Hitler's Rise To Power In 1932-34

On the 30th of January 1933, Hitler became chancellor. Many historians say that this was due to the depression, however others claim that there were a variety of factors, including the Nazi propaganda and the political situation in 1932-3, which aided Hitler’s rise to power.

The Depression was a result of the 1929 Wall Street Crash in the USA. When the depression hit Germany, it hit hard. Germany was asked to repay the money given to them on loan, and fast. As a result of this, businesses went bankrupt, workers were laid off and unemployment skyrocketed. The Weimar government was having great difficulties in solving the problem of unemployment. Also, as the Weimar Constitution was a fair and balanced one, it was very difficult for a decisive
Another way Hitler twisted the money crisis in Germany to his advantage was reminding the people that it would make sense to get rid of the Treaty of Versailles, and Hitler came across as the right man to do this job. Hitler promised the crowds that he could undo the terms of the Treaty. The long-term aggression towards the Treaty of Versailles fuelled people to vote for the Nazis, believing that Hitler was the answer to their problems. During this time of crisis people started looking for a solution, whatever that meant. This was when the population turned to the extremes, political polarization, seeking help for their ruined country. As the people turned did this, so did important political leaders such as Papen, who was also seeking support from the Nazis after the Weimar Republic had lost all faith and respect from Germans. The unemployed were promised a number of jobs under Hitler’s power as chancellor, such as building weaponry for him. Not only that but Hitler’s 25-point plan became increasingly attractive to those hit hardest by the depression, the unemployed, the middle classes and the elderly. The
He turned the depression and the unemployment, as well as the fact that everyone had lost faith in the democracy after the depression, to his advantage. There were 6 million unemployed in Germany and Hitler would offer jobs in the SA for them, coming across as generous and making them feel a sense of purpose, but really using it for his own purposes. Hitler also opened soup kitchens for the unemployed. By doing this, Hitler had gained lots more votes for the Nazis, being noticed even more by the political elites. Another way he did this was when the Weimar government became divided and was too weak for a decisive decision to be formed. This weakness made the Germans crave a strong leader and Hitler felt he was perfect for the role. The depression also links with propaganda as both Hitler and Goebbels cleverly played the depression to gain as many followers of the party as possible. They knew who was affected in the depression and how they knew what would appeal to them the most. Furthermore, during the crisis people turned to the extremes after everything else seemed to fail. His manipulation of power during the depression was key for his rise to