1929 - 1933

The Good Times are Over!

1929 – a bad year for Weimar

• 1929 started off well for the Weimar Republic– Young Plan spread out

German reparations until 1988

• In October, the Weimar Republic was rocked by 2 disasters.– 1) The Wall Street Crash– 2) The Death of

Stresemann

1929 – a bad year for Weimar

• In October, the Weimar Republic was rocked by 2 disasters.– 1) The Wall Street Crash

• Why was this significant for Germany

– 2) The Death of Stresemann

• Why was this significant for the Weimar Republic

September 1928

650,000

September 1929

1,320,000

September 1930

3,000,000

September 1931

4,350,000

September 1932

5,102,000

January 1933

6,100,000

The Impact of the Wall Street CrashUnemployment in Germany

The Political Impact of the Depression

• Cuts had to be made to government spending– The Social Democrats left the

coalition due to cuts in unemployment benefit

– Germany had to be ruled by decree.• Bruning uses article 48

• The worse the situation got for Germany, the more the Nazis prospered.– Explain what happened to the Nazi

vote and number of seats between 1928 and 1933

Nazi Electioneering

• List the Nazi party’s propaganda and electioneering tactics:– Remember that they are not in control of

the country yet: so they still need to pay for everything.

Nazi ElectionTactics

Nazi Electioneering– Pamphlets– Poster campaigns

• Blanket flypostering– Printing Newspapers– Speeches

• Hitler was a talented orator– Rallies

• Bus activists to rallies to appear more popular than they actually are.

– Intimidation • SA will beat up groups blamed by Nazis for Germany’s failures

– Radio• Transmitting speeches and rallies

– Air transport• To allow Hitler to appear in many places

Nazi Electioneering

• Write a Nazi election speech in 1932. Include blame for Germany’s problems on:– Treaty of Versailles– Reparations payments– Communists– The Weimar Government– Foreigners– Jews

• Use repetition• Use Exaggeration• Do not feel constrained by the truth

1932 - 1933

Hitler Manoeuvres into Power

The Collapse of Democracy

• The Nazis manage to take advantage of the following factors to take control of Germany– 1) Dissatisfaction of Treaty of Versailles – 2) Economic Collapse and Unemployment– 3) Aggressive election tactics by Nazi Party– 4) Political Intrigue

• Doing deals to gain power• The Nazis NEVER get a majority

Date of Election Jan

1919 Jun

1920 May 1924

Dec 1924

May 1928

Sep 1930

Jul 1932

Nov 1932

Mar 1933

SPD Social Democrats 165 102 100 131 153 143 133 121 120

Communists KPD/USPD 22 88 62 45 54 77 89 101 81

Centre Party (Catholics) 91 64 65 69 62 68 75 70 74

DDP (Democrats) 75 39 28 32 25 20 4 2 5

Right-wing parties (BVP/ DVP/DNVP)

63 157 156 174 134 90 66 83 72

NSDAP (Nazis)

    32 14 12 107 230 196 288

Others 7 9 29 29 51 72 11 12 7

Total Deputies 423 459 472 493 491 577 608 584 647

1932 Hitler challenges Hindenburg

• President Hindenburg is an old war hero.

• Hitler feels strong enough to challenge him for the ultimate

• Hitler loses– Hindenburg 53%– Hitler 36%

• However,– Hitler surprises many be polling

so many votes.– Hitler gets national media

coverage

Political Intrigue

• May 1932– General Schleicher asks Hindenburg to ask Franz

von Papen (Catholic Party) to form a government. • replacing von Bruning – who had been anti-Nazi

• July 1932– Reichstag elections disaster for pro-weimar parties– Best result for Nazis

• August 1932– Hitler demands to be made Chancellor– Hindenburg dismisses the ‘Bohemian Corporal’

Political Intrigue

• September 1932– Von Papen loses a no-confidence vote

• November 1932– Another Reichstag election

• Nazis lose 2 million votes!• But still too many anti-weimar parties with seats• Von Papen wants to be reappointed by

Hindenburg and rule with Article 48• General Schleicher puts himself forward

– Wants to work with reasonable Nazis (Strasser)

Von Papen’s revenge!

• Hitler dismisses Strasser– No deals short of

Chancellorship

• Papen does a deal with Hitler behind Schleicher’s back– Hitler will be Chancellor– Von Papen vice-chancellor– Nazis given just 3 cabinet

seats– Von Papen thought that he

could control Hitler – Hindenburg tired of

bickering

Why did Hitler come to power?

Mistakes by his opponents

Hitler and the Nazi Party

General Conditions in

Germany

Factors to Consider• Hitler’s promise to smash the

Communists• SA Intimidation• Chancellors Bruning, von Papen

and Schleicher’s use of article 48• Hitler promise to restore family

and moral values• Von Papen’s double crossing of

Schleicher• Treaty of Versailles’ conditions• Hitler was an excellent orator• The Nazis were in no way

responsible for the economic problems

• Nazis becoming the largest political party

• Wall Street Crash• Nazi Party Propaganda

techniques• Hindenburg was old and tired• Schleicher thought he could

appeal to reasonable Nazis• Von Papen thought he could

control Hitler• Worldwide Depression• Strasser’s inability to stand up

to Hitler• 6 Million unemployed