‘Von Schleicher was primarily responsible for Hitler becoming German Chancellor in
January 1933.’ Assess the validity of this view.
Von Schleicher undoubtedly carries a large responsibility for Hitler’s rise to the
chancellorship, in pursuit of his own personal ambitions, as he championed Hitler as
someone who would be easy to control by the conservative elites. Schleicher played a
pivotal role in undermining democratic accountability and institutionalising government
by intrigue and calculation. Nevertheless, the range of wider factors, both long-term and
short-term, such as the 1929 Wall Street Crash and subsequent depression, as well as
the growing popularity of the NSDAP in contributing to Hitler’s political ascent cannot be
discounted. On balance, it is more convincing to argue that Hitler’s rise was
multi-causal, with the overarching weaknesses of the Weimar Republic catalysing his
appointment.
On the one hand, it can be argued that Hitler primarily became Chancellor in January
1933 due to the ‘backstairs intrigue’ and the significant influence wielded by
Hindenburg’s inner circle; namely, Von Schleicher. As head of the army’s political office -
the Ministeramt - Schleicher held a great deal of influence over President Hindenburg,
and was at the centre of political intrigues and behind-the-scenes machinations in the
years 1930-33 that led to Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor, evidenced by his role in
the appointment of Chancellor Bruning in 1930. Additionally, Schleicher was
anti-democratic, with a reputation for scheming; he was in discussions with Ernst Rohm,
leader of the SA, as early as 1931, promising closer links between the SA and the army,
as he believed the Nazis could be easily manipulated into furthering his own ambitions.
Schleicher can also be seen as having an inadvertent impact on Hitler’s appointment as
Chancellor, as by replacing Von Papen in December 1932, he enabled Papen’s own
counter, as Schleicher failed to secure the stable Reichstag coalition and failed to get
the Nazis under his control, thus allowing Hitler to be jobbed into power as the last
alternative. However, this is perhaps an over exaggeration of Schleicher’s role in Hitler’s
appointment - it was more so the work of Von Papen and Oskar Von Hindernburg, who
managed to convince a reluctant President Hindenburg, who held disdain for the
‘bohemian corporal’ Hitler, that surrounded by conservative elites, Hitler would only
function as a puppet leader to serve their autocratic interests while holding public
popularity and consent. Arguably, without the underlying economic turmoil of the Wall
Street Crash and Depression which destabilised the Weimar government, Schleicher’s
role - however great or limited it may have been - would have not led to Hitler’s
appointment. Thus, while Schleicher did play a key role in the ‘backstairs intrigue’,
which was the final push in Hitler’s appointment, he cannot be attributed with primary
responsibility for Hitler’s appointment.
© Humanities Unlocked. | AQA A-Level English Literature 2025 | For personal use only. Redistribution is
prohibited.
January 1933.’ Assess the validity of this view.
Von Schleicher undoubtedly carries a large responsibility for Hitler’s rise to the
chancellorship, in pursuit of his own personal ambitions, as he championed Hitler as
someone who would be easy to control by the conservative elites. Schleicher played a
pivotal role in undermining democratic accountability and institutionalising government
by intrigue and calculation. Nevertheless, the range of wider factors, both long-term and
short-term, such as the 1929 Wall Street Crash and subsequent depression, as well as
the growing popularity of the NSDAP in contributing to Hitler’s political ascent cannot be
discounted. On balance, it is more convincing to argue that Hitler’s rise was
multi-causal, with the overarching weaknesses of the Weimar Republic catalysing his
appointment.
On the one hand, it can be argued that Hitler primarily became Chancellor in January
1933 due to the ‘backstairs intrigue’ and the significant influence wielded by
Hindenburg’s inner circle; namely, Von Schleicher. As head of the army’s political office -
the Ministeramt - Schleicher held a great deal of influence over President Hindenburg,
and was at the centre of political intrigues and behind-the-scenes machinations in the
years 1930-33 that led to Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor, evidenced by his role in
the appointment of Chancellor Bruning in 1930. Additionally, Schleicher was
anti-democratic, with a reputation for scheming; he was in discussions with Ernst Rohm,
leader of the SA, as early as 1931, promising closer links between the SA and the army,
as he believed the Nazis could be easily manipulated into furthering his own ambitions.
Schleicher can also be seen as having an inadvertent impact on Hitler’s appointment as
Chancellor, as by replacing Von Papen in December 1932, he enabled Papen’s own
counter, as Schleicher failed to secure the stable Reichstag coalition and failed to get
the Nazis under his control, thus allowing Hitler to be jobbed into power as the last
alternative. However, this is perhaps an over exaggeration of Schleicher’s role in Hitler’s
appointment - it was more so the work of Von Papen and Oskar Von Hindernburg, who
managed to convince a reluctant President Hindenburg, who held disdain for the
‘bohemian corporal’ Hitler, that surrounded by conservative elites, Hitler would only
function as a puppet leader to serve their autocratic interests while holding public
popularity and consent. Arguably, without the underlying economic turmoil of the Wall
Street Crash and Depression which destabilised the Weimar government, Schleicher’s
role - however great or limited it may have been - would have not led to Hitler’s
appointment. Thus, while Schleicher did play a key role in the ‘backstairs intrigue’,
which was the final push in Hitler’s appointment, he cannot be attributed with primary
responsibility for Hitler’s appointment.
© Humanities Unlocked. | AQA A-Level English Literature 2025 | For personal use only. Redistribution is
prohibited.
