Hindenburg’s Dilemma

The Last Days of the Weimar Republic

Germany was defeated

Germany had endured years of crises

• After the defeat of 1918, there were years of crises… the Reds almost seized power and ex-soldiers battled on the streets with communist insurgents.

• In time, the violence petered out and the German public yearned for stability. In the elections, you, Hindenburg, put yourself forward. You offer continuity and moderation…

The situation in 1925

Gustav Stresemann

Congratulations!

• You have been elected President of the Weimar Republic. As a veteran of the Great War, and its most important administrator, you are no stranger to governing in a crisis. However, Germany has changed. It is now a democracy. Your press chief, Otto Dietrich, advises you how to present yourself to the German public and the first great test for you will be your reaction to the democratic Constitution…

You are handed the new constitution, do you…?

Accept itwith good

Grace, PromisingTo uphold

All its precepts

Gruffly, accept it,

but promisenothing

Accept it, But favour

the oldRight wing In politics

Reject itAnd declareThe Kaiser

The restored Monarch

Of the Reich

You have been sacked!

Right wing colleagues ask you to resign immediately

Revolution!

You are overthrown by revolutionaries! The Reichstag is burned down, leading politicians are murdered, the streets are filled with flag waving masses and barricades, the army is overwhelmed and your retreat to a small cabin in Sweden, reviled by your people!

Congratulations

It appears you have made the right decision! Colleagues breathe a sigh of relief as Germany has averted another crisis. Your leadership and statesmanship is applauded.

Hmm…

Well, colleagues are a little disappointed but you have averted a crisis. Many Germans are disappointed by your decision and there is grumbling in the press, but you have survived politically. Some speculation reaches you to the effect that you are not really suitable for the job of President, so you’d better watch your step from now on.

Bruning

Bruning’s ministry begins well enough, although this conservative seems unable to do much about the agricultural depression. German farmers simply are unable to compete with the cheap food flooding in from the USA. You agree to set up an Aid Project for the worst hit area of East Prussia and your aristocratic friends thank you.

erwache

The Nazis have already begun stirring up country people against the government when the Depression begins. Within months, millions are unemployed. Bruning suggests that this is the fault of the British and French. The nationalist card fails to ignite the German people and they are more concerned with their wage packets. The Nazis recruit thousands into their SA paramilitaries. Bruning loses the election.

Bruning has lost the support of the Reichstag, do you…?

Keep him Believing

himTo be the

Best moderate politician

Sack himAnd

Replace himWith vonPapen,

your friend

AppointHitler

SuspendThe

ReichstagAnd rule

By decreeFor the Reich

Congratulations

It appears you have made the right decision! Colleagues breathe a sigh of relief as Germany has averted another crisis. Your leadership and statesmanship is applauded.

Hmm…

Well, colleagues are a little disappointed but you have averted a crisis. Many Germans are disappointed by your decision and there is grumbling in the press, but you have survived politically. Some speculation reaches you to the effect that you are not really suitable for the job of President, so you’d better watch your step from now on.

PapenPapen served with your son in the First World War in the same cavalry regiment. He is an old family friend. However, it pains you to find that he commands no majority in the Reichstag. Extremists and other uncouth types heckle in the most ungentlemanly fashion. He keeps coming back to get legislation through using your emergency powers. This can’t go on.

Papen suggests that you authorise him to run Germany by a permanent state of emergency using

article 48, do you…?

Accept itAnd allowPapen to

continue in government

Argue thatPapen must

Avoid a dictatorship

Sack Papen

Take advice From your

advisor Kurt

Schleicher

Good, but…

• Now that Papen is no longer in command of the Reichstag the immediate crisis is over, but the worsening Depression and street violence between the Reds and the Nazis’ SA is getting worse. You observe the following event…

Rally

The Nazis stage a rally in old Nuremburg and incite street violence.

To deal with the street violence, do you?

Send the army onto the streets

Get Schleicher to negotiate with the Nazis

Declare a state of Emergency and rule by decree

Declare all paramilitaries are banned

Rule by Decree

• This works for a few weeks and people believe that, as a war leader, you can get them out of a fix. However, it soon becomes apparent that you are unable to do anything about the economic crisis that has now engulfed the Reich. Six million are unemployed and starvation is a real possibility for many. You turn to your close army advisor Kurt von Schleicher for a solution.

The unrest worsens

• Unfortunately this decision makes the unrest worse. Many die in the streets, and the police are overwhelmed.

• There are many demands for your resignation, and, as the Reich collapses into anarchy, you reluctantly agree to go.

Schleicher

• Schleicher cleverly negotiates with the Nazis and tries to get the SA to abandon Hitler. He knows that the SA, made up of many unemployed men, are dissatisfied with the middle class party officials of the NSDAP and that their discipline makes them an ideal force for army recruitment. However, the plan fails and the SA declare their undying support for Hitler. Schleicher comes to you…

Schleicher wants to declare a military dictatorship under your leadership. Do you…

Declare a dictatorship immediately: there may not be much time left

Think it over…and wait and see

Sack Schleicher – the German public will never agree: then rule yourself

Sack Schleicher and call for Hitler

The unrest worsens

• Unfortunately this decision makes the unrest worse. Many die in the streets, and the police are overwhelmed.

• There are many demands for your resignation, and, as the Reich collapses into anarchy, you reluctantly agree to go.

Schleicher goes quietly but the German public are unhappy

• There are now serious doubts about your judgement: don’t make any more mistakes or the public will demand your resignation.

• The newspapers are calling your leadership a fiasco.

Time is running out!

• An election is the only way to satisfy public opinion: you’d better call one right away.

• Further delay will probably result in a fullscale reviolt by the Nazis or the Communists, or both…

Call an election here

The election

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Nazis KPD

KPDvoteSPD vote

Nazi vote

• Hitler wins! • You must now call

Hitler to see if he will form a government…

Hitler arrives

• You find this ex-corporal a rabble rousing nuisance. You believe him to be a contemptible man. He demands immediate power. What do you do?

Confronted by Hitler, you…Feeling somewhat in awe, you decide that, perhaps after all, Hitler must lead in the Reichstag as he has a majority there.

You agree to his appointment but set conditions: no anti-Semitic activity and an immediate disbandment of the SA

Refuse to let him have power - point blank!

The unrest worsens and there is a coup d’etat

• Unfortunately this decision makes the unrest worse. Many die in the streets, and the police are overwhelmed.

• There are many demands for your resignation, and, as the Reich collapses into anarchy, you reluctantly agree to go. Hitler seizes power by force amidst the mayhem. You have failed.

Hitler refuses to take power on these conditions

• Meisner tells you that Hitler is committed to taking power ‘one way or another’

• Papen tells you that, confidentially, Hitler will have to be given power sooner or later

• Street violence worsens.

Army report

• Von Seekt arrives with a report from the army. Given that the Nazis have 3 million SA men and the communists about 1.2 million activists, the army’s 100,000 men would be overwhelmed in the event of civil unrest. Then…

Kriegspiel Bericht

Papen’s advice

• Papen comes to see you. He is anxious that time is running out. He suggests that, if groomed, Hitler might be controlled even if he became Chancellor. Given that his party is the largest in the Reichstag and that he will probably have to have power in the near future, why not give it to him under your control? You continue to listen …

Oskar Hindenburg

• Your son, Oskar arrives, looking harassed. • He has been with Hitler and the Nazis have

found out that Oskar has been syphoning money from the East Prussian Aid Project (a government fund) to old friends in the Prussian aristocracy. If this reaches the papers, your family name is destroyed.

• Depressed, you consider your options…

Options

Sit tight and hope the Nazis don’t go to the media. Look for ways of reappointing Papen to the Reichstag leadership

Declare a state of Emergency and rule yourself by decree, with army backing

Appoint Hitler as Chancellor with Papen and other trusted nationalists as members of the Cabinet

Declare Papen Chancellor and give the Nazis an ultimatum to co-operate or stay out of power

Revolution!

You are overthrown by revolutionaries! The Reichstag is burned down, leading politicians are murdered, the streets are filled with flag waving masses and barricades, the army is overwhelmed and your retreat to a small cabin in Sweden, reviled by your people!

Anarchy!

Rule by decree merely attracts criticism to you personally. The parties unite temporarily to oust you from power and the army, whilst loyal, is soon divided by civil war!

Nazi coup

• Hitler, hearing of your decision, uses the SA to seize power in Berlin. The German public are quiescent as the SA and SS attack anyone who looks like offering resistance. You could order in the army, but von Seekt tells you that he cannot rely on the loyalty of his young officers many of whom sympathise with the idea of German renewal. You are forced to resign and retire. The Nazis are triumphant!

Papen and Hitler form a government

• Reluctantly you agree that Hitler should form a government. The crisis has been averted and your reputation is intact. If Hitler now fails to solve the country’s economic crisis, he will lose the next election and the Nazis will be replaced by more moderate nationalists, you hope. At least Hitler promises to take care of the Reds, and that can only be a good thing. Industrialists congratulate you as Hitler seems to be talking of stability, restoration of German strength and the overturning of the humiliating terms of Versailles. You hope for the best…

The Nazis

are in power

KZ The nightmare has begun…