After the ‘Versai Treaty’ Hitler had formed his own army with the soldiers retrenched from the army. He expanded his army ‘Storm Troops’ by recruiting the unemployed youth. His parallel army was strong enough to challenge the official army.
The government did not want any clash with Hitler. So, it did not dare to outlaw the Storm Troops that had the backing of ex-servicemen, Nazi Party and the people.
Hitler knew the helplessness of the government and he took full political advantage of it. In his speech he would exhort that Storm Troops needed to be strengthened to serve as the nation’s Reserve Army.
Some conditions were put on the Storm Troops just to have some leverage over it and with Hitler. Then, the government itself started helping Hitler’s private army when it suspected that France might start a war against it. In that case Hitler could come to the aid of the national army.
Meanwhile, Hitler was also thinking on different lines. He declared that he would criticize the government being an opposition party but would refrain from hurting the government seriously.
To the government’s advantage the military generals and high officials were in touch with Hitler. The chief of German Army Field Marshal Hindenberg was against the use of army against Nazis. Infact, he admired Storm Troops. He was in favour of the use of army only if Nazis or communists posed serious threat to the government.
General Fonn Schlicher even suggested that Nazis should be aided to help them win in the elections and then army and Hitler could form coalition government. The idea was to bring together two forces to make Germany strong power. Due to his efforts ban from the recruitment of nationalist socialists into the army was lifted in January 1931 and permission was granted to Storm Troops to get armed.
In response Hitler ordered his Storm Troops not to clash with the German official Army.
In 1932 Nazis fought elections in alliance with Hindenberg’s German Nationalist Party. It did not prove helpful to Hitler. The idea was to form a coalition government. Meanwhile the order of Hitler was not liked by the Storm Troops. Somehow Hitler managed to cool down their tempers.
Hitler’s conditions were not acceptable to Hindenberg. As a result Brunning became the Chancellor. It disappointed Hitler. Then, his girlfriend Gailly Rosewall died. Now Hitler was a disappointed and a sad man.
On 30 May, 1932 Brunning resigned. In the subsequent poll Chancellory came to Fonn Schlicher on 2 December, 1932. But for him too running the government and keeping all coalition partners happy proved an impossible task. Thus Chancellors kept coming and going.
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