HSC National Study Germany 1918 - 1939

1. GERMANY: 1929 - 1933

2.  The Young Plan – lower reparations
 The Great Depression
 Germany depended on foreign loans – industry / reparations
 Loans withdrawn during crisis
 Investment dropped
 Unemployment grew rapidly
 SPD (Govt. ) lost power as they were unable to find a solution
to the economic crisis
 Government col lapsed
1929

3. 1930
 P re s i dent Hi nd e nburg ‘ re p l ac ed d emoc rac y wi t h au t h orit arian’
government
 Bruning (Centre Par ty) was given option to form government
without the suppor t of a majority in the Reichstag.
 July 1930 – Reichstag rejected Bruning budget (too severe on
unemployed)
 Bruning and Hindenburg used emergency powers under
ARTICLE 48 – dissolved the Reichstag

4. 1930
 Ar ticle 48 gave president these powers, but there had to be a
new election within sixty days
 P r e sid e nt also h ad t h e p owe r to r u le by ‘ d e c r ee’ an d over r id e
constitutional rights in an emergency – powers of a dictator
 In Sept. 1930 elections, moderates lost ground – extreme
par ties gained more suppor t – in par ticular Nazi Par ty – 2.6%
to 18.3%
 Bruning now had less suppor t in Reichstag

6. 1932
 Hindenburg was returned to Presidency in March elections,
but was chal lenged by Hitler who won 36.8% of the vote
 SA and SS were banned because of ongoing street violence
 Bruning forced to resign & Von Papen placed into power by
Hindenburg / Von Schleicher defence minister

8. 1932
 Reichstag elections – July 1932. Ban against SA & SS l if ted
and they lead violence against lef t wing par ties and
suppor ters.
 Nazis won 37.3% of the vote – made them the largest par ty in
the Reichstag – 230 seats / KPD had 89 seats – both anti -
republic
 Govt. unable to govern – new elections in Nov. (Nazi vote
dropped by 4%)
 Von Papen replaced by Von Scheilcher – Hindenburg decree

13.  Von Scheilcher also unable to govern
 30 January – Hindenburg invited Hitler to become chancellor
of right -wing coal ition government .
 One month later – Reichstag was severely damaged by fire –
communist blamed
1933

14.  Hindenburg – Ar ticle 48 – end civi l l iber ties under a ‘De c ree
fo r t h e P rotect io n o f Pe o pl e a n d S t a te’ . This al lowed for
imprisonment without trial and abol ition of freedom of press /
speech / assembly. KPD outlawed.
 This decree restricts campaigning of par ties opposing them
for March 1933 elections. Violence used against voters. Sti l l
only win 43.9% of vote.
 Na z i’ s fo rm c o a l i t io n wi t h DNV P & s to p p ed KPD f rom t a k i ng
seats that they won
1933

15. 1933
 21 March – ‘Mal iciou s P r ac t ic es L aw’ – banning criticism of
government
 23 March – ‘ E na b ling A c t ’ – gave Hitler dictatorial power for 4
years / make laws / change constitution – thus destroying
Weimar constitution.