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
The Impact of the Wall Street Crash
Unemployment in Germany
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 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 Election
Tactics
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
SPD Social Democrats
Communists KPD/USPD
Centre Party (Catholics)
DDP (Democrats)
Jan
1919
Jun
1920
May
1924
Dec
1924
May
1928
Sep
1930
Jul
1932
Nov
1932
Mar
1933
165
102
100
131
153
143
133
121
120
22
88
62
45
54
77
89
101
81
91
64
65
69
62
68
75
70
74
75
39
28
32
25
20
4
2
5
63
157
156
174
134
90
66
83
72
32
14
12
107
230
196
288
Right-wing parties (BVP/
DVP/DNVP)
NSDAP (Nazis)
Others
Total Deputies
7
9
29
29
51
72
11
12
7
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