A major factor that contributed to the rise of the Nazis was the financial backing given to the party. Fritz Thyssen, the son of the successful industrialist was encouraged to hear Adolf Hitler speak; he was impressed and began financing the party. Gustav Krupp, another industrialist was converted by Hitler that the Nazi government would destroy the trade unions and the political left in Germany. Krupp, as chairman of the Association of German Industrialists, was in a good position to encourage other business leaders to contribute to Hitler's election fund. German car companies such as Skoda and Opel contributed to the Nazi funds as did the foreign Motor firm Henry Ford of Ford Motors. Later in Hitler’s electoral campaign Thyssen persuaded Schacht to join the Nazi party and in November 1932, the two men joined with other German industrialists and put forward a proposition to the then president Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as chancellor. This was successful and on 20th February 1933, they arranged a meeting of the ‘Association of German Industrialists’ that raised 3 million marks for the Nazi party in the forthcoming election. In politics money goes a long way.
The Nazi programme incorporated many views and ideas to appeal to as many people as possible without straying from national and socialist principals. In 1924 Hitler drew up a ‘25 point programme’ outlining the goals and demands of the NSDAP this plan included several nationalist (they believed in Germany’s greatness) and socialist (they believed the state should benefit everybody equally) ethics. He criticized the corrupt nature of representatives: “We oppose the corrupting parliamentary custom of filling posts merely in accordance with party considerations, and without reference to character or abilities” Before this many of Hitler’s beliefs where printed in ‘Mein Kampf’. Hitler strongly believed in the victory of the Aryan race by armed force, because all races, especially the Jews, were theoretically inferior to the Aryan (pure German) ‘Master Race’. Hitler also managed to organise the party so that he was the unquestioned leader his dominance over the party was never significantly threatened.
The other major party in the Reichstag that wanted to see the downfall of the Weimar government was the ‘Communist Party’ (KPD) who had in January 1919 rebelled in Berlin, led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht (this became known as the Spartacist Uprising). Again in 1920, after the failure of the Kapp Putsch, a paramilitary group called the Red Army rebelled in the Ruhr. Once again Hitler was able to turn what could become a threat to the party into an advantage he began blaming the communists for Germanys problems thus damaging the plausibility of the Communist ideals. But Hitler himself had used Socialist ideas in the famous ‘25 points’ document in 1920 (in reality both socialism and communism both stem from Marxism, a political philosophy he was known to hate). The Communists though where confined to the working classes while the Nazi’s views where shared by both the working and middle classes “Hold out your hand, German working men! The day of freedom is coming, if only you want it! Adolf Hitler is showing you the way!” This was a quote by Joseph Goebbels (Hitler’s propaganda minister) in a speech where he attacks Marxism, claiming it is in league with the Jews. Posters, leaflets, radio and film, and organised rallies where used as propaganda for the Nazi party. The Nazi party and Hitler himself where infamously anti-Semitic, Hitler blamed Germany’s long term troubles (such as hyperinflation, political instability and unemployment) on ‘The Jew’. Hitler and his propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels speeches and propaganda linked communism to the Jewish race consequently making the Communist party a root of ‘evil’, many people in Germany where fearful of a communist regime takeover so many began to support the opposing extreme party (the Nazi’s). German propaganda in the 1930’s associated the Jew with internationalism (opposed to Hitler's nationalism) and communism, a governmental system many ‘Aryan’ Germans (Hitler’s ‘perfect’ race explained in ‘Mien Kampf’ already despised. Hitler believed that “... democracy is fundamentally not German: it is Jewish ... this Jewish democracy with its majority decisions has always been without exception only a means toward the destruction of any existing Aryan leadership”. Hitler credited the Jews’ democratic success to their cleverness to make public opinion serve their own interests. “And (this) can be achieved by the man who can lie most artfully, most infamously (the Jew) ...” Here Hitler’s own personal preferences and Anti-Semitic observations are conveyed to the masses giving them a scapegoat (which they needed) for the problems faced in Germany. There were many people with Anti-Semitic views before Hitler; he simply used their prejudice to win popularity and therefore a tighter grip over the Weimar government. Hitler did however have more extremist views than most, and he was responsible for convincing the German public and setting off a larger Anti-Jewish feeling in Germany.
Hitler’s talent as an energetic public speaker was second to none, his passion and strong beliefs on the ways Germany should be governed inspired the German people at a point when national morale was low. Hitler believed that he had been called by God to become dictator of Germany and furthermore the world. His self-belief persuaded people to believe in him. As the party grew in popularity Hitler gained even more confidence as a public speaker, mass rallies where held people who heard him speak claimed that his voice had hypnotic qualities to it. Hitler especially appealed to the Germanic youth with a ‘leader-follower relationship’ and promise of a break down in class barriers, it was also a case of the youth being drawn in and captivated by Hitler’s new and energetic style of politics.
The Wall Street Crash in 1929 and the subsequent ‘depression’ caused major problems for a Germany just beginning to get back on its feet. America had supported the Weimar Republic with loans in 1924 (the Dawes Plan) and in 1929 (the Young Plan). These loans aided the German economy and lead to the supposed ‘Golden Years’ and put an end to the ‘Hyperinflation’ of 1923 Gustav Stresemann foresaw this famously stating “Germany is in fact dancing on a volcano. If the short-term loans are called in by America, most of our economy will collapse”. Indeed this happened America needed the loans repaid to assist its economy, this put the German government in a predicament. Companies all over Germany especially in the industrial sectors such as the Ruhr went bankrupt and millions of workers were laid off. Unemployment became a foremost setback for the government just 6 years after the last major economic disaster, hyperinflation, in fact by September 1933 6,100,000 people where unemployed. During times of hardship people begin to look for an extreme answer this for many came in the shape of the Nazi ‘Swastika’. Gregor Strasser (a Nazi official) claimed that what was a disaster for Weimar was “good, very good for us.” The ensuing 1930 elections showed that the extreme parties; the Nazi’s and Communists only gained significant recognition when a major crisis had occurred. William Carr describes this situation as; “it is inconceivable that Hitler could ever have come to power had not the Weimar republic been subjected to the unprecedented strain of a world economic crisis”. Followed by immoral deal makings, Germany’s condition because even more bleak, thus increased Hitler’s chance in power.
If Hitler was to have supreme control over the Reichstag he would need to hold the position of ‘Chancellor’. Hitler in 1932 was the leader of the largest political party in the Reichstag; but Hindenburg had nothing but contempt for ‘the little corporal’. In keeping with the constitution, Hindenburg selected his own chancellor; Franz von Papen. His support in the Reichstag came from the Centre Party, who in July 1932 only gained 97 seats. However, with the backing of the president and the constitution von Papen could push through legislation. However, in September 1932, the Reichstag overwhelmingly expressed its no confidence in his leadership by 513 votes to 32. He called the November 1932 election in an attempt to get more support within the Reichstag. The number of Centre Party seats dropped to 70. It was clear that von Papen had no support in the Reichstag and he (with Hindenburg) was force to govern using the law in ‘Article 48’. The Nazi party failed to get a majority of seats in the Reichstag. Their share of the vote fell from 230 seats to only 196 (it is said that Hitler may have contemplated suicide during this time). Hitler demanded to be made chancellor. Again, Hindenburg refused. However, this time the army via General Kurt von Schleicher, informed Hindenburg that any continuation of von Papen’s leadership could lead to civil war. It was made clear to the elderly President that the army did not support von Papen. As a result of this, Hindenburg appointed von Schleicher chancellor who was not prepared for the chancellorship. Hindenburg gave in as Hitler was the only one with the drive and sincerity left to be able to take on the role of Chancellor. On 30th January 1933, Hitler was summoned to Hindenburg’s chambers and sworn in as chancellor. Hindenburg reluctantly gave into Hitler; he believed he could control him and force him to accept his own conservative opinions. So Hitler was given power he did not take it.
In conclusion Hitler was able to ‘win’ power in the elections and persuade an entire nation to conform to his beliefs and prejudices. But because of the stubborn nature of the Weimar constitution he was only able to gain the role as ‘Chancellor’ once President Hindenburg had been persuaded, by not only Hitler but his allies and financial backers. But it also must be noted that the conditions which allowed Hitler to rise into power coincided with Germany’s economic and financial collapse.