Section 3 The Collapse of Democracy, 1928-1933 PDF

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Section 3: The Collapse of Democracy, 1928-1933 ‘The collapse of the Grand Coalition in March 1930 was caused by the economic depression, an event which was outside Germany’s control’. Assess the validity of this view. It can be argued that the economic circumstances brought forward by the Great Depression injected problems that the Grand Coalition was incapable of handling, leading to its collapse in March 1930. Such factors were outside Germany’s control as the GD acted as a catalyst to the already pre-existing long term issues in Germany. That said, it can be argued that the collapse of the Grand Coalition was purely due to internal factors that could’ve been handled efficiently by the government itself. This can be seen in the continuance of social welfare policies and ideological differences within the coalition. The collapse of the Grand Coalition can be seen as a consequence of the circumstances brought forward by economic depression. This is because of Germany’s reliance on America for the loans. The Dawes (1924) and Young Plan (1929) meant that Germany was receiving loans from the US to stabilise their economy, so after the Wall Street crash short-term loans which were used to finance Germany's economy (as seen in the Golden Age, 1924-1928) were asked to be paid back by US. This was further worsened by the fact that the US was the largest overseas market for German manufactured goods, but under the depression the demand drastically decreased. For example in 1929-32 export declined by 61%. This insinuates that the collapse of the Grand Coalition was because of the economic depression as the government couldn't exercise control over foreign trades, resulting in a drastic decline of income. Many companies were forced to declare for bankruptcy, exacerbating the conditions in Germany, creating further unemployment. Banks also began to get into difficulties as customers withdrew their money, with outstanding loans not being repaid. Such factors cannot be influenced by the government, leading to its ultimate collapse. In this, the collapse of the Grand Coalition was brought forward by German dependence on US loans, creating a short term relief of economic crises, as seen in the ‘Golden Age’. Conditions were also worsened by the fact that the government couldn't control the American economy, indicating that the economic depression was a factor outside of German control. Alternatively, it can be argued that the collapse was brought forward by the social welfare policies that government implemented. This is a factor within German control, that created a disproportionate income to outcome ratio. Social Welfare policies like 1924, Public Assistance system, which provided help to to poor and destitute, was modernised. Policies such as the Public Assistance System and the 1925, State Insurance, which provided direct aid to those injured at work, placed a great strain on government expenditure. In this, policies were continued, despite the fact that the economy started to stagnate in 1928. Situations could’ve been slightly alleviated through an increase of taxation, however the government decided not to follow through on this route in fear of alienating public support. This means that the collapse of the Grand Coalition in March 1930 was a result of internal factors. By refusing to increase taxation and maintain an expensive social welfare system, government was bound to collapse, the economic depression only sped up the process.

On the other hand, the political makeup of the Grand Coalition created a dysfunctional government that would be liable to failure. This is because the Grand Coalition consisted of 5 ideologically different parties. PArties ranged from the left and right of the political spectrum, indicating that each party will have opposing beliefs and approaches to crises. For example, the DVP wanted to decrease unemployment levels, whereas the SPD wanted to protect the welfare system. This means that government wasn't able to fulfil its function of passing laws and policies, whilst dealing with political social and economic affairs. This ultimately led to the resignation of Muller as leader of the coalition in March 1930. This means that the collapse of the Grand Coalition was brought forward by divisions within government, that were worsened by the economic depression. That said, it can be argued that these divisions were only brought forward by the economic depression because before this, government proved to be effectively fulfilling its functions. This can be seen in the fact that government lasted much longer than any other. The Grand Coalition lasted from June 1928 - March 1930, surviving much longer than its predecessors, as seen in the Gustav Bauer coalition which lasted one month - October 1923 - November 1923. This means that whilst there were opposing ideological beliefs within the coalition, there was a degree of consensus which allowed it to function effectively. In this, the collapse of the Coalition was brought forward by extreme economic circumstances which heightened divisions, a factor that couldn’t have been controlled by Germany. Overall, the economic depression of 1929 certainly did have a profound impact on the Grand Coalition, heightening pre-existing issues within Germany, such as a stagnating economy and unemployment. However, it can also be argued that the collapse of the Grand Coalition want mainly because of the Great Depression as government still decided to continue its welfare policies without increasing tax, a factor that could’ve been controlled by government but wasn’t. This is also worsened by the fact that government knew that they lacked the funding to continue such policies, but did so anyway. In this, the collapse was due to internal factors that could’ve been controlled. ‘Fear of communism was the main reason why increasing numbers of Germans voted for the Nazis in the years 1930-32’. Assess the validity of this view. It can be argued that the reason for a rise of Nazi party support, because Hitler was able to exploit deep-rooted fears of Communism. This was the main reason for increased Nazi votership because fears were deep rooted into virtually all of Germany. Alternatively it can be argued that alternative factors were even more pivotal in increasing Nazi support, such as the party itself and the Great Depression. The appeal of Communism to the German electorate allowed Hitler to exploit this, allowing numbers of voters in favour of the Nazi Party. Communism had started to impact social areas of German culture. As a reaction to the rise of Communism in Germany, many businesses provided funding to the Nazi party in order to prevent a Communist government from taking place. This is because Communist propaganda helped attract membership, especially from the working class and unemployed - as they ideology itself placed great focus on them. Nazis therefore rose to power by exploiting the fact that by the 1932

Reichstag election, the KPD had 14.3%. Fear was made worse in the 1930 Reichstag election in which the KPD surpassed the Nazi party in electoral support. Therefore, the fear of Communism in Germany allowed the Nazi party to appear almost like a saviour to Germany’s future. By having a starkly contrasting party that values nationalism and shares the dissent towards the ToV, the Nazi party was able to attract an increasing amount of voters, having 37.3% of the votes by the July 1932 Reichstag election. Alternatively it can be argued that the underlying reason for Nazi support, was the party itself. This can be seen in the importance of Hitler. By 1929 Hitler had established control over the Nazi party, creating a leadership cult. This was crucial to the party as Hitler is subsequently able to coordinate the party, illustrating a party that's competent and fit for leadership. In this, Hitler's characteristics captured the masses due to his charisma and great oratorical skills. This can be seen in Hitler’s ‘Appeal to the Nation’ speech in July 1932, in which he displayed charisma and strength. His speeches often went on for hours and contained a lot of repetition and outright lies, but this nonetheless appealed to the masses due to its hypnotic effect. Therefore, it was the importance of Hitler as a figurehead to the Nazi party that allowed it to achieve electoral success because he knew how to play with people's emotions and fears, convincing them that he had the answer to all their problems. His mass appeal was therefore vital to the success of the Nazis in winning votes. Furthermore, Hitler was able to recognise the value of propaganda in capturing the support of the masses, allowing the party to experience an increase of support between 1930-32. Leaving the medium to propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi party took advantage of propaganda, having their own newspapers as well as many posters and leaflets. Such elements of propaganda used powerful visions of a prosperous and united Germany to attract the masses. In addition to this, the Nazi party also used staged rallies. Nazi marches and rallies were a symbol of pure strength and unity, creating a community for its supporters. With their banners, nationalistic songs, bands and a sheer number of his supporters, this made a powerful statement about Nazi strength. This made the Nazi Party appear like a force to be reckoned with, one that is suitable for leadership and can subsequently bring the nation back on its feet after humiliation by the Allies. It was also through the funds provided by big business leaders such as Hugenberg and Thyssen that enabled propaganda to be an effective tool in increasing Nazi support between 1930-32. This is because Hitler was able to use technology, such as cars and airplanes, to travel to different regions on Germany; delivering personalised promises to them. This made the Nazi party look like an all inclusive party, therefore increasing support. The party was also able to coordinate a sense of unity and connection with the public that other parties didn't, making them appear far more appealing therefore increasing their support. This role was taken by the SA which provided a sense of community and gave a sense of purpose to the people. In this, the SA can be seen as ‘propaganda by deed’, proving to be more effective in cutting youth unemployment compared to the government itself; subsequently increasing support. The youth felt that they missed out on the war and being drafted in to serve their country. Therefore, by being included into the ultra-nationalistic SA, the Nazi party was able to fulfil the dreams of the youth; once again appearing to be more appealing than the other parties in the Reichstag. Moreover, the three

main principles of the SA also appealed to other members of society, who felt that they have been betrayed by their government. These were to reverse ToV, establish a greater German Reich in which all Germans will be in state borders (volksgemeinschaft), and secure ‘lebensraum’ to provide food and raw materials to sustain power. This increased Nazi support because the nationalistic members of society now felt a greater connection with the party as they focused on their grievances as opposed to working with the ‘enemy’ (Allies). For this reason, the fear of Communism wasn’t the main reason for increased Nazi support because the party was able to establish itself in alliance with the views from the people. That said it can be argued that the party was only able to achieve electoral support because of the current social circumstances, the Great Depression (October 1929). In this, conditions were much harsher in germany as opposed to conditions in America. This was largely because Germany was heavily dependent on the loans provided by America and therefore when these loans were no longer available, social, economic and political affairs deteriorated. As an extremist party, this increased Nazi support (alongside KPD support), as democracy proved to be inefficient and decadent. This made the electorate more desperate and therefore more likely to turnt to extremist parties who can handle the nation in a more effective manner. This is because Bruning displayed himself as an incapable leader who couldn't direct his coalition government into success, having only 5 laws passed by the Reichstag and 66 by decree. This means that the Great Depression created exceptional circumstances in which the public were no longer satisfied by democracy nor the government in place, turning their support for an extremist party which appeared to be coordinated and organised. This can be further emphasised by the fact that prior to the Great Depression, the public were supportive of democracy, especially during the ‘Golden Age’. Overall it is evident that a blend of factors increased Nazi support during 1930-32. The fear of Communism certainly allowed the Nazi party to exploit deep-rooted fears, displaying themselves as saviours of the nation. However, the successes cannot be solely due to fear of Communism because the party proved themselves to be organised, coordinating themselves in a fashion that appealed to the masses. That said, this wouldn't have been made possible without the Great Depression of 1929.

‘Hitler became Chancellor in January 1933 mainly as a result of “backstairs intrigue”’. Explain why you agree or disagree with this view. Hitler’s chancellorship (starting on 30th January 1933) can certainly be credited due to the ‘backstairs intrigue’. This was the negotiation between Hindenburg, Schleicher and Papen to use Hitler as a tool to create a functional government. In this, Hitler’s chancellorship was arguably because of the plan devised by Hindenburg’s ‘inner circle’. That said, it is also important to consider that Hitler became chancellor because of his own achievements, as seen in his electoral success as well as other factors that aided him towards chancellorship. It can be argued that Hitler became chancellor as a result of ‘backstairs intrigue’, as seen in the influence of Hindenburg’s inner circle. This was the small circle of advisers that

Hindenburg was motivated his decisions - in this inner circle, Schleicher was a key figure since 1926. The influence of Hindenburg’s inner circle, can be seen in Schleicher’s persuasion to trigger the downfall of Bruning’s government in 1932, appointing Papen in his place. The role of Hindenburg’s inner circle in making Hitler chancellor can be further demonstrated in the fact that Hindenburg regarded Hitler with disdain, but due to his high value of his son’s opinions, Oskar von Hindenburg. The fact that Hindenburg originally despised the idea of Hitler as chancellor and later appointed him shows that Hindenburg was coerced by his advisers, who have proven to be instrumental to Hitler’s rise to power. This implies that Hitler being appointed chancellor was truly because of ‘backstairs intrigue’ because Hindenburg didn’t consider this as an option, until his Conservative son and inner circle advised him otherwise. Backstairs intrigue can be further illustrated in the influence of Papen on Hindenburg. In this, Papen made negotiations with Hitler to make a Nai-led coalition government, a plan devised to ensure Papen’s position of power within government. This coalition was supported by the DNVP leader, Alfred Hugenberg. Hitler thus became chancellor because prompted talks between Papen, Hindenburg and his inner circle in creating a coalition led by the Nazi’s. This indeed supports the statement that Hitler was made Chancellor as a result of backstairs intrigue because Papen and Oskar von Hindenburg assured Hindenburg that Hitler wouldn’t have the free hand to govern country. This insinuates that Hitler was only appointed Chancellor because Papen and Hindenburg believed that they could puppet Hitler in leading a government that functions effectively, using his electoral support to their advantage.believing that he was poorly educated and easy to control. That said, it can also be argued that the underlying reason for Hitler’s chancellorship was because of the of the party itself, rather than the influence by backstairs intrigue. This can be seen in Hitler’s electoral success, which labelled his party as the biggest party in the Reichstag. By July. 1932, NSDAP was the single largest party in the Reichstag, receiving 37.3% votes. This suggests that Hitler could effectively fulfil his role as a chancellor, passing laws in the Reichstag without having to use Article 48. This allowed Hindenburg to consider Hitler as a serious candidate for chancellorship as he was becoming increasingly frustrated by the extreme reliance on Article 48. This means that Hitler was needed in government in order to pass laws, indicating that Hitler became chancellor because of his strengths as a party leader. The importance of Hitler can be further demonstrated in the fact that by 1929, he had successfully coordinated his party into a position of power, illustrating him as a powerful leader. Hitler possessed great charisma and unparalleled oratorical skills. This allowed Hitler to rally mass support from the people, demonstrating his significance as a leader in leading to his chancellorship. His speeches often went on for hours, having a hypnotic effect on the audience, knowing how to exploit their fears and convince them that he had the answers to their problems. His mass appeal was therefore vital to the success of the Nazis in winning votes further illustrating Hitler’s competence as chancellor. This also injected a degree of confidence into government as people trusted him as a leader, believing that he can restore Germany’s greatness following the national humiliation by the ToV. This was also influenced by the fact that Weimar Germany experienced a prolonged period of political instability, as

seen in the consistent number of coalition governments. Coalitions displayed a weak government, as seen in the 1932 Bruning government in which there were only 5 laws passed by the Reichstag and 66 by presidential decree. Therefore because of Hitler’s character, he had the chance of fulfilling government laws from within as opposed to reliance on presidential decree. This is supported by the fact that in 1930, he had 107 seats in the Reichstag, a strong majority that can exert influence in policies and laws. In this, Hitler was appointed as chancellor because of the party presented itself as powerful and stable within the political system. Overall, the role of backstairs intrigue had a vital role in making Hitler chancellor. This can be seen in the influence of Hindenburg’s ‘inner circle’ in key decision making, as seen in their influence in Bruning’s downfall in 1932. That said, the main reason for Hitler’s appointment was due to the electoral support his party had by July 1932, making the NSDAP the single largest party in the Reichstag, which made his appointment inevitable....