November 1932
Your Excellency;
Much Esteemed Herr Reich President:
Filled, like your Excellency, with profound love for the German people and the fatherland, the undersigned welcome hopefully the fundamental change which your Excellency has initiated in the conduct of state affairs. We agree with your Excellency on the necessity of a government run independently from parliamentary party matters; the ideas which your Excellency formulated with regard to a Presidial, Cabinet bring this thought into the open.
The outcome of the Reichstag elections of November 6 of this year had demonstrated that the former cabinet, whose sincere intentions no one among the German people doubted, did not find adequate support within the German people for the pursuit of its course; it also demonstrated that the goal at which your Excellency is aiming has the support of a full majority of the German people if we—as we should—exclude the Communist party whose attitude is negative to the State. . Not only the Black-White-Red party and its related smaller groups, but the National Socialist German Workers Party as well are fundamentally opposed to the former parliamentary party regime; thereby they have agreed to the aim of your Excellency. We consider this result extremely gratifying and cannot imagine that the realization of the goal should now founder at the maintenance of ineffective methods.
It is evident that an oft-repeated dissolution of the Reichstag with increasingly frequent and sharpening elections would not only be detrimental to a political pacification and solidity but to an economic one as well. It is equally clear, however,
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that any constitutional change which is not supported by the broad masses would elicit even worse economic, political, and psychical results. We therefore consider it a moral duty to ask your Excellency respectfully that, in order to attain the goals of your Excellency which all of us support, the reorganization of the Reich Cabinet be carried out in a manner which would line up the greatest possible popular force behind it.
We confess to be free of any narrow party-political attitude. We recognize in the national movement which penetrates our people the promising beginning of an era which, through overcoming of class contrasts only now creates the essential basis for a rebirth of German economy. We know that this rebirth will claim many sacrifices yet. We believe that these sacrifices can be made willingly only when the largest group of this national movement receives a leading share in government.
Entrusting the leader of the largest national group with the responsible leadership of a Presidial Cabinet which harbors the best technical and personal forces will eliminate the blemishes and mistakes with which any mass movement is perforce afflicted; it will incite millions of people who today are still standing apart, to a positive effort.
With full confidence in the wisdom of your Excellency and your Excellency's feeling of solidarity with the people, we greet your Excellency with the most profound respect.
Signed: Signed: Signed: Signed: - Signed:
Helferich Schacht Hecker Tischbein Kalkreuth
Krogmann Reinhart Voegler Jaenicke von Oppen
R. Slomann Schroeder Rosterg Rob. Bosch Keudell
Witthoeft Fink Silverberg Ullrich Rabethge
Cuno Kurt Eich- Theyssen Luebbert Wenzel
Kiep horn Reusch Beidorff otf. Keyserling
Albert Haniel Reindorff
Much Krupp Wentzky
Kurt Woer- Siemens
mann Springorum
Krogmann
Helferich
Schacht
Reinhart
Schroeder
Hecker
Rosterg
R. Slomann H.
693259—46—51
Schmitt [?] B Thyssen Sch Reusch [?] Sch Veegler [?] Haniel [?] Sch Rob. Bosch [?] K Fink [?] B Kalkreuth B
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Ullrich R
Rabethge
Wenzel
Krupp
Brandes
390I-PS
Witthoeft H. Cuno—Kiep H. Albert (Hecker) Silverberg Tischbein Jaenicke v. Lussinch x v. Oppen B Eichborn R Merck H Luebbert B v. Keudell B
Helferich Krogmann R. Slomann Witthoeft Cuno Kiep Albert Much Kurt Woermann Schacht Reinhart Schroeder Fink Kurt Eichborn Copy from scratch paper Hecker Voegler Rosterg Silverberg Thyssen Reusch Haniel Krupp Siemens Springorum Tischbein Jaenicke Rob. Bosch Ullrich Luebbert Beirdorff oder Reindorif Wentzky (name schlecht leserlich) Kalkreuth von Oppen Keudell Rabethge Wenzel Keyserling
798
Petition to Hindenburg, noting the failure of the parliamentary system and proposing that the leader of "the largest national group" [the Nazis] be named the leader of a new cabinet government
Authors
Hjalmar Schacht (Dr., Reichsbank president, Minister of Economics, plenipotentiary for war economy)
Hjalmar Schacht
German politician and economist
- Born: 1877-01-22 (Tinglev Municipality)
- Died: 1970-06-03 (Munich)
- Country of citizenship: Germany
- Occupation: banker; economist; politician
- Member of political party: German Democratic Party (period: 1918-01-01 through 1926-01-01); Nazi Party (period: 1934-01-01 through 1943-01-01; role: honorary member)
- Member of: German Archaeological Institute
- Participant in: Secret Meeting of 20 February 1933
- Educated at: Gelehrtenschule des Johanneums; Humboldt University of Berlin; Leipzig University; Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Date: November 1932
Defendant: Hjalmar Schacht
Total Pages: 3
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: PS-3901
Citation: IMT (page 8926)
HLSL Item No.: 452813
Notes:The petition was signed by many persons, described as "leading economists" in the Blue Set, vol. 33, p. 531. Hitler is not mentioned by name.
Document Summary
PS-3901: Photostat of memorandum addressed to Hiddenburg in 1932 with 17 signatures, making for the appointment of Hitler to the chancellory
PS-3901: Petition to Hindenburg, signed by Schacht and a number of leading economists, November 1932: request that the chairmanship of the presidential cabinet should be entrusted to the FÜhrer of the national socialist party (found on the premises of the banking firm Stein in Cologne)