Reichstag Elections Of July 1932 The Nazis example essay topic

How Hitler got into Power At the end of the war Germany underwent a rapid political restructuring. Following this transition from authoritarian monarchy to democratic republic, Weimar Germany immediately began to display weaknesses that it would ultimately never fix. Germany had to create a government that the Allies would be prepared to negotiate with, so Hindenburg ordered a government which had the support of the Reichstag. When Kaiser William II fled the country, Germany could still have remained a monarchy, as William's son was eligible for the throne. The Weimar Republic was not based on strong public convictions, which must, in part, explain its weakness. There were many flaws in thew Weimar Republic.

Weimar had great problems gaining acceptance throughout Germany, too. The terribly harsh conditions of the Treaty of Versailles angered Germans, especially the military everywhere and many directed their resentment at the Weimar government who signed the Treaty. Defeat in a large-scale war always signals the beginning of a difficult period for a nation. Following World War I, Germany was virtually crushed by the harsh demands of the Treaty of Versailles.

The German economy was weighed down heavily by the enormous reparations bill. Weimar governments struggled to meet the huge reparations payments and their failure to do so was the basis of further problems. One such event was the additional humiliation of the French and Belgian occupation of the Ruhr in 1923. The French took control of the coal mines and factories of the region, so the workers, following a policy of passive resistance, went on strike.

The French employed their own men to work the area, whilst the German government committed to paying the wages of the striking workers. This was a very expensive exercise and, on top of that, Germany lost profits from industry in the Ruhr and actually had to spend money importing coal. These massive drains on the German economy caused inflation to soar to incredible levels, paralleling the dramatic drops in the value of the reichsmark. It is true that the Reichsbank printed more and more money to the point where over 44 trillion marks was in circulation. Some historians argue that the Weimar government did this deliberately, to devalue their currency, making it cheaper to pay reparations. The downside of this was that middle and working class Germans lost their savings and the value of their wages.

For instance in November 1923, the cost of a loaf of bread in Berlin was about 201 billion marks! In November 1923, the Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler, marched to a beer hall in Munich and announced that they were taking over government. The Bavarians denounced this, being confident of having control over the army. The Nazis realised their putsch had failed, but decided to march to the centre of Munich in a last ditch demonstration to gain support. There was a physical confrontation with the police there, which claimed eight lives.

Charged with treason, Hitler and some of his supporters were sent to jail. Although Hitler was sentenced to five years imprisonment, he only served one. While Hitler was in prison, he wrote his semi-autobiography - Mein Kampf. These attacks on government, coupled with the poor state of the German economy, created doubt in the minds of many Germans about the validity of democracy and made them more receptive to alternative ideas. This change is clearly represented by the change in voting patterns of 1924.

Votes moved away from the Social Democrats (SPD) and Democrats (DDP) and towards the far-left Communists (KID) and the far-right Nazis (NSAP). The effects of the Depression in Germany reached all corners of society. The political, social and economic instability that accompanied and grew from the Depression was a major factor contributing to Nazi success. In March 1932 Hindenburg's term expired and he stood again. The Nazis campaigned vigorously - Hitler travelled by plane all across Germany, around 300 political meetings were held each day, and Joseph Goebbels propagandized the nation. In the April elections Hindenburg was returned to power but Hitler was able to gain 37% of the second-round vote.

In the 1930's, paramilitary groups rose in prominence. These groups, made mainly of ex-army soldiers, were often used by political parties to gain control of the streets and 'put some muscle behind the words. ' The Nazi paramilitary consisted of the SA and the SS, and Hindenburg banned these two groups in April 1932. The current chancellor at that time, Papen instigated a ten man 'Cabinet of Barons' but it received no support in the Reichstag.

In meetings with Papen and presidential advisor Kurt von Schleicher, Hitler gave the impression that he would support a new government if the ban on the SA and SS was lifted. Papen and Schleicher played into Hitler's hands as the Reichstag was dissolved and the ban lifted. Hitler appealed to a wide range of groups in society. The German youth was targeted as the Nazis recognised their enormous voting potential.

Hitler gave hope of employment to the youth, despite the poor state of the economy. Indeed, Hitler was regarded by many Germans as a 'saviour', especially by the unemployed. Hitler was able also to appeal to the working class. In the Reichstag elections of July 1932 the Nazis won 230 seats (37.3%) - more than any other party. Hitler demanded the chancellorship and five cabinet places. Hindenburg, who disliked Hitler, refused this and instead only offered Hitler the position of vice chancellor.

Hitler rejected the compromise. When the Reichstag met in September 1932, Papen had no support so it was dissolved once again and new elections set for November. The Nazis were low on funds for these elections and consequently their representation dropped to 196 seats, but they remained the largest party in the house. Papen still had little support and Schleicher convinced Hindenburg to force Papen's resignation. This happened on 2 December and Hindenburg appointed Schleicher chancellor to keep Hitler from power. Schleicher never gained wide support either and did not stay in office long.

Papen, motivated by a desire for revenge on Schleicher and a will to regain power, entered into negotiations with Hitler, in a plan to bring a Nazi-coalition government to power. He somehow managed to persuade Hindenburg to dismiss Schleicher and appoint Hitler as the new German chancellor on 30 January, 1933. Once Hitler had become chancellor, the Enabling Act was the critical step towards Germany becoming a dictatorship. Elections were set for March 1933 and the Nazis used the police, SA and propaganda to win 288 Reichstag seats. Although the Nazi party and their coalition partner, the Nationalists, now had a ruling majority in the Reichstag, Hitler did not believe in the democratic process. He persuaded the parliament to approve an Enabling Act that allowed the government to issue laws.

Through this Act the Nazis were able to take over the state. Trade unions were abolished, the SA and SS were given a free hand to deal with opponents and, most importantly, all parties other than the Nazis were banned. In elections at the end of 1933, the Nazis, of course, won all the seats. The only thing that stood in the way of Hitler's total dictatorship was Hindenburg's presidency. Hindenburg had the loyalty of the army so he could not be challenged. However, in August 1934 this barrier was removed when Hindenburg died of old age.

The office of president was abolished and combined with the chancellorship. Only eighteen months after becoming chancellor, Hitler was able to proclaim himself 'Fuhrer' making him legal dictator of Germany.