Why was Hitler Appointed as Chancellor in Germany in 1933
The process of the destruction of the democratic system started before Hitler became Chancellor and the political establishment were set on a return to a more authoritarian form of rule. This therefore set a precedent to Hitler’s future rule. Evidence for this can be seen in von Papen’s coup d’état against the Prussian government in July 1932. This SPD dominated government was dismissed on the grounds that it had failed to keep the peace. Its removal was completed using Article 48 but its legality was highly questionable. The army was ordered to seize control and a new authoritarian regime in Prussia was created. The economic depression meant that this was widely accepted.
Von Papen and Hindenburg believed they could control the Nazi movement and this misjudgement is highly significant in explaining why Hitler was later able to come to power. This misjudgement was part of the intrigue and deals that were crucially needed at the time as no workable coalitions could be provided. For instance it was these deals that later removed Bruning from office in July 1932. The election results of 1932 had not given the Nazis an outright majority and thus von Papen refused to hand over the Chancellorship to Hitler. In August 1932, Hitler insisted that he would not accept any other post other than Chancellor. The negotiations inevitably failed and as a result the Reichstag dissolved and new elections were to be held in November.
The new elections saw a fall in Nazi support by 4%, however they remained to be the largest party in the Reichstag. There was a political stalemate because Hindenburg refused to appoint Hitler as Chancellor without him achieving a majority in the Reichstag and the Nazi had the ability to vote down a government at will (for instance the coalition with the Centre Party). In order to attempt a ‘way out’