Chapter 11 The Appointment of Hitler as Chancellor PDF

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The fall of Bruning’s Government, May 1932 Bruning’s coalition government was in power from March 1930 until May 1932. In economic policy, Bruning's priority was to reduce state expenditure by cutting welfare benefits, reducing the number of civil servants and cutting wages, a policy for which he was dubbed the 'Hunger Chancellor'. By February 1932, unemployment in Germany exceeded 6 million for the first time. As unemployment increased, so too did electoral support for the Nazi Party and the Communist Party, and the level of street violence rose. Although Bruning imposed a ban on the SA in April1932 in an attempt to stop street violence, the political situation continued to deteriorate and Schleicher withdrew his support. Schleicher was concerned that the ban on the SA would provoke a Nazi uprising and he also came to the conclusion, after the presidential election that no government could rule without the support of the Nazi Party. Bruning had no alternative but to resign.

Papen’s Government, May – December 1932 Papen saw the Nazis, with their mass popular support, as useful allies in his quest to establish a government of 'national concentration'. In June 1932, he lifted the ban on the SA and imposed curbs on the left-wing press. The result was a new wave of street violence, especially during the Reichstag election campaign of July 1932, which gave Papen an excuse to impose authoritarian rule in Germany's largest state, Prussia.

July 1932 Election Party Seats

KPD 89

SPD 133

DNVP 37

Chapter 11: The Appointment of Hitler as Chancellor

November 1932 Election Party Seats

KPD 100

SPD 121

DNVP 52

NSDAP 196

Although the Nazis remained the largest party in the Reichstag, they lost two million votes and 34 seats in the Reichstag. Part of the explanation for this was that many middle-class voters had been alienated by Hitler's attacks on Papen and by his refusal to join a coalition government if he could not lead it. The fact that the Nazis had supported a communist-led transport strike in Berlin during the election campaign also damaged the party in the eyes of middleclass voters, who were terrified of a communist revolution.

The End of Papen’s Government Papen considered banning the Nazis and the communists, and using the army to enforce an authoritarian style of government, which would bypass the Reichstag altogether. However, when Schleicher informed Papen that the army would not support him, he had to alternative but to resign.

NSDAP 230

The DVP and the DDP experienced a serious loss of support and were reduced to the ranks of fringe parties. The DNVP also suffered heavy losses as the Nazis established themselves as the main party of the right. The Nazis succeeded in attracting large numbers of middle-class voters, many who had never participated in elections before and many of them unemployed. After the election, Papen invited Hitler to join his government but Hitler still refused. Again he would only participate in a coalition government if he were the Chancellor.

Hindenburg’s Inner Circle Hindenburg had an inner circle of advisers who were involved in all of the key decisions. It was this group which advised Hindenburg on the appointment of Chancellors and the signing of presidential decrees. Oskar von Hindenburg, the President's son, was another army officer with close links to Schleicher. He controlled access to the President and his opinions were highly valued by his father. Also in a key position was Dr Otto Meissner, a civil servant who ran the President's Office.

Schleicher’s Government, December 1932- January 1933 Schleicher believed that his best chance of success lay in persuading the Nazis to join a coalition government led by him. Schleicher, believing that he could put pressure on Hitler by playing on these divisions in the party, opened negotiations with the party's organisation leader, Gregor Strasser, about joining his government. Hitler, however, moved quickly to get rid of Strasser and reassert his control over the party. Schleicher's bid to win Nazi support for his government had failed. Schleicher's last throw of the dice was to ask Hindenburg to suspend the constitution, dissolve the Reichstag and give him virtually dictatorial powers. Hindenburg refused and Schleicher resigned. Talks between Hitler, Papen and Hindenburg's Inner circle led to a deal in which Hitler would form a coalition government with himself as Chancellor. Papen would be Vice-Chancellor and Hugenberg would run the Economics and Food Ministries. Apart from Hitler, there would be only two other Nazis in the cabinet. Both Papen and Hindenburg believed that Hitler, who was poorly educated and inexperienced in government, would be easy to control....