BASIC PRESENTATION: Weimar

Stage 4 of the Weimar Republic: declinepages 174- 176

The Weimar government relied heavily on foreign aid from the USA. The US economy‘s collapse had a huge impact on Germany and revealed just how much Germany relied on the US. Stresemann died on 3 October 1929 and later that month the Wall Street Crash occurred. Germany fell into depression and unemployment figures rose drastically.The Great Depression affected Germany politically. Anti-republican groups started working against the Weimar Republic.

Industrialists also started to work against the Weimar government, hoping to undermine the parliamentary system, social democracy and the trade unions. They forced through a system of rule by presidential decree and the last truly democractic Weimar government collapsed in 1930.Industrialists also started to work against the Weimar government, hoping to undermine the parliamentary system, social democracy and the trade unions. They forced through a system of rule by presidential decree and the last truly democractic Weimar government collapsed in 1930.

• Weimar moved away from power being in the hands of elected representatives to it being in the hands of ``presidential cabinets``. President Hindenburg was given the job of running this system and he was influenced by groups that did not want to uphold democracy.

27 March 1930: the Müller cabinet collapsed and Hindenburg made Heinrich Brüning Chancellor. Brüning became known as the ``Hunger Chancellor``. Why was he called the Hunger Chancellor?

Brüning pursued a tough economic policy of increasing taxation and reducing welfare benefits. This upset the Left and gave the Nazi propaganda machine something to work with. Electoral results in September 1930 showed a growing support for extremist parties.Fig.1. Heinrich Brüning https://www.bing.com

May 1932 Brüning was dismissed by Hindenburg. Franz von Papen became chancellor and his cabinet was called the Barons‘ Cabinet (Almanach de Gotha Cabinet) November 1932 von Papen resigned and von Schleicher became chancellor. January 1933- von Schleicher resigned and Hitler was offered the position on 30 January (based on von Papen’s advice to Hindenburg). Von Papen thought Hitler could be controlled. Read page 176 (up to Source Skills)

Works CitedBrian, Gray, et al. Authoritarian States : Course Companion. Oxford, United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 2015.‌