“Temporary Solution” or Last Attempt: On the Question of Kurt von Schleicher’s Chancellery at the End of the Weimar Republic (According to the Materials of the Archive of Foreign Policy of Russian Federation)

Abstract

The period of the last three chancellors of the Weimar Republic before Adolf Hitler became a time of permanent political and economic instability, and the search for a way out of the current impasse. In this context the bet on the figure of Kurt von Schleicher was the last attempt to solve a complex of existing problems within the framework of the existing state model. With a unique political strategy, he tried to achieve social consensus, primarily in the field of economic development. It was supposed to strengthen the military potential of the Weimar Republic, which should have a positive impact on solving the issue of unemployment. The nominal support of the military circles and closeness to President Hindenburg, however, did not become a guarantee of success in the face of growing ultra-right sentiment and the demand for immediate change. The general was unable to “tame” the influential Nazi movement, to turn it into a constructive element of the existing regime. Thus, Kurt von Schleicher’s chancellorship did not realize the potential for the extension and evolution of the Weimar political system.