Consolidation of Power by Nazi's

The German dictatorship under Adolf Hitler was indeed created by a Nazi seizure of power Ð'- an opportunity arising out of the failure of the conservatives in power to fill the political vacuum after the fall of conventional Weimar democracy. As President of the Reichstag and ruling under Presidential decree, Paul von Hindenburg was charged with maintaining political stability in Germany. Even if democracy was replaced with rightist authoritarian rule, Germany required reason to prevail and ensure a prosperous emergence from the Great Depression. The inability of Hindenburg and those under his control to adequately rectify the lack of political leadership was the decisive factor in Hitler's Nazi's rising to prominence. Until 1934, the Nazi's claim to power was still questionable, but the passivity of Hindenburg allowed for the Nazi's seizure of power upon his death on 2nd August 1934.

The appointment of Hindenburg as President following the collapse of Weimar in the 1930 elections signalled the death of democracy is Germany and that Germany's future would be one of right-wing authoritarian rule. The period between 1930 and 1933 was effectively testing ground for the various conservative factions to claim power. Hindenburg's dissatisfaction with the governments of Bruning and then Von Papen left Germany without a popular Chancellor by late 1932. With even Schleicher, previously Hindenburg's most influential advisor, falling out of favour with the ageing President, the old General retained the greatest power within Germany and her future resided in his decisions. Therefore, the increasing prominence of Adolf Hitler on the German political landscape was a suppressible phenomenon.

The appointment of Hitler as Chancellor on January 30th 1933 was a concession to the growing support the Nazi's had gained, especially following the July 1932 elections in which they won 230 seats or 38% of the vote. However, significantly, this was no different to any of the 17 failed Weimar governments who had also failed to attain a 50% majority. Hitler's claim to the Chancellorship came from three circles. Firstly, the Reichswehr, the force capable of quelling SA activity maintained a passive attitude to the Nazi's. Second, Hitler ran a close second to Hindenburg in the Presidential elections in April 1932 and made vocal calls on the President to instate him as Chancellor. Thirdly, von Papen attempted to re-establish his own career by siding with Hitler and simultaneously undermining von Schleicher who had to tis point advised Hindenburg to resist the Nazi cause. The collaboration between Papen and Hindenburg on 28th January to restrict Hitler's power was a profound underestimation of Hitler. Hitler resulting appointment as Chancellor signalled the first failure of Hindenburg to resist the Nazi's and the onset of Hitler's political manoeuvring to consolidate the fortunate rise of the Nazi's.

The conservative's had bestowed upon Hitler an opportunity to press for outright and uncontested Chancellorship. It was not, however, their only opportunity to check the accession of Hitler and the Nazi's and their failure to resist Hitler's repeated calls for increased power ultimately left them powerless to dismiss him. Hindenburg's meeting with Hitler and Bruning in Berlin in October 1931 afforded him the opportunity to assess Hitler's political ambitions and direction. Coupled with the meeting of right-wing groups at Bad Harzburg which explicitly displayed Hitler's refusal to accept any united accession of power, it was apparent to Hindenburg, and von Papen, that Hitler was exceptionally ambitious. Yet, even in 1933 when they granted him the Chancellorship, Papen believed "In two months we'll have him backed into a corner". Therefore, it must be determined whether between January 30th 1933 and August 2nd 1934, Hindenburg and Papen had the chance to prevent Nazi rule. Did Hindenburg fail to recognise and prevent Nazi pressure to gain control and thus create the opportunity for a Nazi seizure of power?

A series of important events during that time would suggest that Hindenburg did, in fact, bow to Nazi pressure. Hindenburg relinquished power under the Reichstag