German peasantry

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The German peasantry (1927–1933) was an amalgamation of small and medium-sized farmers' organizations that stood up for the democracy of the Weimar Republic . In 1927/28 there were about 100,000 members.

history

Due to the deterioration in the economic situation of agriculture and the incipient rural people's movement , considerations arose as to how to represent agrarian interests more effectively through new associations. In the case of the small and medium-sized peasant organizations, a. The agricultural policy of the SPD also played a role, which was rejected even by its affiliated smallholder associations, such as the Northwest German Heuerlingsverband and the Reich Association of Small and Medium-Sized Agricultural Enterprises , to which it was affiliated. There was also dissatisfaction with its agricultural policy in the German Reichslandbund , which was formed in 1921 from the merger of the Federation of Farmers with the German Landbund and initially supported the DDP . Leading representatives therefore switched to DVP . In order not to jeopardize the influence of small and medium-sized farmers' organizations on politics, the Reich Association of Small and Medium-Sized Farms, the Bavarian Farmers' Union and the German Farmers' Union began negotiations in the spring of 1927. This led to the constitution of the German peasantry, which took place on September 9, 1927 in Berlin.

The German peasantry was an umbrella organization of peasant associations that supported democracy. On the board of the new organization came the Agriculture Minister Anton Fehr as chairman of the Bavarian Farmers 'Union , the 2nd chairman of the Silesian Farmers' Union, August Hillebrand , Peter Reimers , board member of the Hanoverian peasantry, Heinrich Kuhr , chairman of the Association of Christian hirers and tenants Small farmers in Lingen (center), Emil Marth , chairman of the Pomeranian peasantry, and Gustav Evers , former member of the German farmers' union.

The chairman of the executive committee was chaired by the chairman of the German farmers 'union and DDP member of the Reichstag, Friedrich Wachhorst de Wente , the management was taken over by the managing director of the Reich Association of Small and Medium-Sized Agricultural Enterprises, the center member Heinrich Lübke , who later became Federal President, and Arthur Müller, previously managing director of the German farmers' union and DDP member. The German farmers' union was completely absorbed by the German peasantry.

The Bavarian Farmers Association and the Silesian Farmers Association wanted to convert the German peasantry into a peasant party for the 1928 Reichstag election . But most of the other member organizations did not participate. The German Peasant Party , which is supported by these two associations, received eight seats in 1928, with only one percent of the votes outside Bavaria and with August Hillebrand only one member of the Reichstag.

The other associations wanted to keep the previous political channels to the SPD, DVP, DDP and the center open and use them to achieve a more peasant-friendly policy. In this context, Anton Fehr was replaced as chairman by Emil Marth.

When the Green Front was constituted in 1929 to better enforce agricultural interests, the German peasantry was also on board. However, since the Green Front represented the interests of the large farmers more and more unilaterally, criticism from the ranks of the German peasantry increased. At the end of 1930, the German peasantry finally left the Green Front, which ultimately led to the departure of the Bavarian Farmers' Union, which has a large number of members, from the umbrella organization. The members of the German Farmers 'Party elected in 1930 from the ranks of the Bavarian Farmers' Union joined the parliamentary group of the "Christian-National Farmers and Rural People's Party" ( CNBL ), renamed German Rural People before this election, while August Hillebrand joined the German State Party ( DStP ) went.

The German peasantry was critical of the Heinrich Brüning government , especially the subsidization of the Junkers. In 1932 she called for the election of Hindenburg in the presidential election.

On July 11, 1933, the poorly researched German peasantry dissolved.

Chairperson

  • 1927–1928: Anton Fehr
  • 1928–1933: Emil Marth

2nd chairman

  • 1927: August Hillebrand

Reichstag election results

  • Reichstag election in 1928: 481,254 votes, 8 seats
  • Reichstag election 1930: 339,434 votes, 6 seats
  • Reichstag election 1932I: 137,133 votes, 2 seats
  • Reichstag election 1932II: 149,002 votes, 3 seats
  • Reichstag election in 1933: 114,077 votes, 2 seats

Affiliated organizations

literature

  • Werner Fritsch: German peasantry (DBs) 1927-1933. In: Dieter Fricke u. a. (Ed.): Lexicon on the history of parties. The bourgeois and petty bourgeois parties and associations in Germany (1789-1945). Vol. 1, Cologne / Leipzig 1983, pp. 570-573.

Web links