HOW HITLER came to power

[Hitler's policies] were half-baked, racist clap-trap... but among the jumble of hysterical ideas Hitler showed a sure sense of how to appeal to the lowest instincts of frightened masses.
He was holding the masses, and me with them, under an hypnotic spell by the sheer force of his beliefs. His words were like a whip. When he spoke of the disgrace of Germany, I felt ready to attack any enemy.
Karl Ludecke, an early follower of Hitler (1924)

HEINRICH BRÜNING
30 MARCH 1930 – 30 MAY 1932
First Chansellor after Depression started set of unpopular reforms
– raised taxes, cut social obligations
Started to use Article 48 of Constitution excessively
Tried to imply agrarian reform that would give land to simple Germans and
was quickly released from office
Banned NSDAP as too extremist

PAUL VON HINDENBURG
12 MAY 1925 – 2 AUGUST 1934
2nd president of Weimar
Ex- ww1 general known for his nationalist views
Chief of General Staff during war
Didn’t like Weimar idea of democracy and even tried to turn it into presidential
Republic
In 1929 when Depression started he turned 82 !!!

FRANZ VON PAPEN
1 JUNE – 17 NOVEMBER 1932
New Chancellor supposed to bring an order into chaos of Weimar politics
Too conservative and cautious
Was impressed by Hitler’s energy and pursuaded Hindenburg that Hitler
might be controlled
Freed Nazies from ban
Couldn’t hold to power and had to rely on Hitler

ADOLF HITLER
30 JANUARY 1933 – 30 APRIL 1945
Became Chancellor in January 1930 after Hindenburg was asked to do so by
many industrailsts and Papen himself
3 weeks in office he set up a “Reichstag Fire” – plotted arsony that let him blame
Communist (2nd biggest party in Reichstag) in everything
… a time of democracy has ended

ELECTIONS OF 14TH SEPTEMBER 1930

ELECTIONS OF 31 JULY 1932

ELECTIONS OF 6TH NOVEMBER 1932

ELECTIONS OF 5TH MARCH 1933

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 1932

SS TERROR
Hitler never hesitated to use policy of terror
Formed in 1925 as parallel to SA group
Goal – party leader protection, terror against communist and jews
High sense of order, and subordinance to its leader Himmler and party Fuhrer

MACHTERGREIFUNG ( SEIZE OF POWER)
Term coined by Nazis to stress the active part of coming to power
How true is this??
Sneaking to power was followed by policy of Gleichschaltung
(gleich = alike, the same (ru – равный, одинаковый, подобный schaultung – switching, circuit (ru – управление, соединение)
Policy of leveling political life by destroying political competitiors and abusing personal rights

NO POWER BUT NAZI
POLITICALLY
Hitler set up reichstag fire to blame communist for it and to use article in constitution to ban communist party and soon enough all other political powers
By 1934 all parties and trade unions were prohibited
In 1934 upon death of aged president Hindenburg Hitler merge posts of President and Chancellior thus becoming FUHRER ? an end of separating powers