How Hitler Became Chancellor, 1932-33 (Edexcel GCSE History)

How Did Hitler Use the Political System to Become Chancellor in January 1933? - Timeline & Summary

After the failed Munich Putsch, Hitler learnt that achieving power was not possible through violent putsches. He understood that, to take control of Germany, the people must vote for the NSDAP.

In 1930, the NSDAP experienced some success in the elections. The Nazi Party achieved 18.3% of the vote, which corresponded to 107 of the 577 seats in the Reichstag. At this stage, this was the largest proportion the NSDAP had achieved in its history. It was also larger than the KPD's results, which amounted to 13% of the vote. At the same time, the SPD received roughly 25% of the vote. This indicates that more Germans believed in moderate government than in the Nazi Party. 

By 1932, the NSDAP became the largest party in the Reichstag. Chancellor Brüning’s unpopular policies to combat unemployment and recession in Germany were failing. Many sectors of the German public had lost faith in moderate political parties resolving the crisis. Hitler and the Nazi Party took advantage of the situation by increasing their production of propaganda. Hitler became a national celebrity. His oration skills converted many sceptics of the NSDAP’s policies to back him. 

Hitler’s plan to use the electoral system to become chancellor succeeded in January 1933.  President Hindenburg had very limited options but to give the chancellorship to Hitler. Due to his right-wing beliefs, Hindenburg could not accept a communist government under the KPD. At the same time, Hindenburg could no longer ignore Hitler’s power over the German people. Historians agree that Hindenburg made a serious misjudgment in believing he could control Hitler by appointing von Papen as co-chancellor. Within a year of his chancellorship, Hitler combined the powers of chancellor and president to become the Führer of Germany.

Hindenburg & Hitler in Presidential Elections

• In 1932, Hindenburg’s seven years as President had come to an end

  • Aged 84, Hindenburg was becoming increasingly frail

  • Moderate politicians persuaded Hindenburg to stand for re-election to stabilise the Weimar Republic

  • Hitler decided to enter the presidential election

• In March 1932, the first round of presidential elections began

  • Hindenburg achieved 49.6%. This was not the 50% required to become president

  • Hitler achieved 30% of the votes

  • Ernst Thälmann, leader of the KPD, received 14% of the votes

• In April, the government repeated the election

  • Hitler had relentlessly campaigned in the run-up to the election

    • Hitler hired an aeroplane to travel around Germany making speeches

    • The SA performed parades and disrupted communist meetings

  • Political opponents fought in the streets across Germany

• The results of the election gave Hindenburg the presidency

  • Hitler increased his share of the votes to 36%

  • Thälmann fell in the polls, showing a decline in the popularity of communism

Brüning as Chancellor, April 1932

•  The chancellor in 1932 was Heinrich Brüning

  • He raised taxes for workers

  • He reduced the monetary benefits to the unemployed

  • He became chancellor in 1930

  • He was leader of the Centre Party, a moderate political group

  • From 1930-32, he implemented harsh policies in an attempt to control the economic and unemployment crisis in Germany

• In April 1932, Brüning had lost the support of the Reichstag

• The table below explains how his policies made many political parties angry

The impact of Brüning's policies as chancellor

• On 30th May 1932, Brüning resigned

  • He did not have majority support in the Reichstag

  • Hindenburg no longer supported Brüning’s government

Von Papen Becomes Chancellor, May 1932

• After Brüning’s resignation, Hindenburg considered who should be the new chancellor

  • Von Papen was a personal friend of Hindenburg’s

  • Von Schleicher, a high-ranking soldier and ambitious politician, wanted to create a new coalition

  • The coalition would contain right-wing landowners, businessmen and officers under the leadership of ex-general von Papen

• The new government went against the principles of the Weimar Republic

  • The SPD held the most Reichstag seats

  • Hitler only agreed to support the coalition if the SA were no longer banned

  • This was a clear abuse of Article 48

  • It did not have a majority in the Reichstag

  • It required the support of Hitler to bring the public around to the coalition

  • It passed policy primarily using Hindenburg’s presidential powers

• Despite public criticism, Hindenburg announced that von Papen would be the new chancellor on 30th May 1932

  • This meant that the upper classes controlled the inner circle of the government and their policies did not benefit the lower classes

  • Von Schleicher believed that giving Hitler this small portion of power would keep him under control 

  • The German public called the government ‘the Cabinet of Barons’

  • It marked the Nazi Party’s first involvement in government

The July 1932 Elections

• The Reichstag elections in July 1932 created chaos in the streets of Germany

  • Between June to July, the SA and the KPD’s Red Front Fighters fought

    • These fights resulted in 7,000 injured people and over 100 deaths 

• The election results announced the NSDAP was the biggest party in the Reichstag

  • The Nazi Party received 38% of the vote

    • This was not the 50% needed to have a majority in the Reichstag

    • The NSDAP’s share of the votes had increased from 18% in 1930

• Hitler demanded that Hindenburg appoint him as chancellor

• Hindenburg ignored Hitler’s request and kept von Papen as chancellor. He called for another election in November 1932

  • Hindenburg did not like Hitler. Hitler was a corporal when he was in the First World War. Hindenburg believed he acted in an unsuitable way for a person of his lowly rank

  • Hindenburg was gambling on the public turning against the NSDAP

• In the November 1932 Reichstag election, the NSDAP retained their position as the biggest party

  • Their share of the votes had reduced to 33%

    • Hitler lost some of the middle-class support by verbally attacking von Papen

  • The KPD had grown their representation in the Reichstag, achieving 17% of the votes

    • The increase in votes for the KPD scared moderate and right-wing politicians

• Von Papen could no longer remain chancellor of Germany

  • Von Schleicher abandoned the coalition

    • He went to Hindenburg arguing that, if von Papen remained chancellor, there would be civil unrest on the streets. The army would struggle to keep control 

  • Hindenburg persuaded von Papen to resign

Von Schleicher Becomes Chancellor, December 1932

• Out of desperation to avoid a Nazi government, Hindenburg appointed von Schleicher chancellor on 2nd December 1932

  • Von Schleicher told Hindenburg that the November 1932 election results proved that the NSDAP’s popularity was declining

• Von Schleicher's government could not function

  • It had no majority in the Reichstag

  • The people had not elected Von Schleicher 

  • Hitler and the Nazi Party openly opposed von Schleicher at every opportunity

• Von Schleicher called for Hindenburg to suspend the Weimar Constitution

  • A suspension of the constitution would allow von Schleicher to form a military dictatorship

  • Hindenburg refused

  • Von Papen heard about von Schleicher’s plans. Von Papen contacted Hindenburg on 30th January 1933

    • He stated that, if Hindenburg did not form a new government, von Schleicher would take control by a military coup

Hitler Becomes Chancellor, January 1933

• On 30th January, von Papen suggested that he should be co-chancellor to Hitler’s chancellorship

  • Hindenburg and von Papen believed they had Hitler ‘in their hand’ and could make all the decisions about Germany

  • Von Papen’s plan succeeded in persuading Hindenburg to make Hitler chancellor

What caused Hitler to become chancellor?

The failures of the Weimar governments from April 1932