Search

Hitler runs for President, 1932

Key ContextGermany was in crisis:
  • Over 6 million unemployed due to the Great Depression.
  • Rising support for extremist parties (Nazis and Communists).
  • Growing disillusionment with Weimar democracy.
  • President Paul von Hindenburg (age 84) was up for re-election.
  • Hitler ran to challenge the political system directly for the first time.

Main Candidates
  • Paul von Hindenburg Independent (backed by Centre Party and SPD)Conservative but trusted by many as a stabilising figure.
  • Adolf Hitler Nazi Party (NSDAP)Promised strong leadership, national pride, and an end to Weimar chaos.
  • Ernst Thälmann Communist Party (KPD)Appealed to working-class voters; anti-fascist and pro-Soviet.

📅 Election Results
  • First round – March 1932:
    • Hindenburg: 49.6%
    • Hitler: 30.1%
    • Thälmann: 13.2%
  • Run-off – April 1932:
    • Hindenburg: 53% (wins)
    • Hitler: 36.8%
    • Thälmann: 10.2%
Hindenburg won, but Hitler’s vote share was a dramatic increase, showing the Nazis were now a powerful force.

Hitler’s Modern Campaign Method​
“Hitler über Deutschland” ("Hitler over Germany")
  • First campaign in history to use air travel on a large scale.
  • Hitler flew to up to 5 cities in a single day, delivering speeches to huge crowds.
  • Gave the impression of:
    • A dynamic, modern leader.
    • Someone who could reach all of Germany, unlike the aging Hindenburg.
  • Organised by Joseph Goebbels as part of a coordinated propaganda strategy.
Posters, Films, and Photography
  • Posters showed Hitler as Germany’s saviour — strong, confident, with slogans like “Freedom and Bread”.
  • Photos of Hitler stepping off planes made him seem powerful and efficient.
  • Short campaign films were shown in local cinemas.
Mass Rallies and Speeches
  • Speeches were emotional, dramatic, and often focused on:
National unity.
  • The threat of Communism.
  • The failures of the Weimar government.
  • Rallies featured music, banners, and torchlit parades — highly theatrical.

Why It Was Important
  • Hitler lost, but gained legitimacy as a national figure.
  • The campaign proved the Nazi Party had mass support.
  • Hitler’s media-focused, modern campaign contrasted sharply with Hindenburg’s old-fashioned style.
  • Set the stage for Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor in January 1933.

Key phrases to use:
  • “Hitler über Deutschland”
  • “modern image contrasted with Hindenburg’s age”
  • “mass exposure and dynamic leadership style”
  • “propaganda genius of Goebbels”