Germany 1918-1945

July 1932

Nazis were the largest party but not the majority. Hitler demanded to be chancellor. Hindenburg refuses and gives it to von Papen. He had no support so he ruled using emergency powers

November 1932

Nazis were still the largest party but had lost 2 millions votes. Hitler threatens with suicide. Hindenburg appoints von schleicher

December 1932

von schleicher had to retire within a month because he had no support in the Reichstag. von Papen does a deal with industrialists and Hindenburg that he will become vice chancellor, Hitler will become chancellor, there can only be 2 or 3 Nazis in the cabinet and they will control him.

January 1933

Hitler is appointed chancellor

9th November 1918

Kaiser abdicates his throne. Phillip Scheidemann proclaims the German Republic. Friedrich Ebert was Chancellor

11th November 1918

Armistice is signed

13th January 1919

Ebert steps down as Chancellor and becomes President instead. Scheidemann becomes Chancellor.

26th June 1919

Treaty of Versailles signed

3rd March 1920

Wolfgang Kapp leads the Freikorps in an attempted putsch in Berlin. The army refused Ebert’s command to put down the putsch. A general strike forces Kapp to admit defeat after 4 days and run away to Sweden.

1st January 1919

Spartacist uprising in Berlin and other cities.

This uprising carried on for three weeks. Crushed by army with the help of the Freikorps.

11th Jan 1923 – Belgian and French armies occupy the Ruhr due to German non-payment of reparations. This lasted till August 1925. German workers strike in Ruhr. German Government goes on paying them – printing more money to do so. Hyperinflation results.

8-9th November 1923 beer hall putsch.

Sept 1924

Dawes Plan begins to be implemented.

28th July 1921

Hitler became leader of Nazis.

1925.

Ebert dies. von Hindenburg elected president. He belongs to no party but is supported by the right

Oct 1929

Wall St crash. Shares on the US Stock Market lost a huge amount of their value. This predicated a worldwide slide into recession.

1930

Hindenburg invokes Article 48 to decree (order) certain laws to be enacted even when the Reichstag votes against them.

27th Feb 1933

Reichstag fire. Communists banned very shortly thereafter.

5th March 1933 Election. Nazis poll 44%. With their coalition partners they have a majority.

23th March 1933

Enabling law. Hitler can rule as he chooses without Reichstag approval. He can change the constitution at will. This law was to last for 3 years. It was later made permanent. Hitler banned the Socialists shortly after the Enabling law was passed.

1st May 1933

May Day bank holiday granted in Germany. A sop to workers. The next day the Nazis ransack trades union offices and ban trades unions. The only trades union allowed is the Nazi-run DAF (meaning German Worker’s Front).

14th July 1933

Law against new formation of parties. All parties had already voluntarily dissolved themselves and those that had not done so had already been outlawed.

July 1933

Foundation of the RAD (Reich Labour Service). This conscripted men, women and children into working for the Reich. The RAD worked on construction projects and in forestry. The RAD was partly a means of reducing unemployment.

30th June 1934

Night of the Long knives.

2 August 1934 – Hindenburg dies, Hitler assumes Presidency as well as remaining Chancellor. He prefers to be called simply Fuhrer (Leader). Hitler sacked von Papen and Vice Chancellor. Another was not appointed.

1936

Goering announces the Four year plan in a speech to the Reichstag. It will prepare Germany for war – building up the armed forces. But it also includes civilian building projects such as the autobahns. The plan also concentrated on synthetic production. Technically the Four year plan expired in 1940 but the office of the four year plan was kept going until 1944 and the economy was run on the same basis.

1st Sept 1939

invasion of Poland.