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Section 3 – The Collapse of Democracy, 1928-1933Key Issues:Part 9 – The Impact of the Depression of 1929.Part 10 – The appeal of Nazism and communism.Part 11 – The appointment of Hitler as Chancellor. Part 12 – The establishment of the Nazi Dictatorship January – March 1933.Event/Issue:Knowledge SummaryEvaluation/ConclusionsLinks/Themes/ Extra Thinking.Part 9 – The Impact of the Depression of 1929.Wall Street Crash – October 1929 – New York Stock Exchange had a bad day “Black Thursday”, another collapse happened on Tuesday, millionaires lost their fortunes, everyone lost their savings. Economic Impact- Stagnant German economy since 1929. No investments and loans from America stopped. American banks demanded their money back. USA largest overseas market for German goods, during the depression, this stopped. Demand was reduced. Export trade declined. 1929-32 trade declined by 61%. Industrial production fell by 58% compared to 1928. Unemployment increased. 1/3 of Germans registered as unemployed by 1932. Many women who were made redundant did not register as unemployed – figures higher. Jan 1933 – 8 million unemployed. Industrial areas; Ruhr and the main port cities like Hamburg. White-collar workers suffered. Civil servants were cut, salary cuts. Famers were hit, did not benefit from Golden Age but the depression pushed them into further difficulty. Prices collapsed, exports declined, sales of food fell – Germans had less money. Banks demanded famers back after failure to pay loans – added to unemployment. Great Depression in France - Did not suffer as much as other countries because it did not rely as much on trade, unemployment was high and led to civil unrest.Great Depression in the?United Kingdom - In the industrial areas the effect was large because the demand for their products collapsed. The effects on the industrial areas and the coal mining areas of Britain were immediate and devastating, as demand for their products collapsed. Unemployment rose to 2.5 million by the end of 1930. Social Impact – Weimar Republic had a well-developed system of unemployment and welfare benefits. 1930 – moves to limit the amount of benefits being paid. Unemployed – state benefits for a fixed period, after this they needed to apply to the local authorities. Local help was less generous. Women got less than men. Young people less than adults. One single industry areas suffered more than towns with a more diverse economy. Political Impact – Collapse of the Grand Coalition Bruning’s coalition excluded the SPD. SPD = largest party in the Reichstag, which meant that they did not have enough power to pass any laws.March 1930 – no government had the majority and relied on presidential decree. September 1930 - Bruning response – cut expenditure and raised taxes to balance the budget. He persuaded Hindenburg to pass the budget into law through the presidential decree. The SPD won Reichstag support for getting the budget to be removed. Extremists on the right and left gained the most munists = over 1 million votes, 77 seats.Nazi party = massive growth. - 1928 = 810,000 and 12 seats, 1930 = 6.5 million and 102 seats.Nazis used this increase in seats to disrupt meetings through shouting and interruptions.Political Violence1919-23 – lots of uprisings and violence.1924-29 – violence had dropped, but not disappeared.Nazis – “29 of our men have been killed in clashes with communists”Communists – “92 of our supporters have been killed.”1930-33– massive increase of political violence. Communists – Red Front Fighters’ League. Political struggle on the street.This led to a depression that spread worldwide and had a major impact of Germany.Germany’s industry suffered more than any other European country, 11% in Britain. Companies had to declare themselves bankrupt. Those who survived – cut hours and wages of workers left. Banks suffered – people emptied their savings and stopped paying back loans. Austrian bank collapsed May 1931 – German banking system in crisis. July 1931 – government closed banks and stock market for financial stability. This failed, prolonged the economic conditions, depression deepened. Social - Poverty was rising because of the Depression. TB and rickets. Malnutrition of children. Suicide rate increased. Unemployed couldn’t pay rent and shanty towns were created on the edge of large cities like Berlin. Political - Weimar democracy was effectively dead – even before Hitler was appointed chancellor.Sept 1930 - Political crisis – the budget was not an emergency and Article could only be used for emergencies. Bruning dissolved the Reichstag and called an election in Sept 1930. Changed the political landscape in Germany.Election - 2 out of 5 voters gave their vote to an anti-democratic party.Unmanageable Reichstag.No meetings between Feb-October 1931Power had shifted from the Reichstag, to the President and his advisors to the street!Nazis and Communists both targeted each other’s meetings and marches causing disruption.1931 – Bruning acted.December ‘31- banned wearing political uniforms. Stormtroopers did not listen.April ‘32 – Hindenburg passed a decree outlawing the SA.SA membership still grew and violence was not brought under control. ‘32 = 400,000 members.Part 10 – The appeal of Nazism and communism.NazismIdeology – 25 point plan in 1920, still their aims in 1933, Mein Kampf full of Hitler’s ideas. Nazis believed he was a force for change. Propaganda big tool for Nazis, image of discipline and unity, military virtues.Volksgemeinschaft – People’s community – through ‘blood and soil’ traditional Germans. Aryans – people of the state. Work together for the good of the nation. ‘New woman’ ‘New man’ – values of traditional Germans. Destroy the Weimar Republic – weak, ineffective and un-German and encouraged the growth of Communism – “Democracy is fundamentally not German; it is Jewish” Lebensraum – Living Space – expand German borders. Anti – Semitism – Jews to blame for all problems. Hitler – established control of the party by 1929. Created a cult. Great charisma, hypnotic sense, speeches for hours. Played on emotions and fears.Propaganda – key to success – heightened fear, scaremongering. CommunismIdeology – KPD – gained 2 million votes between 1928-1932. Important at street and neighbourhood level, 1920s – KPD strong in workforces and trade unions. 1929 – focus on unemployed. Red Fighter’s League – got the image of defenders of working class districts against the Nazis. Wanted a close co-operation with the USSR, legalisation of abortion. Wanted to overthrow the Weimar Republic. Depression heightened this desire. Wanted to replace the SPD as the leading party on the left. Propaganda – ‘bread and freedom’ – workers showed as strong. Did have a lot of support, which forced a lot of middle-class people to support the Nazis. Never came close to staging a revolution. High member turnover. High proportion of its members with unemployed, so did not have a lot of money. Part 11 – The appointment of Hitler as Chancellor. Bruning – March 1930-May 1932Did not have the majority of the vote in the Reichstag. Appointed by Hindenburg and Schleicher, needed both of them to approve his ideas.EconomicsReduce state spending by cutting welfare benefits, reducing civil servants and cutting wages. Deepened the depression.1932 – unemployment 6millionSpring 1932 – alarm increased amongst the middle and upper classes that Germany was descending into chaos. PoliticalBan on SA to stop political violence – worsened the situationSchleicher concerned the ban would increase support for a Nazi uprising. He knew that no political party could rule without the support of the Nazi Party. Hitler – refused to join a coalition government, unless he was appointed chancellor, this did not happen. Did agree that he would not oppose a new government if there was a new Reichstag election and the ban on the SA was lifted.Von PapenDNVP supported Papen’s coalition. Only party to do so. Papen filled the rest of his political cabinet with industrial workers and landowners. He did not have support in the Reichstag so ruled with Presidential decree.Believed the greatest threat to democracy was the Communist revolution. Looked down on the Nazi party, but recognised their support would be a good alliance. Imposed an autocratic rule over Prussia to control the streets. July 1932 election – Moderate parties lost support (DDP & DVP), SPD & KPD kept their votes. Papen invited Hitler to join his government as the Nazis also increased their support. November 1932 - Nazis lost support, still largest party in the Reichstag. Many middle class supporters had been alienated so returned to the DVP & DNVP. “Backstairs Intrigue” – Inner circleSmall group of men made up Hindenburg’s advisors and they made the decisions about who should be appointed chancellor and when the presidential decree should be signed. Kurt von Schliecher – Political head of army, persuaded Hindenburg to remove support from Bruning and heavily involved in the downfall of the Papen government, wanted coalition with the Nazis as it would mean Germany would be ruled the same way it was when it was ‘Great’.Oskar Von Hindenburg – President’s son, highly valued by his father.Dr Otto Meissner – go between for Hitler and Hindenburg, needed to persuade Hindenburg to work with Hitler even though he did not like Hitler or the Nazis. After the fall of Papen, Schleicher persuaded Hindenburg to make him Chancellor. Stable government was going to be difficult as he had lost Papen and Hindenburg didn’t trust him after he conspired against Papen.Schleicher’s Government Schleicher needed the Nazis to form a coalition government led by him. Nazis had suffered losses after November 1932 – Hitler crazy, virtually bankrupt. Hitler seen as weak and over estimated his power. Schleicher opened negotiations with Gregor Strasser, the party organisation leader about joining a coalition government. Hitler was furious about this and got rid of Strasser immediately. Attempt of joining forces with the Nazis had failedEconomics – cancelled cuts in wages and benefits, talked about distributing land to farmers.Papen as Chancellor supported a Nazi led coalition. DNVP also supported the Nazi coalition. Inner Circle, Hindenburg and Papen – led a deal with Hitler as Chancellor and a coalition government with the Nazis. Bruning’s government ruled heavily by presidential decree.Political- Hindenburg, on behalf of Schliecher refused to sign a presidential decree that Bruning had submitted, therefore he was left with no other alternative, he had to resign. Papen replaced him, Schleicher became the Defence Minister.June 1932 – lifted the ban on the SA, began to place curbs on left wing press, street violence increased, July – Hitler demanded to be chancellor – did not succeed. Hitler joined with other parties and called a vote of ‘no confidence’ in Papen’s government. 512 – 42 votes in favour of no confidence – Papen asked Hindenburg to dissolve the Reichstag.November – Joining with the communists to declare a vote of no confidence had a bad effect on support. Communists made gains in November. Papen resigned after he lost the support of the army too. Schleicher – failed to attract the trade union support. Resigned after Hindenbrug refused to give him dictatorial powers. Hitler could not have become chancellor without the Nazi success in the elections. Had the right to be included in conversations about coalitions, and Chancellorships. Many meetings about forming coalition governments –all failed as Hitler made it clear he would only take power on his own terms. Government without Nazis failed – lack of support in the Reichstag. Background fear that if Nazi demands were not met they would push Germany into a civil war. Inner circle (Backstairs Intrigue) agreed it was safer to have Hitler in government. It was believed Hitler could be controlled!Part 12 – The establishment of the Nazi Dictatorship January – March 1933.First Cabinet – 30th January 1933 – first cabinet meeting after Hitler was appointed Chancellor. Nazis = 3 of the 12 seats on the cabinet, therefore it was not thought that the Nazis would have a big political influence. Papen had the right to be present whenever Hitler and Hindenburg met. Real decisions were made by people in favour of old autocratic rule, not the Nazis.Torchlight procession of 100,000 Nazi members celebrating Hitler’s appointment in Berlin. Organised by Goebbels. ViolenceUsed state funding to expand the SA - 3 million by 1934.Joined forces with the Stahlhelm and became recognised as the ‘auxiliary police’, regular police were not allowed to interfere with the SA. Nazis now controlled the police. Socialist and communist opponents were targeted. 5th Feb- SPD mayor shot dead in small town.Centre Party – target after condemning the Nazi party. Papers shut down and meetings were disrupted.1000s of communists, trade unionist, socialists were rounded up and placed into makeshift concentration camps.July 1933 – 26,789 political prisoners had been arrested by the SA – placed into ‘Protective custody’ and imprisoned in 70 camps. Reichstag FireHitler persuaded Hindenburg to dissolve the Reichstag. Hitler believed that he would win the majority in the election in March. Nazi terror increased.5th March election – SPD and KPD driven underground by terror.Feb 27th – fire in the Reichstag. Van Der Lubbe- Dutch Communist arrested and charged.Legal PowerAppointed chancellor through legal means. Constitution was still enforced, however after the fire Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to sign a decree introducing “emergency powers”.Decree for the Protection of the People and the State – removal of important civil and political rights that had been guaranteed by the Weimar Constitution. Police – arrest and detain without ernment – censor publications. Arrest communists and socialists and ban their newspapers.Legalised full assault on the communists. Propaganda campaign – Germany on the brink of a German Bolshevik Revolution. 10,000 communists arrested in a week. Judges/civil servants – too willing to turn a blind eye to Nazi terror. Enabling Act - 23rd March – first meeting of the new Reichstag, one aim – secure the necessary 2/3 majority needed for the enabling act. Pass any law without the agreement of parliament for 4 years. Papen under-estimated the power of Hitler. Hitler was determined to establish a Nazi dictatorship. Torchlight procession - Made it very clear that the Nazi success was a dramatic change for the Republic, since its establishment and was the start of the National Revolution. Police ignored the crimes, newspapers that reported the incident were shut down. Theories that Nazis set fire to the building to enforce restrictive measures, no evidence found to support this. Nazis claimed it was a communist plot to start a revolution in Germany.Terror was now a legal means to crush opposition. Communists unable to take seats – DNVP willing to work with Nazis.Hitler told the Centre Party that he would not use the Act without consulting Hindenburg first – Centre Party voted in favour of passing the bill. SPD – voted against it. Hitler now had a legal dictatorship! ................
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