convinced Hiden. to make him Chancellor. He wanted to bring back an authoritarian style of rule, believed he could only do so with the support of NSDAP.

This did not seem impossible = NSDAP lost support, was bankrupt and had divisions within.

Sch. believed he could pressure H to join his coalition by negotiating with the party's organisation leader, Gregor Strasser. H quickly purged Strasser from the party. Sch. had failed. 

He changed tactics, he belied that a progressive social policy would win the support of trade unions; through this, he would win the support of the Reichstag. His policies included: removing wage and benefit cuts, introduce job creation schemes and break up estates in the east to distribute them.

This was too much for the industrialists and landowners (the backbone of German politics) and it failed to garner the support of union trade members.

Sch. attempted to ask Hiden. to suspend the constitution, dissolve the Reichstag and give him dictatorial powers. Hiden. refused and Sch. was forced to resign. 

Hiden. was surrounded by a small group of advisors: Oskar (his son), Otto Meisner (a civil servant who controlled access to the President) and Schleicher (however his plotting against Papen made him lose some of his influence).

Schleicher had been instrumental in the downfalls of Bruning and Papen.

Hinden. regarded H with disdain, he believed his party to be noisy and undisciplined. He did not want to make Hitler Chancellor however after the fall of Papen's gov, he was running out of options.

Whilst Sch.'s gov gell apart, Papen negotiated with Hitler over forming a new coalition gov. H insisted on being Chancellor. - DNVP was willing to support a Nazi-led coalition. 

Talks between H, Papen and Hinden.'s inner circle (minus Sch.) led to a deal where a new coalition gov. would be created with H as Chancellor and Papen as Vice-Chancellor. 

Hiden.'s doubts -> cleared by Papen and Oskar who claimed they could control H e.g only 2 Nazi's in the cabinet aside from himself. 

This meeting was arranged by banker Kurt von Schroeder.

It took place on the 4th of Jan. 1933 because Papen had asked for it.

They met at Schroeder's house and talked for two hrs.

The banker claimed he was not involved in the discussions.

Summary of backstairs intrigue.

1. Sch. tried to construct a stable gov. whilst Papen and H conspired in the background. They agreed to form a coalition. H was to be Chancellor, Papen Vice-Chancellor and Hugenberg (leader of the DNVP) would support them.

2. Further talks took place between Hitler, Papen, Hiden. and Meisner where they agreed to bring down Sch. and form this new coalition.

3. President Hiden. had doubts about H being Chancellor but Papen and Oskar convinced him that he was poorly educated and inexperienced, thus he would be easy to control.

4. Sch. asked Hiden. to suspend the constitution and give him dictatorial powers. The president refused and Sch. was forced to resign.

5. Hitler was appointed Chancellor on the 30th of January 1933 at the head of a coalition government in which Nazi ministers were in a minority.

- Successes in elections was important to the Nazis in their pursuit of power but their support began to decline before H was made Chancellor in January 1933.

- By the end of 1932, Hitler's refusal to join coalitions unless he was Chancellor seemed to be a tactical error as Hiden. refused to accept this and it began to create divisions within NSDAP.

- Being the largest party in the Reichstag and their tendency to turn to street violence, the Nazis could e3wtablise any gov. thus they knew it was vital to be allied with NSDAP.

- Papen and Hiden.'s close advisors came to the conclusion that it would be safe to have H in the gov. where they could monitor and manipulate him once he became Chancellor.