ROLE AND IMPACT OF CONSERVATIVE PARTIES & ELITES ON THE POLITICAL

PROCESS
- War hero Field Marshall Hindenbr! "alled ba"# in$o %bli" li&e a&$er dea$h o&
Presiden$ Eber$ in '()*+ Hindenbr! ,on ele"$ion and - ./0rs o& a!e1 $he a2o,ed
3onar"his$ be"a3e )nd Presiden$ o& $he W4Re%bli"+
- W4 Hindenbr!5s %residen"0 "a3e ri!h$,ard shi&$ &ro3 %arlia3en$ar0 $o
%residen$ial %o,er+
- Able $o brin! his %re&eren"es $o bear $o a !rea$er e6$en$ be"ase o& $he ns$able
na$re o& Wei3ar "ons$i$$ions+
- Loo#ed ,4 &a2or on in"lsion o& Na$ionalis$s ,4in $he !o2$+ & %re&erred e6"lsion o&
So"ial De3o"ra$s+
Hindenbr!5s i33edia$e "ir"le o& &riends
- I33edia$e "ir"le o& &riends & ad2isors had 3an0 "on&ir3ed an$i-re%bli"ans &
!radall0 $here e3er!ed an in&len$ial rea"$ionar0 blo"# o& 7n#ers 8lar!e
lando,ners9 & %oli$i"all0 3inded o&&i"ers o& $he Rei"hs,ehr1 led b0 :eneral 2on
S"hlei"her1 ,ho had $he ear o& $he %residen$+
- Their ob;e"$i2e< $o $rans&or3 %arlia3en$ar0 de3o"ra"0 in$o a$hori$arian s$a$e
!o2erned b0 %oli$i"al ri!h$+
- Case aided b0 $he %ress e3%ire o& H!enber!1 Na$ionalis$ leader1 ,hi"h %ored
o$ "ons$an$ s$rea3 o& an$i-re%bli"an %ro%a!anda+
- Resi!na$ion o& Mller !a2e ri!h$is$s o%%or$ni$0 $he0 needed+ On S"hlei"her5s
ad2i"e1 Hindenbr! sen$ &or Heinri"h =rnin!1 leader o& $he Cen$re Par$01 & as#ed
hi3 $o &or3 !o2$+1 s%e"i&0in! ri!h$,ard orien$a$ion1 e6"ldin! So"ial De3o"ra$s >
$ha$ ,ere lar!es$ %ar$0 in Rei"hs$a!+
=rnin!
- ?ealos 3onar"his$ in '('/1 ,4 li$$le a$$a"h3en$ $o re%bli"an ideal+
- Firs$ %riori$0< $o end re%ara$ions b0 "on2in"in! Allies $ha$ :er3an0 no lon!er able
$o 3ee$ obli!a$ions de $o %oor s$a$e o& e"ono30+
- To &r$her $his ai31 he ,as %re%ared $o "on$e3%la$e hi!h le2els o& 4e & $he
i3%ro2e3en$s o& lar!e se"$ions o& $he %o%la$ion de $o ,orld de%ression+
- @nder =rnin!1 no+AsB o& :er3an 4e5d rose &ro3 ))*/CCC in Mar"h '(DC $o
ECD'CCC in Mar"h '(D)+
- =rnin!5s "on$e3%$ &or %arlia3en$ar0 %ro"ess ,as "learF s$a$in! $ha$ i& $he
Rei"hs$a! ,old no$ s%%or$ his %oli"ies he ,old reGes$ se o& e3er!en"0 %o,ers
nder Ar$i"le H/ o& Cons$i$$ion+ =rnin!5s l$i3a$e ai31 as his sbseGen$ 3e3oirs
sho,1 ,as $he res$ora$ion o& $he 3onar"h0 ,4 a ri!h$ ,in! !o2$+
NaIis
- Se%$e3ber '(DC< ne, ele"$ions "a$a%l$ed NaIis in$o %ro3inen"e+ Sin"e Hi$ler5s
i3%rison3en$1 %ar$0 had no$ 3ade 3"h i3%ression on ele"$ora$e1 b$ ,ha$ $he0
had done ,as bild on na$ional or!aniIa$ion & s""ess&ll0 $ar!e$ %ar$i"lar !ro%s in
so"ie$01 e!+ S3all &ar3ers+
- Hen"e1 ,hen an a!ri"l$ral de%ression be!an rond '()E1 NaIis be!an $o ,in
&a2or in rral areas & s3all & 3edi3-siIed $o,ns $ha$ ,ere %ar$ o& rral e"ono30+
- Chan"e &or na$ional %ro3o$ion "a3e in '()( ,hen NaIis ;oined ,4 a "onser2a$i2e
allian"e $o o%%ose Jon! Plan1 "allin! &or a re&erend3 on $he %lan+ Al$ho!h
"a3%ai!n ,as &ailre1 NaIis 3ade &a2orable i3%ression na$ion,ide ,4 $heir
"a3%ai!nin! e!+ Nre3ber! rall0 o& '()( dre, )CC1CCC s%%or$ers+
- A&$er ele"$ion1 $here ,as no ,a0 in ,hi"h re%bli" "oali$ion "old be &or3ed1 &
ri!h$-,in! !o2$+ "old no$ be &or3ed ,4o$ $he NaIis+ S$ale3a$e de2elo%ed &
$here&ore =rnin! "on$ined as "han"ellor & rled b0 de"ree ,4 se o& Ar$i"le H/+

So"ial De3o"ra$s
- Fond $he3sel2es in dile33a+
- @n,illin! $o s%%or$ =rnin! be"ase o& de&la$ionar0 &or"es1 b$ n,illin! $o 3o2e
$o nsea$ hi3 be"ase i$ 3i!h$ o%en % $he ,a0 &or $he NaIis+ Also &eared $ha$ hold
on i3%or$an$ s$a$e !o2$+ o& Prssia1 ,hi"h $he0 !o2erned in "oali$ion ,4 Cen$re Par$0
& ,hi"h %ro2ided $heir 3ain %o,er base1 ,old be %re;di"ed i& $he0 ,ere seen $o
os$ leader o& Cen$re Par$0 &ro3 Chan"ellorshi%+
- Ths SDP en$ered %eriod o& $olera$ion o& =rnin! !o2$+
=rnin! do,n&all
- Ca3e in Ma0 '(D)1 no$ be"ase o& ele"$oral n%o%lari$01 b$ be"ase
Hindenbr!5s "onser2a$i2e1 an$i-re%bli"an &riends belie2ed $ha$ =rnin! hadn5$
3o2ed !o2$+ s&&i"ien$l0 &ar $o $he ri!h$+ E6"se &ond &or his re3o2al ,hen so3e
land re&or3 le!isla$ion1 ,hi"h $hrea$ened $he bi! es$a$es o& $he 7n#ers1 ,as labelled
as =olshe2is3+
- Von S"hlei"her led in$ri!e & %ersaded Hindenbr! $o dis3iss =rnin!+ =rnin!5s
re%la"e3en$ ,as FranI 2on Pa%en1 ano$her o& $he "onser2a$i2e "liGe1 al$ho!h
S"hlei"her ,as 3ain &or"e behind $he s"enes+
Hindenbr! & Ele"$ions
- Mar"h '(D)< $er3 as %residen$ e6%ired & s$ood &or re-ele"$ion+
- Ma;or o%%onen$s< Hi$ler & Co33nis$ leader Thal3ann+
- Final ballo$< Hindenbr! !ained *DK1 Hi$ler DE+/K+ Ele"$ion ills$ra$ed !ro,in!
%o%lari$0 o& NaIi 3o2e3en$1 as sho,n in ele"$ions o& 7l0 '(D) ,hen $he0 s"ored
$heir !rea$es$ s""ess1 !ainin! )DC sea$s in $he Rei"hs$a! & be"o3in! $he lar!es$
sin!le %ar$0+
- NaIis & Co33nis$s1 bo$h s,orn ene3ies o& $he W4Re%bli" no, "on$rolled *)K o&
$he Rei"hs$a!+ The W4Re%bli" ,as no, e&&e"$i2el0 deadF $he onl0 Ges$ion ,as ho,
$o dis%ose o& $he re3ains+
- A&$er ele"$ion Hi$ler $old S"hlei"her $ha$ NaIis "old no lon!er $olera$e Pa%en !o2$+1
& de3anded "han"ellorshi% &or hi3sel&1 a&$er ele"$ion+ He 3ain$ained Lall or no$hin!5
s$ra$e!0< ei$her NaIis ,old en$er !o2$+ ,4 hi3 as "han"ellor1 or $he0 ,old no$
en$er i$ a$ all+
- Hi$ler re%ea$ed $his de3and in $al# ,4 Hindenbr! on 'D A!s$1 b$ ,as reb&&ed+
- Hindenbr! disli#ed Hi$lerF loo#in! do,n on hi3 as 3ere e6-"or%oral1 n&or!i2in! o&
Hi$ler5s de"ision $o s$and a!ains$ hi3 &or %residen"01 & ,as "ri$i"al o& 2iolen"e on
s$ree$s "ased b0 $he SA+
- In"reasin! n"er$ain$0 as Hindenbr! loo#ed &or "han"ellor $o re%resen$ ri!h$-,in!
3a;ori$0 in Rei"hs$a!+ Resl$< se$ba"# &or NaIisF 2o$e &ell b0 ) 3illion1 $ho!h s$ill
re3ained lar!es$ %ar$0 in $he
Rei"hs$a!+
S"hlei"her
- No, his $rn $o in$ri!e on his o,n behal&+
- Con2in"ed Hindenbr! $ha$ "on$rib$ion o& Pa%en5s "han"ellorshi% 3i!h$ lead $o "i2il
,ar1 ar!in! $ha$ he ,old be able $o &or3 3a;ori$0 b0 s%li$$in! NaIi Par$0+
- On $his basis1 be"a3e "han"ellor in '(D)+ A$$e3%$s $o s%li$ NaIis ai3ed a$ :re!or
S$rasser1 leader o& $he So"ialis$ ,in! o& $he NaIi Par$01 ,ho S"hlei"her $ried $o
%ersade in$o allian"e+ Hi$ler &ond o$1 dis3issed S$rasser & 3ain$ained ni$0 o&
%ar$0+
- S"hlei"her1 %lans &oiled1 as#ed &or a$hori$0 $o rle b0 e3er!en"0 de"ree+
Hindenbr! re&sed1 & Pa%en "a3e &or,ard $o %ersade Hindenbr! o& ne"essi$0 o&
a""e%$in! a "oali$ion ,4 Hi$ler as "han"ellor1 b$ srronded b0 e6%erien"ed
"onser2a$i2es s"h as Pa%en 8as 2i"e-"han"ellor9 & H!enbr!+ Pa%en e6%lained $ha$
e6%erien"ed %oli$i"ians ,old be able $o %sh Hi$ler $o one side & %ro2ide ri!h$ ,in!
!o2$+ $ha$ %residen$ & his ad2isers had been see#in! sin"e '(DC+
- Final ob;e"$ion o& Hindenbr!5s re3o2ed ,hen :eneral 2on =lo3ber! a!reed $o
ser2e as de&en"e 3inis$er1 re3o2in! Hindenbr!5s &ear o& a Rei"hs,ehr re2ol$ a!ains$
ne, !o2$+
Hi$ler
- =e"a3e "han"ellor on DC 7anar0 '(DD+
- Had behind hi3 a"$i2e & en$hsias$i" %ar$0 & %ara3ili$ar0 or!aniIa$ion n3berin!
hndreds o& $hosands+
- Ca3e $o %o,er le!all01 as he said he ,old1 0e$ ne2er able $o se"re 3a;ori$0 o&
2o$es in ele"$ora$e or sea$s in Rei"hs$a!+
- Onl0 s""ess&l be"ase old eli$es o& land1 inds$r0 & ar30 ,ere de$er3ined $o
re%la"e W4de3o"ra"0 ,4 an a$hori$arian s0s$e3+