Hitler’s Leadership Abilities (Skilfulness at Making Deals with Politicians)

Skilfulness at making deals with politicians

• Hitler was a good political strategist, who was willing to wait for the right opportunity to take over power gradually, and skilful at making deals to advance his own position.
• In the July 1932 elections, the Nazis won more votes than any other party in the Reichstag.
• Hitler wanted to be Chancellor, but President von Hindenburg distrusted him, & instead allowed his fellow conservative, Franz von Papen, to carry on as Chancellor
• Hindenburg then used emergency powers to pass measures he hoped to solve the unemployment problem, but von Papen had no support in the Reichstag, thus bringing about another round of the election in November 1932.
• In the November elections, the Nazis saw their support drop by two million votes, and they lost 34 seats in the Reichstag; Hitler realised he would have to make a deal with the conservatives.
• In December 1932, Hindenburg chose Kurt von Schleicher to be Chancellor, but he was soon forced to resign, as he too lacked support in the Reichstag.
• Thus, in January 1933, von Papen and Hindenburg reluctantly invited Hitler to be Chancellor.
• They thought Hitler would be able to get them the support they needed in the Reichstag.
• The Cabinet was dominated by conservatives, and Hindenburg and von Papen mistakenly thought that by controlling the Cabinet, which had only three Nazi leaders in it, they would be able to keep policy-making decisions in their hands.
• They wanted Hitler to provide support for their policies in the Reichstag and keep the communists under control.
• In his first year as Chancellor, Hitler ruled in a coalition government as the result of a deal made by politicians who had underestimated his capabilities.
• When the time was right & he had won enough support, Hitler acted decisively to take complete control over the government.