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Hitler's appointment as Chancellor - January 1933
​Backstairs Intrigue - explained


1. Context: Weimar Germany’s Political Instability (Early 1930s)
  • The Weimar Republic was plagued by economic crisis (Great Depression), political fragmentation, and rising extremist parties.
  • No party could secure a stable majority in the Reichstag.
  • The Nazi Party (NSDAP) had become the largest single party in the July 1932 elections with 230 seats but without an absolute majority.
  • Previous chancellors (Brüning, Papen, Schleicher) struggled to form stable governments.

2. Failure of Moderate Governments and Growing Pressure
  • Chancellor Franz von Papen (appointed July 1932 by President Hindenburg) tried to govern with limited Reichstag support.
  • Papen lost Reichstag confidence and was forced to resign in December 1932.
  • His successor, General Kurt von Schleicher, tried to create a coalition but failed due to lack of Nazi support.
  • Schleicher’s government was weak and isolated.

3. Papen’s Intrigue: Seeking to Regain Power
  • Papen, although ousted, was ambitious and sought to regain influence.
  • He believed he could control Hitler by bringing him into government.
  • Papen secretly met with Hitler and Nazi leaders.
  • Papen convinced President Hindenburg that a coalition with Hitler as Chancellor, with Papen as Vice-Chancellor, could stabilize Germany and keep Hitler "in check."

4. Hindenburg’s Reluctance and Political Advisers’ Role
  • Hindenburg was initially hostile to Hitler due to his radicalism and lack of aristocratic background.
  • However, Hindenburg’s circle, including advisers like Franz von Papen and other conservatives, pressured him.
  • They argued that Hitler’s mass support made him inevitable and that the Nazis could be controlled within a cabinet dominated by conservatives.
  • Papen promised to act as a counterweight to Hitler.

5. Backstairs Negotiations
  • Papen and Hitler engaged in secret negotiations, discussing cabinet posts and political strategies.
  • Papen insisted on the inclusion of conservatives and military men in the cabinet to limit Nazi power.
  • Hitler demanded the chancellorship as a non-negotiable condition.
  • The two reached a compromise: Hitler would become Chancellor; Papen would be Vice-Chancellor; conservatives would dominate key ministries.

6. Hindenburg’s Decision (Late January 1933)
  • After days of intense lobbying and political crisis, Hindenburg agreed.
  • Despite personal misgivings, Hindenburg appointed Hitler Chancellor on January 30, 1933.
  • Papen famously told Hindenburg: "We have hired him," believing Hitler could be controlled.

7. Immediate Aftermath
  • Hitler’s appointment marked a turning point.
  • The cabinet looked conservative but allowed Hitler to consolidate power rapidly.
  • Papen and other conservatives underestimated Hitler’s political skill and ambitions.
  • Within months, Hitler dismantled the Weimar Republic’s democratic institutions.

Summary of Backstairs Intrigue:
  • Political deadlock in Weimar Germany.
  • Papen’s ambition to regain influence.
  • Secret negotiations between Papen and Hitler.
  • Conservative elites’ belief they could control Hitler.
  • Hindenburg’s reluctant but pressured appointment of Hitler.
  • The fatal underestimation of Hitler’s power by conservative politicians.

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