‘Political intrigue explains why Hitler was able to become Chancellor in 1933.’ How far do you agree with this opinion?

As this is a factor based question it is important to first identify the crucial factors that led to Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor in January 1933. To begin this process I would spend the first part of the session discussing the rise of the Nazi party during the 1920s and the formulation of the Weimar constitution to develop the student’s understanding of the political context for Hitler’s election. Using this information, we would then structure an argument based on the polarising effects of the economic crisis of 1929 and its facilitating role in Hitler’s appointment. We would then consider the role of electoral support, discussing both the Nazi party’s position as the largest party in the Reichstag in 1932, and the limitations of this success due to the Weimar constitution. We would then discuss the relative importance of both political intrigue and elite support from businesses and the army in persuading Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor. Finally, using Ian Kershaw’s miscalculation thesis that states that Hitler’s appointment was not inevitable until the very last moment, we would then consider the influence of von Papen, Bruning and Schleicher on President Hindenburg, and assess the relative importance of political intrigue for explaining Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor.