Hitler was not immediately appointed chancellor after the success of the July 1932 elections, despite being leader of the largest party in the Reichstag. It took the economic and political instability (with two more chancellors failing to stabilise the situation) to worsen, and the support of the conservative elite, to convince Hindenburg to appoint Hitler. Hitler was sworn in as the chancellor of Germany on the 30 January 1933. The Nazis were now in power.

1. DEPTH STUDY
NAZI GERMANY
HITLER BECOMING
CHANCELLOR BY 1933
04

2. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
THENAZISANDWORLDECONOMICDEPRESSION
• TheworlddepressiontransformedtheprospectsoftheNaziParty.
• InGermanytherewerewagecuts,short-time working, unemployment,
homelessness,andpovertyonascaleneverseenbefore.
• TheestablishedpartiesthatmadeuptheWeimarcoalitions,suchasSocial
Democrats,tooktheblame.
• Voterschangedsupporttothepartiesthathadbeenthemostcriticalofthe
Weimarcoalitions,theCommunistsandtheNazis.
• ThebreakthroughpointfortheNaziscameinthegeneralelectionof
September1930.

3. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
INCREASINGNUMBEROFVOTES
• Unemploymentstoodatmorethan2millionandthe Nazispolledover6million
votes,making themthesecondlargestpartyintheReichstagnexttotheSocial
Democrats.
• TheCommunists,with morethan4.5millionvoteswerethethirdlargestparty.

4. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
GENERALELECTIONRESULTS1930-1932
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1930 September 1932 July 1932 November
Percentage of the Nazis and Communists
Nazis Communists

5. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
NAZISLIKEANARMY!
• TheNaziswerereallyorganisedunderseveralleadingkeyfigures.
• ThePartyalsohaditsownparamilitaryforces.
• HermannGoeringwasaWorldWar1air-race.
• JosefGoebbelstookchargeofpropagandaintheParty.
• Heinrich Himmler oversawtheSSstormtroopers.
• ErnstRohm wastheleaderoftheSturmabteilung(SA).Theywereamilitaryforce
ofbrown shirtedstormtrooperswhoprotectedtheNazileadersandharassedthe
politicalopponents.

6. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
NAZISANDPROPAGANDA
• Overthenext18months, theeconomycontinuedtodeteriorate,andtheNazis
usedanyopportunitytoattackthecoalition.
• Thepropagandamachine,ledbyJosefGoebbels,wasworkingatfullcapacity as
thePartymessagewasspreadbythousandsofposters,pamphlets.
• ThosealreadyfaithfultothePartywereinvitedtoattendtorch-litparadesand
massrallies.
• TheNaziswerethemastersofspectacleandtechnology.

7. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
NAZISANDPROPAGANDA
• Duringthe1932presidentialelection,whenHitlerstoodagainstHindenburg, the
Nazileaderwasflownbyaeroplanefromonespeakingvenuetothenextone,
visiting5citiesperday.
• ThedepressionalsoboostedthefortunesoftheCommunists,who arguedthatthe
rootoftheproblemisthecapitalistsystem.
• Nazisportrayedthemselvesasthedefenderoftheactualsystem,callingthe
Communistas“schemingrevolutionaries”togetherwiththeJews.
• Wealthyindustrialistsbegancontributing totheNaziPartyinordertopreventthe
Communistsfromtakingpower.

8. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
GERMANYHADNOSTRONGGOVERNMENT
• ByApril 1932, conditions wereseriousinGermany.
• 6millionpeoplewereunemployed,andthecountrywasdesperateforastrong
Government.
• PresidentHindenburg hadtostandforre-election,becausehistermofofficehad
runout.
• Hitlerstoodagainsthim, togetherwithanotherCommunistcandidate.
• Hindenburgwasanationalwarheroandhewoninthesecondballot,against
Hitler.Scorewas:53%to37%, plus10%fortheCommunistcandidate.
• Naziswon 230seatsandHitlerdemandedtobechancellor.

9. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
POLITICALMANOEUVERINGS1932-1933
• NazisbecamethelargestpartyintheReichstagwith13 millionvotes.
• Normally,theleaderofthelargestpartywasexpectedtobecomeachancellor,
butPresidentHindenburg hadnointentionsofappointing amanhehadprivately
describedas“thevulgarlittlecorporal”.
• Instead,FranzvonPapen(from CentreParty)wasinvitedtoformagovernment.
• VonPapenwasinexperienced.HitlerwasofferedtheVice-Chancellorposition,
butherefused.
• WithoutNazicooperation,vonPapenwasunabletodeviseastablecoalitionthat
wouldbesupportedintheReichstag.
• AsecondgeneralelectionwasheldinNovember.

10. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY

11. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
SCHEMINGS1932-1933
• TheNazislost2millionvotesand34seatsinthiselection;buttheyremainedthe
largestpartyintheReichstag.
• VonPapencouldn’tform thegovernmentandVon Schleicher(formergeneral)
triedtoformthenextgovernment.
• TowardstheendofJanuary,vonPapen(vonSchleicher’srival)persuaded
HindenburgtoappointHitleraschancellorandhimselfasvice-chancellor.
• Hitlerwastobeoffered3positionsinatotalof12ministers.

12. CAMBRIDGE IGCSE – DEPTH STUDY: GERMANY
Franz von Papen Kurt von Schleicher