Hitler's Rise to Power 1929–1933

The Wall Street Crash of October 1929 plunged Germany into an economic and political crisis that destroyed the Weimar Republic and brought Adolf Hitler to power. This lesson examines the factors that allowed the Nazis to go from a fringe party to the government of Germany in just four years. This is one of the most important topics in the AQA GCSE History specification.

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The Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression

On 29 October 1929, the American stock market crashed, triggering a worldwide economic depression.

Impact on Germany

Germany was particularly badly hit because its economic recovery depended on American loans (the Dawes Plan). When the US economy collapsed:

Effect	Detail
Loans recalled	American banks demanded their loans back; German businesses lost their funding
Factories closed	Industrial production fell by over 40% between 1929 and 1932
Unemployment	Rose from 1.6 million (1929) to over 6 million (early 1933) — roughly one in three workers
Banking crisis	Major German banks collapsed in 1931
Poverty	Millions depended on government welfare; homelessness and hunger became widespread
Agriculture	Farmers, already struggling, faced further falling prices and increased debt

Exam Tip: Be able to explain the chain of causation: Wall Street Crash → US loans recalled → German businesses collapse → mass unemployment → poverty and desperation → people turn to extremist parties (Nazis and Communists).

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Why Did People Vote for the Nazis?

The Great Depression created the conditions for the Nazis' electoral breakthrough. Different groups had different reasons for supporting the party.

Group	Why They Supported the Nazis
Unemployed workers	The Nazis promised jobs and bread; the SA provided food and a sense of purpose
Middle class	Terrified of communism (which would take their property); had lost savings in hyperinflation; wanted a strong leader to restore order
Farmers	Attracted by Nazi promises to protect agriculture and raise food prices; hostile to the Weimar Republic
Big business	Feared communism; some industrialists (e.g. Fritz Thyssen) funded the Nazis as a bulwark against the left
Nationalists	Supported the Nazis' promise to destroy the Treaty of Versailles and restore German greatness
Young people	Attracted by the energy, dynamism, and sense of purpose of the Nazi movement; unemployment was especially high among the young
Women	Some women supported the Nazis' emphasis on traditional family values (though the Nazis also attracted women who admired Hitler personally)

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The Role of Propaganda

Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda chief, was crucial to the party's success.

Method	Detail
Mass rallies	Carefully staged events with flags, music, searchlights, and powerful speeches by Hitler
Posters and leaflets	Simple, striking messages targeting specific groups (workers, farmers, the middle class)
Hitler's speeches	Hitler was a mesmerising speaker who told audiences what they wanted to hear; he offered simple explanations for Germany's problems and blamed the Jews, communists, and the Weimar Republic
Radio	The Nazis used radio broadcasts to reach millions
Newspapers	The Nazi newspaper Völkischer Beobachter spread the party message
Aeroplane campaigns	Hitler flew across Germany to speak at multiple rallies in a single day — the "Hitler over Germany" campaign (1932)
Scapegoating	Blamed Germany's problems on the Jews, communists, and the "November Criminals"

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The Collapse of the Weimar Republic

Political Paralysis

The Reichstag was unable to form a stable government. The main parties could not agree on how to deal with the economic crisis.

Date	Chancellor	Problem
1930–1932	Heinrich Brüning	Governed by presidential decree (Article 48); cut spending, raised taxes; made the depression worse; earned the nickname "the Hunger Chancellor"
June–November 1932	Franz von Papen	Had almost no support in the Reichstag; relied entirely on President Hindenburg
December 1932–January 1933	Kurt von Schleicher	Failed to build a coalition; lasted only 57 days

Election Results

Election	Nazi Seats	Nazi Vote %	Communist (KPD) Seats
May 1928	12	2.6%	54
September 1930	107	18.3%	77
July 1932	230	37.3%	89
November 1932	196	33.1%	100

Exam Tip: Note that Nazi support fell in the November 1932 election. The party was running out of money, and some voters were drifting to other parties. Hitler came to power not because the Nazis were becoming more popular, but because of backroom political deals.

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Hitler Becomes Chancellor

The Role of Backroom Deals

On 30 January 1933, President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Chancellor of Germany.

Why did this happen?

Factor	Detail
Franz von Papen's scheming	Von Papen persuaded Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor with himself as Vice-Chancellor. He believed he could control Hitler: "We've hired him."
Hindenburg's reluctance	Hindenburg despised Hitler as a "Bohemian corporal" but was persuaded that only a government including the Nazis could command a Reichstag majority
Fear of communism	The growing strength of the Communist Party (100 seats in November 1932) terrified the conservative elite; they saw Hitler as the lesser evil
Failure of alternatives	Neither Papen nor Schleicher could form a workable government
Nazi electoral strength	The Nazis were the largest party in the Reichstag; it was difficult to form a government without them

Exam Tip: Hitler was not elected as Chancellor. He was appointed by President Hindenburg as part of a political deal. This is a crucial distinction that examiners expect you to understand. The conservative elite thought they could use and control Hitler — they were catastrophically wrong.

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Extended Worked Paragraph — Model Q7 Response

Question: Which was more important to Hitler's rise to power: economic factors, or the political weakness of the Weimar Republic?

Model Level 4/5 paragraph: