franz von papen

• • Franz Von Papen came from a wealthy background and had ties with German aristocrats, businessmen and the army. However, he had no real political following and his government lacked a majority in the Reichstag.
  • Desperate to increase his power, Papen called for Reichstag elections in July 1932. The election result was a disaster for Papen and a triumph for the Nazis, who took 37 percent of the vote, the largest total they were ever to acquire in a free election. 
• • In November 1932, Papen called for another Reichstag election in the hope of gaining parliamentary backing. This was another failure.
  • In December, Hindenburg decided to replace Papen but again he ignored Hitler for Chancellor, choosing instead a friend from the army, General Kurt von Schleicher.