The Rise of Nazi Tyranny and the Fall of the Weimar Republic

Characterization of Ruling (Brüning):
- The era of Brüning's ruling was described as "honest" in its final stages.
- Brüning sympathized with the reduction of democratic powers of the Rest day.
- He perceived the economic crisis in Germany as both dangerous and unstable.
- Brüning was characterized as naive for believing that the economic crisis could be managed simply by looking to the Nazis to save the situation.
- Ultimately, the transcript notes that Brüning would have nothing to do with the Nazis, but his Presidential rule had already accustomed Germany to authoritarianism.
- His leadership was deemed a "dismal failure" because it undermined democracy and cleared the way for Nazi tyranny.

The Appointment of Pappin:
- Slicer (Schleicher) wanted Pappin (Papen) to be in power so that he could influence him.
- Slicer was the individual who recommended Pappin to Illya Gobel.
- The cabinet formed under Pappin was known as a non party government.
- It was famously nicknamed the cabinet of barons.
- This cabinet was composed primarily of aristocratic land owners and industrialists, many of whom were members of the rest.
Relationship with the Nazis:
- Pappin and Schleizer sought to secure strong political support from the Nazis to strengthen the government.
- Hitler agreed to provide a form of support by simply not opposing them initially, though he stated, "I will oppose your new government" regarding Parliamentary actions.
- The period was marked by significant violence and bloodshed, which Schleicher and Pepper (Papen) used as an excuse for further political consolidation.

The Removal of the Prussian (Russia) Government:
- Slicer and Pappin abolished the powerful regional state government in Russia (Prussia), which had been in place since $1919$ .
- This occurred in $1932$ when Pappin simply removed the government and appointed himself as the re commissioner of Russia.
Significance of the Act:
- It was viewed as an arbitrary and unconstitutional act on the part of Pappin.
- It demonstrated the replacement of a parliamentary system with a presidential authoritarian government.
- The response from the democrats, specifically the SPD and the trade unions, was passive. They gave in without opposition, which signaled that democracy had lost its position in Germany.
- Conversely, many on the right wing congratulated Pappin for this move.

Dissolution of the Brushtag:
- The Nazis believed they had the legal right to take positions in Pappin's government.
- Because of the lack of support, Pappin had to dissolve the new Brushtag and called for another election.
- In a state of frustration, Pappin considered drastic alternatives, including dissolving the rest day again to restore public confidence.
Schleizer’s Strategy:
- Schleizer attempted to gain support from the political left to protect his own position as Chancellor.
- Ultimately, Hitler’s path to regaining political office required convincing Illya Gobel.
The Secret Contract:
- A secret contract was made with Nazi leaders.
- A critical meeting took place on $01/04/1933$ (January 4th, $1933$ ).
- In this arrangement, Hitler was to become Chancellor and Pappin was to serve as vice chancellor.
- Pappin sought support from major landowners, industrial leaders, and the army.
- These groups provided support only after receiving a guarantee that communism would be kept out of Germany.
- Bechtel (likely Meissner) had to help convince the president.
- Illya Gobel was eventually encouraged by his son, Oskar, to give in and appoint Hitler.

The Strategy of Manipulation:
- Initially, the plan was to give Hitler the position of vice chancellor, but he eventually attained the chancellorship.
- The establishment believed they could "control him from the back" and manipulate him to influence members.
- One reason Hitler’s position was seen as weak initially was that the President could simply sack him.
The Policy of Legality:
- Hitler intended to pursue his goals under a policy of legality, a strategy the Nazi party had followed since $1925$ .
- He overcame his initial limitations within approximately two months to become a dictator.
Immediate Actions as Chancellor:
- Hitler remained the leader of the largest political party.
- He controlled the cabinet and was the minister of Infusion in Russia (Prussia), making him responsible for the police.
- This allowed him to harass political opponents legally.
- Gobels (Goebbels) was put in charge of propaganda appointments.
- Within $24$ hours of his appointment, a new restack (Reichstag) election was called.

The Campaign Process:
- The SAs and SS were utilized in full force during a five-week campaign.
- Hitler appealed to the desires of the German people but remained a "master political tactician" by not committing to any specific political or economic program. This was a safety measure to avoid failure if goals were not met.
Financial Support:
- Hitler held a meeting with leading industrialists who promised him $3,000,000$ rex mark (Reichsmarks).
- With this financial backing, Gobbles exploited the media to ensure Nazi security in the pursuit of a parliamentary majority.

The Decree of February $28$ :
- On $February\,28$ , a decree titled the Decree for the Protection of the People and the State was drafted and signed by Indian Health (Hindenburg).
- This decree suspended:
  1. Important civil liberties.
  2. Political rights.
- It increased the power of the central government.
- It facilitated increased intimidation by the assay (SA) and enhanced control over radio and media.
Election Results and Political Obstacles:
- Despite the pressure, the election results were somewhat disappointing for Hitler.
- About $50$ seats came from the nationalists.
- To fully control the waiver constitution (Weimar Constitution) and establish a dictatorship, the Nazis needed a two thirds majority, which they did not yet possess.
- This lack of a supermajority remained a significant political obstacle for Hitler at this stage.