German election, November 1932
Encyclopedia
The German parliamentary election of 6 November 1932 saw a significant drop for the Nazi Party and increases for the Communists
and the national conservative DNVP
. It was the last free and fair all-German election before the Nazi Machtergreifung
on 30 January 1933, as the following elections of March 1933 were already accompanied by massive suppression, especially against Communist and Social Democratic
politicians. The next free election was not held until August 1949 in West Germany
; the next free all-German elections took place in December 1990
after reunification
.
The results were a great disappointment for the Nazis, who once more emerged as the largest party by far but failed to form a government coalition in the Reichstag
parliament. So far Chancellor Franz von Papen
, a former member of the Catholic Centre Party
, had governed without parliamentary support relying on legislative decrees promulgated by Reich President Paul von Hindenburg
according to Article 48
of the Weimar Constitution. However, on 12 September 1932 Papen had to ask Hindenburg to dissolve the parliament in order to preempt a motion of no confidence
tabled by the Communist Party that met with approval by the Nazis. The DNVP MPs had backed Papen, which earned them a gain of 15 seats.
Chancellor Papen urged Hindenburg to continue to govern by emergency decrees, nevertheless on December 3 he was superseded by his Defence Minister Kurt von Schleicher
who in talks with the left wing of the Nazi Party led by Gregor Strasser
tried to build up a Third Position
(Querfront) strategy. These plans failed when in turn Hitler
disempowered Strasser and approached Papen who reached Hindenburg's consent to form the Cabinet Hitler on 30 January 1933.
Communist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956...
and the national conservative DNVP
German National People's Party
The German National People's Party was a national conservative party in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic. Before the rise of the NSDAP it was the main nationalist party in Weimar Germany composed of nationalists, reactionary monarchists, völkisch, and antisemitic elements, and...
. It was the last free and fair all-German election before the Nazi Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
on 30 January 1933, as the following elections of March 1933 were already accompanied by massive suppression, especially against Communist and Social Democratic
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
politicians. The next free election was not held until August 1949 in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
; the next free all-German elections took place in December 1990
German federal election, 1990
The 12th German federal election, 1990 was conducted on December 2, 1990, to elect members to the Bundestag of the Federal Republic of Germany...
after reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
.
The results were a great disappointment for the Nazis, who once more emerged as the largest party by far but failed to form a government coalition in the Reichstag
Reichstag (Weimar Republic)
The Reichstag was the parliament of Weimar Republic .German constitution commentators consider only the Reichstag and now the Bundestag the German parliament. Another organ deals with legislation too: in 1867-1918 the Bundesrat, in 1919–1933 the Reichsrat and from 1949 on the Bundesrat...
parliament. So far Chancellor Franz von Papen
Franz von Papen
Lieutenant-Colonel Franz Joseph Hermann Michael Maria von Papen zu Köningen was a German nobleman, Roman Catholic monarchist politician, General Staff officer, and diplomat, who served as Chancellor of Germany in 1932 and as Vice-Chancellor under Adolf Hitler in 1933–1934...
, a former member of the Catholic Centre Party
Centre Party (Germany)
The German Centre Party was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. Formed in 1870, it battled the Kulturkampf which the Prussian government launched to reduce the power of the Catholic Church...
, had governed without parliamentary support relying on legislative decrees promulgated by Reich President Paul von Hindenburg
Paul von Hindenburg
Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg , known universally as Paul von Hindenburg was a Prussian-German field marshal, statesman, and politician, and served as the second President of Germany from 1925 to 1934....
according to Article 48
Article 48 (Weimar Constitution)
Article 48 of the constitution of the Weimar Republic of Germany allowed the President, under certain circumstances, to take emergency measures without the prior consent of the Reichstag...
of the Weimar Constitution. However, on 12 September 1932 Papen had to ask Hindenburg to dissolve the parliament in order to preempt a motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
tabled by the Communist Party that met with approval by the Nazis. The DNVP MPs had backed Papen, which earned them a gain of 15 seats.
Chancellor Papen urged Hindenburg to continue to govern by emergency decrees, nevertheless on December 3 he was superseded by his Defence Minister Kurt von Schleicher
Kurt von Schleicher
Kurt von Schleicher was a German general and the last Chancellor of Germany during the era of the Weimar Republic. Seventeen months after his resignation, he was assassinated by order of his successor, Adolf Hitler, in the Night of the Long Knives....
who in talks with the left wing of the Nazi Party led by Gregor Strasser
Gregor Strasser
Gregor Strasser was a politician of the National Socialist German Workers Party...
tried to build up a Third Position
Third Position
Third Position is a revolutionary nationalist political ideology that emphasizes its opposition to both communism and capitalism. Advocates of Third Position politics typically present themselves as "beyond left and right", instead claiming to syncretize radical ideas from both ends of the...
(Querfront) strategy. These plans failed when in turn Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
disempowered Strasser and approached Papen who reached Hindenburg's consent to form the Cabinet Hitler on 30 January 1933.
| Party | Vote percentage (change) | Seats (change) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) | 33.1% | -4.2% | 196 | -34 |
| Social Democratic Party of Germany Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany... (SPD) |
20.4% | -1.2% | 121 | -12 |
| Communist Party of Germany Communist Party of Germany The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956... (KPD) |
16.9% | +2.6% | 100 | +11 |
| Centre Party Centre Party (Germany) The German Centre Party was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich and the Weimar Republic. Formed in 1870, it battled the Kulturkampf which the Prussian government launched to reduce the power of the Catholic Church... (Z) |
11.9% | -0.5% | 70 | -5 |
| German National People's Party German National People's Party The German National People's Party was a national conservative party in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic. Before the rise of the NSDAP it was the main nationalist party in Weimar Germany composed of nationalists, reactionary monarchists, völkisch, and antisemitic elements, and... (DNVP) |
8.5% | +2.6% | 52 | +15 |
| Bavarian People's Party Bavarian People's Party The Bavarian People's Party was the Bavarian branch of the Centre Party, which broke off from the rest of the party in 1919 to pursue a more conservative, more Catholic, more Bavarian particularist course... (BVP) |
3.1% | -0.1% | 20 | -2 |
| German People's Party German People's Party The German People's Party was a national liberal party in Weimar Germany and a successor to the National Liberal Party of the German Empire.-Ideology:... (DVP) |
1.9% | -0.1% | 11 | +4 |
| Christian Social People's Service Christian Social People's Service The Christian Social People's Service was a Protestant conservative political party in the Weimar Republic.... |
1.1% | +0.1% | 5 | +2 |
| German Farmers' Party German Farmers' Party The German Farmers' Party or German Peasants' Party was a German agrarian political party during the Weimar Republic, existing from 1928-33.... (DBP) |
0.4% | +/-0 | 3 | +1 |
| German Democratic Party (DDP) | 1.0% | +/-0 | 2 | -2 |
| Agricultural League Agricultural League The Agricultural League was a German agrarian political party during the Weimar Republic. It was led by landowners with property east of the Elbe and was allied with the German National People's Party.... |
0.3% | +/-0 | 2 | +/-0 |
| Reich Party of the German Middle Class Reich Party of the German Middle Class The Reich Party of the German Middle Class , known from 1920-25 as the Economic Party of the German Middle Classes , was a liberal German political party during the Weimar Republic. It was commonly known as the Wirtschaftspartei or WP.... (WP) |
0.3% | -0.1% | 1 | -1 |
| German-Hanoverian Party (DHP) | 0.2% | +0.1% | 1 | +1 |
| Other | 0.9% | +0.3% | 0 | -2 |
| Totals | 100.0% | 584 | -24 | |