11 - the Appointment of Hitler as Chancellor - Mindmap in A Level and IB History

Created by: Becca Newman
Created on: 30-01-20 12:52

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The Appointment of Hitler as Chancellor
- The appointment of Hitler
  - 30 Jan 1933 Hindenburg invited Hitler to lead a new 'government of national concentration'
    - Nazi party would share power with the DNVP + others, including Franz Von Papen
      - Hitler was now chancellor of a new government
        Hindenburg + Papen believed Hitler's inexperience meant he could be easily manipulated
  - In the 1932 elections the Nazis won the elections to become the largest party in the Reichstag
    - NSDAP didn't have majority
  - Hitler's appointment had been the result of secret meetings
    - Not a result of a Nazi political uprising as Nazi propaganda suggested
- The Political and Economic Crisis
  - The Fall of Bruning's Government, May 1932
    - Bruning's coalition government was in power from March 1930 to May 1932
      - Bruning could only pass laws with Hindenburg and Schleicher's approval
    - Schleicher wanted to constuct an authoritarian government
      - He attempted this through Bruning's government which was ruled mostly through presidential decree
    - Economic Policies.....
      - Reduce state expenditure - cut welfare benefits, reduce number of civil servants + wages
      - These measures actually worsened the depression
        Feb 1932 unemployment had exceeded 6 million
        Led to support for the Nazis and KPD increasing
        Level of street violence rose
        By Spring 1932 Germany was in chaos + a Communist revolution seemed like a possibility
    - April 1932 ban on SA
      - political situation worsened + Schleicher withdrew his support
        No government could rule without the support of the Nazi party
    - Hitler refused to join a coalition government unless he was Chancellor
      - Schleicher wasn't willing for this
        But Hitler didn't oppose the new coalition if there was a new election + the ban on the SA ws lifted
        Bruning resigned + was replaced with Papen, Schleicher was Defence Minister
  - Papen's Government, May- December 1932
    - The Cabinet of Barons
      - Papen established a 'government of national concentration'
        Apart from 2 DNVP posts in the cabinet, the rest were non-political (industrial elite)
        With limited support Papen ruled by presidential decree
      - Papen sympathised with Nazi ideas and feared a Communist revolution
        He lifted the SA ban + imposed curbs on left-wing press
        Resulted in a new wave of street violence
        So he imposed authoritarian rule on Prussia
    - July 1932 election
      - Nazis established themselves as the biggest right party
        Attracted middle-class voters, but not voters from the SPD, KPD or Centre party
      - Hitler refused to join papen's coalition unless he was chancellor
        Nazis joined with other parties (Communists) to vote no confidence on Papen's government
        Majority of 512 to 42 votes - Hindenburg dissolved the Reichstag + called a new election
    - November 1932 election
      - Nazis lost 2 million votes + 34 seats (were still the largest party)
        Hitler's attack on papen alienated middle class voters
        The Nazis had supported a KPD led transport strike in Berlin + Nazi funds were exhausted
    - The end of Papen's government
      - Papen faced a hostile Reichstag majority + was losing army credibility
        He considered using the army to ban the Nazis and Communists
        Schleicher informed him the army wouldn't support him so he resigned
- The role of backstairs intrigue
  - Hindenburg's inner circle
    - Since 1926 Schleicher had been political head of the army
      - 1929 he was made head of the Ministerial office (represented army in government)
        Schleicher was instrumental in persuading Hindenburg to withdraw support from Bruning + appoint papen
        He wanted an alliance with the Nazis to form an authoritarian government
    - Oskar Von Hindenburg (his son)
      - Dr Otto Meissner (civil servant who was a go-between in negotiations between Hindenburg and Hitler)
    - Hindenburg disliked Hitler + saw the nazis as undisciplined
      - Reluctant to make Hitler chancellor
  - Schleicher's Government Dec 1932 - Jan 1933
    - Schleicher was reluctant to become Chancellor
      - Constructing a government would be hard + thought a coalition Nazi government led by him would be best
    - Nazi support continued to fall + they were bankrupt
      - Schleicher believed he could play on Hitler's problems to get him to agree
        Schleicher entered in discussions with Gregor Strasser, but Hitler quickly got rid of Strasser
    - Schleicher changed tactic - gain trade union support and through that reichstag support
      - He cancelled wages/benefits cuts
        Considered a large scale job creation scheme
        + distributing land to small farmers
      - All this failed to attract union support
    - Schleicher asked Hindineburg to suspend the constitution + dissolve the reichstag
      - Hindenburg refused + Scleicher resigned
    - Hitler + Papen negotiations over a new government - Hitler was now willing to enter a coalition if he was chancellor
      - DNVP were prepared to support a Nazi coalition
        Led to a deal of a coalition with Hitler as Chancellor
        Papen would be vice-Chancellor + Hitler would not have a free hand to govern as he wanted
        
        As Hitler was inexperienced they thought he would be easy to control

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11 - the Appointment of Hitler as Chancellor

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