Preußenschlag

Preußenschlag
Georg Pahl · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · source
Name	Preußenschlag
Date	20 July 1932
Location	Prussia
Type	Constitutional coup
Participants	Paul von Hindenburg, Franz von Papen, Heinrich Brüning, Otto Braun (politician), Carl Severing
Result	Dismissal of Prussian state government; appointment of Reich Commissioner

Preußenschlag was the forcible removal of the elected Prussian state government on 20 July 1932 by orders from the Reich President Paul von Hindenburg and his Reich government led by Franz von Papen. It marked a decisive intervention in the federal structure of the Weimar Republic by the Reichstag-appointed executive, bypassing parliamentary processes and targeting the largest constituent state, Prussia. The action accelerated the centralization of authority that, combined with subsequent measures, weakened regional autonomy and contributed to the collapse of democratic institutions in Germany.

Background and Political Context

By 1932 the Weimar Republic faced crises involving political fragmentation among parties such as the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Communist Party of Germany, National Socialist German Workers' Party, Centre Party, and DNVP. The Prussian government, led by Otto Braun (politician) of the SPD and supported by coalition partners including the German Democratic Party and Centre Party factions in the Prussian Landtag, maintained a policy of resisting right-wing paramilitary groups like the Sturmabteilung and addressing street violence involving the Reichswehr and police forces. Following the collapse of the chancellorships of Heinrich Brüning and the political maneuvering that installed Franz von Papen as Chancellor, tensions rose between the Reich executive, the Prussian Ministry of the Interior, and state authorities such as Carl Severing. The crisis intensified after high-profile incidents including clashes in Altona and bombings linked to militant groups, prompting appeals to the Reichsgericht and references to Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution.

Events of 20 July 1932 (Preußenschlag)

On 20 July 1932 the Reich Cabinet, with Franz von Papen at its head and backed by Paul von Hindenburg, issued an emergency decree invoking the Reich presidential powers established under Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution. The decree dismissed the Prussian state government led by Otto Braun (politician) and appointed Reich Commissioners including Kurt von Schleicher-aligned administrators to oversee Prussian public order and administration. Prussian police and elements of the Reichswehr moved to assume control of key installations in Berlin, Stettin, and Königsberg while the dismissed ministers and SPD representatives protested in the Prussian Landtag and appealed to courts such as the Reichsgericht and the Staatsgerichtshof. The takeover was implemented simultaneously with other emergency measures like the dissolution of state ministries and the placement of state police under Reich command, drawing immediate condemnations from parties including the SPD and trade unions.

Legal and Constitutional Aspects

The legal justification for the action rested on Article 48 and precedent set during earlier crises, but its constitutionality was contested by legal scholars and litigants including SPD leaders who brought cases before the Reichsgericht and the Staatsgerichtshof. Debates among jurists referenced constitutional theorists and commentators associated with institutions such as the University of Heidelberg and the University of Berlin. The courts ultimately affirmed many of the Reich government's actions, citing emergency prerogatives and citing prior executive interventions; decisions invoked interpretations of the Weimar Constitution that expanded executive latitude. The affair exposed ambiguities in the separation of powers between the Reichstag-level executive and state parliaments like the Prussian Landtag, and it highlighted the weakness of judicial remedies in the face of authoritarian inclinations espoused by figures like Franz von Papen and later exploited by Adolf Hitler.

Immediate Consequences and Administration under Reich Commissioners

Following the takeover Reich Commissioners staffed by conservative and Reichswehr-friendly officials restructured the Prussian cabinet, transferred police authority to central appointees, and curtailed the functions of ministers associated with the SPD. The appointment of commissioners led to coordination with entities such as the Prussian State Council and drew cooperation from industrial elites including representatives from Krupp and associations like the Prussian Trade Associations. Administrative reforms prioritized restoration of public order, suppression of leftist agitation linked to the Communist Party of Germany and accommodation of right-wing forces including former members of the Freikorps. These changes facilitated subsequent Reich-level policies by affiliating Prussian police and civil service with the priorities of the Papen cabinet and later the Schleicher cabinet.

Political and Social Reactions

The Preußenschlag provoked protests by the SPD, labor organizations including the General German Trade Union Confederation, and municipal leaders from cities such as Cologne, Hamburg, and Leipzig. Conservative parties including the DNVP and nationalist groups generally welcomed the restoration of order, while the National Socialist German Workers' Party used the crisis for propaganda against parliamentary instability. Intellectual and legal critics from institutions such as the Frankfurt School and newspapers like the Vossische Zeitung decried the erosion of constitutional safeguards. International observers in capitals such as Paris, London, and Washington, D.C. noted the centralization of authority and its implications for European stability.

Long-term Impact on German Federalism and the Weimar Republic

The removal of the Prussian government marked a watershed in the decline of federal autonomy within the Weimar Republic and set a precedent for executive intervention later exploited during the rise of National Socialism. Centralization of police and administrative power undermined the political base of the SPD and weakened institutional defenses in states such as Prussia, Bavaria, and Saxony against authoritarian takeover. The event influenced constitutional debates in postwar constitutions drafted by bodies like the Parliamentary Council and informed reforms to safeguard regional rights in the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany. Scholars of interwar European politics including those studying Totalitarianism and Comparative constitutional law consider Preußenschlag a crucial example of democratic erosion through legalistic emergency measures.

Category:Weimar Republic Category:Prussia Category:Constitutional crises