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Nazi Germany A-level history essay plan
essay plan for hitlers rise to power
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‘Von Schleicher was primarily responsible for Hitler becoming German chancellor in January 1933.’Von Schleicher was appointed Chancellor to replace von Papen on the 3 December
1932, and only lasted a few weeks. Schleicher was a solution to the Chancellorship
problem which President Hindenburg faced and the last chancellor before Hitler. The
economic, social and political climate in 1933 was one of mass unrest. Politically,
there was gridlock, with coalitions falling apart and the ever-changing chancellors
being forced to rule by presidential decree. Economically Germany was still recovering
from the 1929 wall street crash and the economic depression that stemmed from
that, leading to mass unemployment, by 1933 over 6 million people were unemployed
and many starved or got sick. There is a debate in history as to the significance that
can be placed on the last chancellor, Von Schleicher to his role in Hitler gaining power.
Some would argue that his political influence or his anti-democratic values led to
Hitler rising to chancellorship in January. While others disagree and suggest that long
term factors played a key role, or Hitlers personal appeal it is also possibly to argued
that the Nazis themselves skilfully took every opportunity the Republic’s weakness
gave them. In this essay I will debate each side and conclude that Von Schleicher was
not primarily responsible.
One argument for Schleicher not being the primary reason for Hitlers rise to
chancellorship is that long-term factors weakening the Weimar Republic gave the
Nazis their political opening, which ultimately meant that Hitler could not be ignored
as a candidate for the chancellorship. Factors such as, an unfavourable post-war
legacy, economic collapse, constitutional weakness and traditional anti-democratic
attitudes. The constitutional weaknesses such as the proportional voting system
which lead to countless coalitions and therefore political gridlock, also meant that
most laws being passed were being dictated as they were done through article 48.
There were three general elections between 1930 and 1932, the weak coalition
governments in the Reichstag weren't able to deal effectively with the problems they
faced and each one collapsed. The economic impact of the crash due to Germanys
reliance on American loans after the Dawes Plan in 1924, further manifested not just
in social unrest and unemployment, but also through attraction to extremist groups.
The rise in unemployment significantly raised government expenditure on
unemployment insurance and other benefits. Germans began to lose faith in
democracy and looked to extreme parties on the both the Left (the communists) and
the Right (the Nazis) for quick and simple solutions. Both parties the furthest on the
political spectrum, NSDAP and the KPD grew their support. By 1932 parties committed
to the destruction of the Weimar Republic held 319 seats out of a total of 608 in the
Reichstag, this exemplifies the political climate of the time, and how external factors
caused the Nazis to be the biggest party in the Reichstag, and therefore cementing
Hitler has a possible candidate for chancellor. In addition an unfavourable post war
legacy that democracy and the Weimar republic had been associated with further
elevated Hitler as a leader. The betrayal of the government through signing the treaty
of Versailles which they deemed to be a ‘dolchstoss’ and the armistice which led to
the leaders at the time being blamed as the ‘November criminals’ and was seen as a
‘dictat’. This was heavily manipulated by the right wing and was a keyway to blame
the government and play on traditional anti-democratic attitudes as a betrayal from
the left-wing, this led to Hitlers appointment.
On the other hand, Schleicher in accordance with the majority of Germany, was
fundamentally anti-democratic with a reputation for deviousness and arrogance,
believing that he was the strong man that Germany needed. He was in discussions
with Rohm as early as 1931, promising closer links between the SA and the army as
he thought the Nazis could be ‘tamed’ and ‘used’ in order further his own ambitions.
This mistake was one that many contend led to the appointment of Hitler as
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