How far do you agree Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in January 1933 primarily due to the electoral success of the Nazi Party?The main reason for Hitler becoming chancellor was due to the level of support the Nazis had. By 1933 the Nazis had the largest amount of support in Germany with 37% of the vote, in the 1932 election. Although it took a year for Hitler to become Chancellor electoral success is the primary reason. But this electoral support did combine with other elements to allow Hitler to obtain Chancellorship, such as Hitler’s intelligence, the policies of the Nazi suiting the German hierarchy and Hindenburg.Hitler’s intelligence in relation to the Chancellorship was a key factor in Hitler becoming Chancellor. For several years leading up to 1933 Hitler had made friends with many industrialists, who were key to Hitler’s push for the chancellorship.
These men were usually right wing aristocrats who would have had at least mixed in the same circles as President Von Hindenburg, as well as this many of these industrialists would have influenced Hindenburg. In 1932 all of the leading industrialists wrote in their support of the Nazi Part and Hitler.Many historians attributed this to the reason that Hindenburg gave Hitler the Chancellorship, so it is clear by Hitler getting support of key industrialists it made it harder for Hindenburg to turn down Hitler’s claims for the chancellorship. This shows that Hitler was intelligent in the way he way manipulated people to his advantage, Hitler undoubtedly knew that by gaining their support the cause of the Nazis.
To compound this Hitler’s stubbornness towards compromise helped him become Chancellorship.Hitler was offered the vice-chancellorship in the latter part of 1932 which he rejected; Hitler would have been aware how poorly how the country was doing and this was merely a way to get the support of Hitler’s industrialist supporters. By rejecting, Hitler pushed the German government into creating a leadership that had little support of the people which the made it unpopular. Hitler must have sensed that he could obtain more otherwise he would not have turned down the vice-chancellorship.
This shows how his intelligent manipulation forced the government to make him Chancellor. Although if Hitler did not have the overwhelming support of the people he would have been in a position to obtain support from industrialists, as men with money will not spend it on people who will not affect politics. Other historians that the German government decided to give Hitler the Chancellorship due to the appealing policies of the Nazis. During the 1920’s the Nazis changed many of their policies which became more sympathetic to the views of the peasants and the middle classes.The former was heavily supported by Hindenburg who owned a farm in Prussia, so he would have begun to understand the problems of the farming community. As well as this the Nazis were heavily right-wing which would have complied with the German establishment who were running German politics at the time.
Aspects such as Volksgemeinschaft (people’s community) and Lebensraum (living space) would have enticed the German government. This “people’s community” would have been supported by Hindenburg as he would have wanted to see his country unite, after years of being split over politics.Living space would have brought out the inner soldier and imperialist in Hindenburg, who would want Germany to be great and powerful with the likes of Britain. As well as that the army would have supported the Nazis over that and the anti-Versailles aspect of the Nazis. Hindenburg listened to the army quite a lot so this would have impacted in his view to support the Nazis. But the most important aspect of the Nazis that would have obtained support of the elite was anti-communist stance they had.
Since the Great Economic Crash the KPD had made great strides in electoral support, which scared the industrialist elite and many other elitists. Although the Nazis had many aspects that would have supported the German hierarchy, but if they did not have the electoral support of the people Hitler would not have been made Chancellor. If the German government had the opportunity they would have run Germany outright. By 1933 Paul Von Hindenburg was 85 years old. For a decade and a half he had watch his country crumble economically and politically.
For three years he had listened to two close friends claiming to solve the countries problem but instead caused major problems for the German people. At this point in Hindenburg’s life he was a tired, old man who would have wanted to rid Germany of a difficult political democracy and a communist government. The obvious choice was the most popular party who believed these ideologies so the Nazis seemed the obvious choice. But historians point to another reason to why Hindenburg chose Hitler.
The farm that Hindenburg owned was under investigation by the Reichstag over the misuse of Osthilfe funds.Hitler was going to close down the Reichstag if he became Chancellor, so this problem would go away. This may seem like a fleeting excuse but Hindenburg was a very proud man and a scandal like that would have put a large stain on a well-respected career. Hindenburg, also, knew he was an old man and that a scandal would hang over his whole life, his whole life would have been remembered for this scandal. As well as that, he may have been removed from power and a communist government could have been put in place which would have been a disaster for Hindenburg and for Germany in his eyes.
Although this seems like a very unlikely scenario Hindenburg previously had hated Hitler (calling him a “vulgar upstart”) and he very quickly had changed his mind on Hitler. Electoral success was the key factor to Hitler becoming chancellor as the other factors such as Hitler being intelligent and manipulative with the Chancellorship, because Hitler would have had nobody to manipulate as until the Nazis had the support of the people. With Hitler being the leader of the largest party industrialists became interested in Hitler.The argument that “if the reason for Hitler’s chancellorship was electoral support why did it take a year for him to get it? ” is an important one. It is clear by the actions of Von Schleicher and Von Papen they did not want an electorate candidate as chancellor, but power for themselves. The reason it took a year is because Hindenburg was very close friends with these men so he was slow to act on their misgivings and felt that by 1933 it was time to give the leadership to the party with the largest electoral support.
By the time of 1932 the hierarchy knew that the only leader for Germany was Hitler was due to the Nazi Party.
