When Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor on January 30^th 1933, he was in the position to appoint his very first cabinet. However, with no Nazi Party majority in the Reichstag, Hitler had to include men from other political parties in his first cabinet – even if they did come from the right wing Stahlhelm and German Nationalist parties. With a general election scheduled for March 1933, there can be little doubt that Hitler had no desire for a coalition cabinet even if it did include others with right wing views. From January 30^th to March 5^th, Hitler had to work with a coalition cabinet. When the March 5^thelection did not go Hitler’s way (the Nazi Party failed to win a majority of votes) he had two simple choices: work with another coalition government or embark on a course of action that would lead to a suspension of civil liberties and the introduction of the Enabling Act. Hitler chose the latter.

 

 

Hitler’s first cabinet:

 

 

Adolf Hitler: Chancellor

 

 

Franz von Papen: Vice-Chancellor

 

 

Wilhelm Frick (NSDAP): Minister of the Interior

 

 

Hemann Goering (NSDAP): Minister without Portfolio and later Minister for Air

 

 

Alfred Hugenberg (German Nationalist Party): Minister of Economics

 

 

General Werner von Blomberg (no party affiliation): Minister of Defence

 

 

Franz Seldte (German Nationalist Party): Minister of Labour

 

 

Constantin Freiherr von Neurath (no party affiliation): Foreign Minister

 

 

Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk (no party affiliation): Minister of Finance

 

 

Franz Gűnter (German Nationalist Party): Minister of Justice

 

 

Paul Freiherr von Eltz-Rűhenach (no party affiliation): Minister of Communication

 

 

 

July 2012

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