- The impact of the Great Depression
Before 1929 the economic recovery of Germany was beginning show as people were living better lives and gaining for money from work however, in 1929 stocks and shares fell rapidly damaging the American economy and damaging the world economy which led to the great depression. Unemployment rose dramatically. In September 1929 1.3 million employable workers were unemployed, for September 1930 the figures rose to 3 million 17.7% of population, in September 1931 the figure was 4.35 million and by 1932 unemployment escalated to 6 million. After the Wall Street crash the USA stopped loaning
Germany money and therefore put Germany into an even deeper hole.
- The deepening political crisis of the Bruning era.
The Wall Street Crash and the rise in unemployment played an important effect in creating further divisions in German politics. In march the Muller cabinet split and was replaced under the leadership of Heinrich Bruning and member of the centre party, which was heavily influenced by President Hindenburg.
- The reasons for Nazi progress.
In 1930 national politics were unstable, in June 1930 the Nazi party won 14.4% of the vote in Saxony 9% higher than the previous year. Joseph Gobbels was recently appointed the party’s propaganda minister and organized election programs in local as well as nationwide polls. Their representation in the Reichstag increased by 95 seat and they increased there votes by 5.6m votes. As a result Brunings government governed with less support and had to rely on the SPD and the use of Article 48.
The economic collapse in 1931 turned the attention of Nazis the tactics away from them. One of Brunings economic policies had been to remove reparations payment. Impending freezes on reparations and a Austro-Hungarian trade agreement resulted in loss of capital and the collapse of the Austrian Bank, followed by the closure of all Germans banks for three weeks. This caused confusion and high unemployment and the intervention of Hugenburg.
The Nazis the abolition so the Treaty of Versailles which meant rearming and making Germany strong again also reversing Clause 231. The Nazis had good economic policies and wanted Germany to be strong and not feel that Germany is bad country which everyone wanted, the Nazis told the Germans that they were great and they should be proud to be German. At the time the Nazis seemed a good party offering the best way of life for Germans.
- The last months of the Republic and the scheming that led to Hitler’s appointment as chancellor
In April 1932 the SA and SS were banned due to continuing street violence. General Groner who introduced the ban had been undermined by a campaign led General von Schleicher with the full backing of the Nazis. Now that Schleicher had backing he could influence the removal of Bruning and a new presidential cabinet was formed with Von Papen as chancellor and Schleicher as Minister for Defence. When fresh elections were held and the ban of the SA was lifted street violence occurred as an excuse for the removal of the SPD in Prussia which was overthrown by Papen. When SPD failed to react to anything and elections were help the Nazis had increased their vote 37.3% and became the largest party in Reichstag. The Reichstag fire in 1933 meant that Hitler was able to round up his political opponent parties such as the KPD, so he was able to rule as a one party state.
The Nazis were to an extent able to bring about the fall of the Weimar Republic but there were also economic events which contributed to the fall of the Republic. If the Wall Street Crash had not occurred it is likely the Nazis would not have been able to come to power. By 1929 people within Germany did not want to vote for extremist parties, when Hitler came out of prison things had calmed down and the economy within Germany was running smoothly and they were gaining better foreign relations due to Gustav Stresemann. In 1929 when the Wall Street Crash occurred the Republic had to take on the knock on effect which led to high unemployment and unrest as people were going back to the lives they had before Germany had stabilised. The Nazis offered strong economic polices to reduce unemployment and make Germany a proud country again.
