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The 7th German federal election of July 1932, under the Weimar Republic, saw the Nazis become the biggest party in the Reichstag, although without a majority of the seats. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Politics of Germany takes place in a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Federal Chancellor The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany (Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland is the Constitution of Germany. Based on the experience with the atrocities of the Nazi regime, human rights in Germany are protected extensively by the constitution The Federal Assembly (aka Federal Convention Bundesversammlung is a special body in the institutional system of Germany, convened solely for the purpose of electing The Bundesrat ("federal council" or "upper house of German parliament" is the representation of the 16 Federal States ( Bundesländer) of The Bundestag ("Federal Diet " or "Lower House of German Parliament" is the Parliament of Germany. The Federal Constitutional Court (in German: Bundesverfassungsgericht BVerfG) is a special Court established by the Basic Law for the Federal Republic The “ Federal Court of Justice of Germany ” ( German: “ Bundesgerichtshof ” or “ BGH ” is the highest court in the system of ordinary jurisdiction The President of Germany (deutscher Bundespräsident is Germany 's Head of state. Horst Köhler ( born 22 February 1943) is a German politician ( CDU) and economist who serves as the current President of Germany. The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler (ˈaŋɡela doʁoˈteːa ˈmɛɐ̯kəl (born Angela Dorothea Kasner, 17 July 1954 in Hamburg, West Germany) is the Chancellor of Germany. The Cabinet of Germany ( German: Bundeskabinett or Bundesregierung) is the chief executive body of the Federal Republic of Germany Germany (Deutschland is a Federal Republic consisting of sixteen States, known in German as Länder (singular German districts (de ''Kreise'' or de ''Landkreise'' in the states of Nordrhein-Westfalen and Schleswig-Holstein, singular de ''Kreis'' and de ''Landreis'' The following information deals with elections in Germany, including elections to the Federal Diet (the lower house of the federal parliament the Landtags This is a list of political parties in Germany. Germany has a Multi-party system with two large parties three substantial smaller parties and a number of minor The Federal Republic of Germany is a Central European country and member of the European Union, Group of 8 and NATO (among others The European Union is a unique entity possessing elements of Intergovernmentalism, Supranationalism and a Multi-party Parliamentary democracy Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 The Reichstag ( German for "Imperial Diet " was the Parliament of the Holy Roman Empire, the North German Confederation,

The July 1932 snap election took place after Nazi legislators boycotted the Reichstag. A snap election is an election called earlier than scheduled Generally it refers to an election called when no one expects it usually to capitalize on a unique electoral opportunity or A boycott is a form of Consumer activism involving the act of voluntarily abstaining from using buying or dealing with someone or some other organization as an expression of

Contents
Party Vote percentage (change) Seats (change)
National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) 37. The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 8% +19. 0% 230 +123
Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) 21. 9% -2. 9% 133 -10
Communist Party of Germany (KPD) 14. The Communist Party of Germany ( German Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands &ndash KPD) was a major political party in Germany between 1918 6% +1. 2% 89 +12
Centre Party (Z) 12. The German Centre Party ( Deutsche Zentrumspartei or merely Zentrum) was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich 3% +0. 6% 75 +7
German National People's Party (DNVP) 6. The German National People's Party (Deutschnationale Volkspartei DNVP was a national-conservative party in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic 1% -1. 1% 37 -4
Bavarian People's Party (BVP) 3. The Bavarian People's Party (Bayerische Volkspartei was the Bavarian branch of the Centre Party, which broke off from the rest of the party in 1919 to pursue 6% +0. 2% 22 +3
German People's Party (DVP) 1. This page is about the German People's Party which existed between 1918 and 1933 2% -3. 3% 7 -23
German Democratic Party (DStP) 0. The German Democratic Party, or Deutsche Demokratische Partei (DDP was founded by leaders of the former Progressive People's Party (Fortschrittliche 7% -2. 8% 4 -16
Christian Social People's Service (CSVD) 0. Christian Social People's Service (in German: Christlich-Sozialer Volksdienst) was a Protestant conservative Political party in the 5% -1. 5% 3 -11
Reich Party of the German Middle Class (WP) 0. The Reich Party of the German Middle Class (Reichspartei des deutschen Mittelstandes known from 1920-25 as the Economic Party of the German Middle Classes (Wirtschaftspartei 3% -3. 5% 2 -21
German Farmers' Party (DBP) 0. The German Farmers' Party (Deutsche Bauernpartei or DBP) or German Peasants' Party was a German agrarian Political party during 3% -0. 6% 2 -4
Agricultural League 0. The Agricultural League (Landbund was a German agrarian Political party during the Weimar Republic. 3% -0. 3% 2 -1
German Country Party 0. 2% -2. 8% 1 -18
Right-Wing People's Party 0. 2% -0. 7% 1 +1
Other 0. 0% -0. 3% 0 +/-0
Total 100. 0%   608 +38

Overview

NSDAP election poster from 1932
NSDAP election poster from 1932

The July 31 elections of 1932 in Germany are arguably some of the most pivotal in history. In the July 31 election the Nazi party gained great strength by winning a large number of seats in the Reichstag (Congress) and became the largest political party in Germany. These elections, like all of history, are a product of previous events. Therefore, in order to understand the July 31, 1932 German elections the preceding months and years must first be examined.

Background

In the nineteen twenties and thirties the world was in the midst of the Great Depression and Germany was no different. Between 1929 and 1932 unemployment went from eight and a half percent to nearly thirty percent [1] In the same period industrial production inside Germany dropped roughly forty two percent [2] This was the economic backdrop that allowed the Nazi party to double its membership between 1928 and 1930 [3] In this period the Weimar Republic (the pre-Nazi government) was increasingly weakened and more power was exponentially bestowed upon the offices of the President and the Chancellor. The economic crisis and the failures of the Weimar Republic conspired to allow the Nazi party to rise to power.

1932 March & April Presidential Elections

The July, 1932 elections could be said to have begun as early as February of that year. February is the month that Adolph Hitler became a German citizen in order to run for the presidency in the March election [4]. Of the four candidates in that election Hitler managed to place second behind the incumbent President Hindenburg. Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg ( known universally as Paul von Hindenburg ( ( October 2, 1847 &ndash August 2 The election system in place required a candidate to win a majority of the vote and due to Hindenburg's failure to do so a runoff election was held one month later [5]. The resulting April election saw Hindenburg successfully elected [6]. The average German citizen had already lost much confidence in the government and two presidential elections in two months only added to frustration. Flaws in the Weimar Republic's system such as its presidential election process added to the Nazi Party’s goal of becoming the only party in Germany.

Two Chancellors and four elections

After Adolph Hitler’s loss in the presidential election the successful domination of the Nazi party seemed far less likely to some. However, those at the seat of German power still feared a Nazi controlled Germany. It was these fears that lead German Chancellor Bruening to order President Hindenberg to ban the Nazi SA and SS wings of the party only four days after the runoff election of mid-April 1932 [7]. This ban was intended to further injure the Nazi party. Chancellor Bruening would come to realize his decision to ban the SA and SS would have the opposite of the desired effect. Instead of injuring the Nazi party the ban solidified its core. The Nazi party continued its rise to power despite the efforts of Chancellor Bruening. At the end of May 1932 due to continuing political upheaval President Hindenberg demanded the resignation of Chancellor Bruening [8] The flaws of the Weimar Republic again became obvious to the German people do to Bruenings resignation. Between March thirteenth and May thirty-first of 1932 Germany had two presidential elections and a forced resignation of the chancellor. The failure of the government inspired a near total lack of confidence in the government and left people seeking other alternatives. The Nazi party was banking on this lack of confidence to come to power.

President Hindenberg further lost the peoples trust at the start of June when he appointed Franz Von Papen to the chancellorship [9] Von Papen was a hugely unpopular choice for the chancellorship among most of the major factions at the time (including his own). Many saw Von Papen as a puppet of President Hindenberg. Von Papen increased the perceived governmental instability when only three days after his appointment he dissolved the Reichstag and called for new elections. These new Reichstag elections would be the third in five months [10] At this point in five months the German people had seen two presidential elections, two Chancellors, two Reichstag elections and they were about to see a third. It is unlikely that there has ever been any body of citizens that could live through so much political turmoil without losing confidence in the government.

In other words, Hindenberg won the election and Hitler got about 40% of the vote. Then Hindenberg appointed Hitler Chancellor. Hitler continued to gain power until he was unstoppable.

July 31 1932

With the July 31 Reichstag elections approaching the Nazi party sought to rally in order to gain new strength in the legislature. Chancellor Von Papen aided the Nazi party in gathering strength in mid July. The Chancellor saw fit to remove the ban on the Nazi SA and SS wings of the party [11] This act made what was essentially a Nazi army, that some claim may have had four hundred-thousand members, a legal entity. Three days later with police escort the Nazis planned a march through a working class section of the city of Hamburg. This was a largely communist section and as communists and Nazis were very much enemies violence was all but guaranteed [12] At the end of the march nineteen were dead and as many as two hundred-eighty five were injured. Three days after the Hamburg violence Chancellor Von Papen claimed the government could no longer maintain order within the country. As a result Von Papen had the strongest political party, the Social Democrats, deposed. Von Papen then appointed himself as the Reich commissioner [13] This occurred only eleven days before the new Reichstag elections. All of the preceding events culminated on July 31, 1932 with the election of the new Reichstag. The Nazi party had a major victory by winning two hundred-thirty of six hundred-eight seats [14] The Nazis had become the largest political party in Germany. As a result Hitler demanded to be made chancellor. He was denied and the Nazis would have to wait until January of 1933 to complete their domination of Germany.

Conclusion

The failures of the Weimar Republic and the short sightedness of its executives inspired a lack of confidence from the people. Under the command of Adolph Hitler the Nazi party exploited the flaws of the republic in order to come to total power. July 31, 1932 was one of the most important dates in the solidification of Nazi power. Nazi control of the Reichstag was a culminating moment in the death of the Weimar Republic.

Footnotes

  1. ^ The Holocaust Chronicle PROLOGUE: Roots of the Holocaust. 2002.
  2. ^ The Holocaust Chronicle PROLOGUE: Roots of the Holocaust. 2002.
  3. ^ The Holocaust Chronicle PROLOGUE: Roots of the Holocaust. 2002.
  4. ^ The Holocaust Chronicle PROLOGUE: Roots of the Holocaust. 2002.
  5. ^ The Holocaust Chronicle PROLOGUE: Roots of the Holocaust. 2002.
  6. ^ The Holocaust Chronicle PROLOGUE: Roots of the Holocaust. 2002.
  7. ^ Trotsky, Leon. The Rise of Hitler and Destruction of the German Left. 12 February 2008.
  8. ^ Trotsky, Leon. The Rise of Hitler and Destruction of the German Left. 12 February 2008.
  9. ^ Hornberger, Jacob G. How Hitler became a Dictator. 2004.
  10. ^ Trotsky, Leon. The Rise of Hitler and Destruction of the German Left. 12 February 2008.
  11. ^ Trotsky, Leon. The Rise of Hitler and Destruction of the German Left. 12 February 2008.
  12. ^ Trotsky, Leon. The Rise of Hitler and Destruction of the German Left. 12 February 2008.
  13. ^ Trotsky, Leon. The Rise of Hitler and Destruction of the German Left. 12 February 2008.
  14. ^ Hornberger, Jacob G. How Hitler became a Dictator. 2004.

References

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