Hindenburg

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Hindenburgs Dilemma

• The Last Days of the Weimar Republic

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Germany was defeated
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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

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The situation in 1925
Gustav Stresemann
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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

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You are handed the new constitution, do you?
Accept it with good Grace, Promising To uphold
All its precepts
Gruffly, accept it, but promise nothing
Accept it, But favour the old Right wing In
politics
Reject it And declare The Kaiser The restored
Monarch Of the Reich
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You have been sacked!
Right wing colleagues ask you to resign
immediately
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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!
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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.
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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 youd better watch your step
from now on.
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Bruning
Brunings 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.
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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.
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Bruning has lost the support of the Reichstag, do
you?
Keep him Believing him To be the Best
moderate politician
Sack him And Replace him With von Papen, your
friend
Appoint Hitler
Suspend The Reichstag And rule By decree For
the Reich
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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.
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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 youd better watch your step
from now on.
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Papen
Papen 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 cant go on.
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Papen suggests that you authorise him to run
Germany by a permanent state of emergency using
article 48, do you?
Accept it And allow Papen to continue in
government
Argue that Papen must Avoid a dictatorship
Sack Papen
Take advice From your advisor Kurt Schleicher
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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

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

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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.

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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

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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 overand wait and see
Sack Schleicher the German public will never
agree then rule yourself
Sack Schleicher and call for Hitler
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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.

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Schleicher goes quietly but the German public are
unhappy

• There are now serious doubts about your
  judgement dont make any more mistakes or the
  public will demand your resignation.
• The newspapers are calling your leadership a
  fiasco.

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Time is running out!

• An election is the only way to satisfy public
  opinion youd 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

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The election

• Hitler wins!
• You must now call Hitler to see if he will form a
  government

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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?

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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.
Refuse to let him have power - point blank!
You agree to his appointment but set conditions
no anti-Semitic activity and an immediate
disbandment of the SA
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The unrest worsens and there is a coup detat

• 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.

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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.

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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
  armys 100,000 men would be overwhelmed in the
  event of civil unrest. Then

Kriegspiel Bericht
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Papens 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
  

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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

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Options
Sit tight and hope the Nazis dont go to the
media. Look for ways of reappointing Papen to the
Reichstag leadership
Appoint Hitler as Chancellor with Papen and other
trusted nationalists as members of the Cabinet
Declare a state of Emergency and rule yourself by
decree, with army backing
Declare Papen Chancellor and give the Nazis an
ultimatum to co-operate or stay out of power
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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!
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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!
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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!

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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 countrys 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

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The Nazis are in power
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KZ
The nightmare has begun