Fall of Weimar/Rise of Nazis 1929-1933

• After WSC, economy was back to square one
• Support for Weimar declining
• Companies all over Germany went bankrupt, six major banks collapsed, workers sack
• Unemployment peaked at 8 million

• As support for Weimar was declining, support grew for Nazis
• Popular among urban and rural voters
• Leader Adolf Hitler was charismatic and very popular among electorate of Germany
• He criticised "November Criminals" for signing ToV
• With economic slump crumbling Weimar support for Nazis kept growing in support
• Hitler wanted to make Germany great again through nationalism if and when he came to power
• Nazis also aimed to attack their "racial enemies"- Jews, Communists and Marxist
• All appealed to German nation
• Nazis also had plans to fix economy once in power
• Hitler's right-hand man Joseph Goebbels was an effective propaganda machine

• PR was disliked as it allowed many splinter parties to form- many did not like an overabundance of parties- preferred one eg Nazis
• Article 48 allowed the President to rule by emergency decree which effectively paved the way for a dictatorship- many did not want this
• Article 48 was regularly used by Hindenburg so many Germans were accustomed to it which technically led to a Nazi dictatorship

Muller

• His SPD led coalition was divided on how to combat depression- Muller asked Hindenburg to user Article 48 to support his govt but he refused and Muller resigned

Bruning

• He was the "Hunger Chancellor"- govt. didn't have an overall majority
• Got his finance bill passed by Article 48 though great opposition to this, Bruning asked Hindenburg to dissolve the Reichstag
• Sept 1930 elections this opposition was evident as Bruning could no longer gain a majority due to rise of extremists eg Nazis
• Govt. hung on through Presidential decrees- unemployment was getting worse, Bruning did little to combat this
• 1932 Nazi support growing, Hindenburg turned against Bruning and dismissed him

Papen

• Formed a non-party govt
• July 1932 elections extremists made further gains and Papen dismissed

Schleicher

• Papen was upset that he had been dismissed and asked Hindenburg to appoint him as Chancellor- intriguing against Schleicher
• Hindenburg said no and Hitler was then appointed Chancellor with Papen as deputy
• Schleicher only lasted 57

Hitler now in power through intrigue from Papen and Hindenburg