Hitler as chancellor

jan 1933 hidenburg appointed Hitler

• hitler as chancellor, von papen as vice

• hidenburg underestimated hitler, though he could control hitler once he became chancellor ‘puppet ruler’

• hidenburg needed a chancellor who actually had support

why did Hitler become chancellor in 1933

• tactics of Hitler and the Nazis

  • propoganda campaign- posters, generalised slogans, practical action like soup kitchens and shelter for the unemployed

  • Hitlers SS- demonstrated that the Nazi party was a party of dicipline and order, many people felt Germany needed this order

  • Nazi ideas were attractive- ideas from Mein Kampf- Lebensraum, building a strong army, they would help germany restore german pride which had been damaged due to the TOV

• the depression

  • created homelessness and increased crime (theft went up by 24%), unemployment

  • nazis 25 point program became so appealing to those affected by the depressions 

  • nazis provided solutions for unemployment  

• weakness of the weimar republic 

  • indecisiveness due to coalition goverment- meant the gov was unable to deal with crisis, resulted in hidenburg over using article 48

  • unpopular policies in response to the depressions- chancellor bruning raised taxes, cut wages and reduced unemployment benefit, only made depression worse

• threat of communism

  • communist support was rising due to the depression as well, by Nov 1932 it was the third largest party with 100 seats, the Nazis used this to promote fear of communism

  • communist gangs often fought the police on the streets while there were groups of unemployed workers clustering on street corners- contrasted in the discipline and orderly SA and SS 

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