Hitler’s rise to power was neither immediate nor particularly expected, especially as he had been imprisoned for a treasonous attempt to overthrow the Weimar Government in 1923. His incarceration in Landsberg Prison gave him the opportunity to redraw his blueprint for seizing power and, on his release, he set about rebuilding the Nazi Party as a legitimate political organisation.

It wasn’t until the Great Depression that the Nazis truly emerged as a mainstream force. Germany faced a particularly dire economic situation which the Weimar government, under Chancellor Brüning, responded to by cutting government spending and benefits. Rather than solving the problem this actually made the situation worse and seriously damaged the public’s trust in the government. By 1932 six million Germans were out of work.

This desperate situation saw a dramatic increase in support for the Nazis. In 1932 Hitler capitalised on this growing national appeal to stand in the Presidential election against Hindenburg. Although Hitler lost the election with 13 million votes to Hindenburg’s 19 million, the election campaign had secured the Nazis enormous publicity. Meanwhile the beleaguered government struggled on.

By the end of 1932, ex-Chancellor Franz von Papen began arguing that Hitler and the 196 Nazis in the Reichstag could form a majority and get government moving again. Hindenburg reluctantly agreed to make Hitler the Chancellor based on the assumption that, by ensuring only a few Nazis were in the Cabinet and von Papen himself was Vice Chancellor, the Nazis could be controlled. Hitler was formally appointed German Chancellor on 30th January 1933.

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