Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles Hindenburg was due to be tried as a war criminal; however his popularity ensured that he was not even indicted. Hindenburg became President of the Weimar Republic in , replacing Friedrich Ebert upon the latter's death, achieving re-election in Hindenburg, by then virtually senile, was responsible for appointing Adolf Hitler Chancellor in , fearing civil war otherwise.
Such was Hindenburg's popularity that Hitler chose not to remove Hindenburg from office, preferring instead to wait for his death, on 2 August , at which point constitutional government was disbanded. Click here to read Hindenburg's summary of the Warsaw campaign; click here to read his Warsaw Army Order; click here to read his report following German victory at Tannenberg; click here to read his summary of the decision to abandon fighting at Verdun ; click here to read his account of the German defence at Cambrai in Click here to read Hindenburg's account of the opening of Spring Offensive of Click here to read a summary of the Lys offensive.
Click here to read Hindenburg's official address dated 6 September in which he warned German soldiers to beware of Allied propaganda. Click here to read Hindenburg's post-war reflections upon the opening of the Battle of Amiens on 8 August Click here to read Hindenburg's call for the opening of peace negotiations in October Hindenberg retired f or the second time in , leaving the aftermath of the war and the responsibility for defeat in the hands of the new civilian government.
The fledgling democratic Weimar Republic immediately faced serious challenges. Among them were crippling economic depression , domestic turmoil culminating in open rebellion , and a divisive and unwieldy political system which not a few Germans hoped would fail. Liberal parties including the Socialist and Communist parties often failed to find common ground with each other or with more moderate parties. The extreme right criticized the government and each other at every turn, even with conservatives in control.
Constant political chaos made it difficult to govern in an already volatile time. In February, , Hindenburg was convinced to run for German P resident in a bid to unify the country. He won largely due to his own popularity with the German public and to a lack of cooperation among the Left. During his administration , Hindenburg struggled almost continuously to create and maintain cabinets that could remain in power and effect change. Frustrated by the chaos and impotence of the Weimar government, he often ruled by decree via constitutional articles allowing him authoritarian powers.
By the s, the Weimar government was increasingly challenged from forces on th e R ight. Hindenburg abandoned some of his mor e moderate positions in order t o appease right-wing critics. Hitler demanded the Chancellorship as a result. Hindenburg refused. This rejection humiliated Hitler. The elections were neither free or fair. The Nazis secured Despite this improvement, the Nazis still did not command a majority in the Reichstag.
This new law gave Hitler the power to rule by decree rather than passing laws through the Reichstag and the president. If passed, the law would establish the conditions needed for dictatorial rule. The law needed two thirds of the Reichstag to vote for it to pass.
The SA and the SS had also been on a month long campaign of violence to scare or imprison other opponents to the party. They had placed many in the first concentration camp , Dachau , which opened just a few days before the vote on the 20 March After Hitler had promised to protect the interests of the Catholic Church, the party conceded and supported the bill.
Only the SPD opposed it. Although President Hindenburg and the Reichstag continued to exist, Hitler could now govern by decree. Carried out primarily by the SS and the Gestapo, over people were murdered and hundreds more were arrested. In August there were approximately , members of the SA. By June this had grown to over 3,, members. They were often given a free rein on their activities and were violent and difficult to control.
In addition to this, there was a mutual dislike between the traditional conservative elite — who maintained many key positions in the government and the army during the first years of the Third Reich — and the SA. During the years of the rise of the Nazi Party, the SA had been instrumental in helping the party to gain support. Hitler and the rest of the Nazi leadership disagreed with their approach.
They understood the need to appear moderate and take over slowly by democratic means where possible, maintaining the stability and illusion of a democracy. The tension between the SA and the Nazi leadership grew. On 30 June these tensions came to a head. Over the next two days, most of the SA leadership were placed under arrest and murdered without trial.
Refusing to take his own life, he was shot on 1 July by two SS guards. Whilst the purge focused on the SA, the Nazis also used the event to eliminate other political opponents, such as the former chancellor Kurt von Schleicher. From 20 August onwards, the Reichswehr , who had previously been a separate organisation, now swore a personal allegiance to Hitler. As the SA were known for being violent and unruly, many saw this as a legitimate move by the government to ensure public order.
On 13 July the Reichstag retrospectively approved a bill legalising the purge as emergency defence measures. Gleichschaltung was the process of the Nazi Party taking control over all aspects of Germany. It is otherwise known as coordination or Nazification. The process primarily took place between This act legalised removing anyone of non-Ayran descent from the civil service.
In the judicial system specifically, this act removed any judges that were deemed non-compliant with Nazi laws or principles. This act was reinforced by the German Civil Service code of 26 January , which retired any judges or judicial official who would not intervene in cases and rule in favour of the Nazis. With these measures in place, the Nazification of the judicial system was complete. Goebbels became responsible for controlling the national media, film, theatre, arts, and other cultural aspects.
Goebbels soon radicalised each of these areas, ensuring that they advocated Nazi ideas. Whilst Gleichschaltung aimed to reach every aspect of rule in Germany, this was not always possible.
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