The Great Depression

• Weaknesses in the Weimar constitution were not the most important factor for hitler’s rise to power; these weaknesses consisted of proportional representation and article 48, and these were present in the time when the Nazis only had 3%. The Depression and violence were the two most important factors, the depression brought support to two extremist parties, the Nazis and the KPD, and violence ensured that it was the Nazis who got the majority and therefore caused Hitler’s rise to power.
• Weakness in Weimar

  • Due to the weaknesses in the Weimar government, Hitler formally came to power due to the miscalculation of the conservative elites. 
• Weakness in Weimar

  • The great coalition government of 1928 was a broad coalition and subsequent to the depression, the issue of the unemployment insurance created a crisis as all parties wanted a different approach. This created severe instability and marked the end of democracy as government survived in the period 1930-32 by ruling by presidential decree, 60 laws were passed under article 48 in 1932 alone
• Weaknesses in Weimar

  • After the november elections, the nazis were the biggest party in the reichstag with 33%, however Hindenburg made Schliecher chancellor which quickly became unpopular, Von Papen convinced Hindenburg that if he was to make Hitler chancellor and him his vice, he could control him and the elites could use him as a puppet.
• Weaknesses in Weimar

  Weimar was incredibly weak in this period, democracy had died due to article 48, which is why the elites appointed hitler. However, article 48 had existed since the establishment of the weimar constitution in 1919, it was the circumstances of the depression that caused the disorder.
• weaknesses in weimar

  • Therefore after the enabling act and death of Hindenburg, Hitler was able to have complete control. 
• The depression

  • 12 months after the wall street crash, unemployment had risen to 3 million, the working class suffered immensely and struggled to find food and fuels. The middle class suffered too, alongside the farmers, there was no demand for their services so many declined into poverty, and as for the farmers, there was widespread rural poverty and many farmers were evicted from their generational family homes. 
• The depression

  • Given that everyone was suffering, hitler branded the Nazis and the ‘peoples party’, and embarked on a series of promises to win those suffering over. 
• The depression

  • They promised the unemployed jobs, the businessmen restored profits, the farmers higher prices for their produce. 
• The Depression

  • On the 5 March 1933, the elections took place, with an extremely high turnout of 89%. They had successfully appealed to the majority, and those who they used violence to get extra votes. 
• Propaganda and violence

  • propaganda was also an incredibly important factor in causing Hitler’s rise to power. His failed coup in Bavaria showed that democracy could not be overthrown with force, instead he had to manipulate the people and present himself as their savior. 
• propaganda and violence

  • They would play on the people's fear of communism and emphasize their 25 point programme, Goebbles chartered planes to fly hitler all over Germany so he could speak at 4 rallies a day
• propaganda and violence

  • Due to the political and economic crisis, anti-weimar parties dominated half the reichstag, the election in november 1932 evidenced this as the nazis had 33% and the KPD were at 17%. 
• propaganda and violence

  • Hitler and Goebbles would promise to make Germany great again, and equally attack communism. They would create disturbances at communist rallies so that the SA could go in and crush it, so they, unlike the government, could be seen as crushing the communist threat. And Goebbles manipulation of the Reichstag fire
• Propaganda and violence

  • However the violent nature of their propaganda can also appear as a hindrance to Hitler rise given that it was the basis for Hinderburg’s hatred for him and therefore the resent and delay to appoint him chancellor. It also alienated the middle classes, Nazi votes declined from 37% to 33% between July and November 
• The most important event in bringing about the fall of the Weimar Republic was the collapse of the US Stock market in October 1929. Although it occurred in the US and affected most of the industrialised west, it had a profound impact on Germany because of it's dependence on American loans.
• The crash also caused great political turmoil, it played a significant role in bringing about the rise of the Nazis
• The Impact of the Wall Street Crash

  The collapse of the US economy resulted in American businesses and banks curtailing loans to Germany and recalling the loans they had already made. Unemployment in Germany had been rising before the crash, but the crash took it to unprecedented levels
• How many were unemployed in January 1928

  1,800,000
• How many were unemployed in January 1933

  6,000,000
• as unemployment continued to rise, people had no money to spend meaning demand for goods collapsed. The collapse in demand resulted in further unemployment as the economy entered a vicious downward spiral as production was cutback even further.
• Government revenue decreased drastically as people could not pay their taxes. Yet at the same time Government expenditure rose due to the benefit payments that had to be made to the unemployed given that constitutionally, Weimar was a welfare state
• How many people was the benefit system designed for

  800,000 (maximum)
• who was the socialist chancellor to the 'Great Coalition'

  muller
• Muller's coalition could not cope with the crisis. It was a broad coalition so each party wanted a different approach. The SPD refused to dignify cutting benefits whereas the DVP wanted cuts. Industrialists argued that the whole system was too expensive and should be abolished.
• Attempts of compromise failed, which led to the resignation of the cabinet when Hindenburg refused to grant Muller emergency powers to approve his budget.
• Hindenburg used the cabinet's resignation as an opportunity to appoint the right wing conservative Heinrich Bruning as chancellor in March 1930
• Bruning's centre party did not have the majority in the Reichstag so he stated that if he was defeated he would ask for the Reichstag to be dissolved and rule by emergency decree through Hindenburg, using article 48 of the constitution.
• How many seats did the Nazis win in the 1930 election

  107
• Times of crisis draw people to extremism, which two parties saw an increase in membership

  • The Nazis (NSDAP)
  • The KPD
• When was Bruning dismissed from office


  May 1932
• In the 1932 elections, what percentage of the electorate vote did the democratic parties receive? 


  43%
• Order of Chancellors 1928-1933

  • Muller
  • Bruning
  • Von papen
  • Schleicher
  • Hitler
• backstairs intrigue 


  Refers to the secretive and manipulative political maneuvers that led to Hitler's appointment as chancellor.
• Many young members of the NSDAP and KPD joined the paramilitary organisations. This provided them with a sense of belonging which they had lost since becoming unemployed, they were also provided with food & a uniform. Politics in Germany was becoming increasingly divided and violent as paramilitary organisations engaged in frequent street fights.
• when was bruning dismissed from office & why

  1932 and for imposing a ban on the SA
• Bruning was removed with out reference to the Reichstag, a further sign of the decline of democracy
• The rise and appeal of Hitler

  There can be little doubt that it was the impact of the depression and the republic's inability to deal with it which provided the NSDAP with the opportunity to seize support. However it must be noted that the depression provided the KPD with the same opportunity.
• The National Socialist German Workers Party


  The mixture of nationalism and socialism shows how they aimed to appeal to as wide an audience as posssibe
• The Munich Putsch showed Hitler that democracy could not be overthrown by force, instead he had to manipulate the ballot box