DNVP

German National People's Party

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DNVP - Deutschnationale Volkspartei

National Conservative / Fascist / Völkisch

At a Glance

  • Founded: 1918 (created to oppose Republic)
  • Reichstag Seats: 76 / 491 (15.5%)
  • Support Base: Junkers, Protestants, nationalists, conservatives, business elites
  • Stance on Republic: Fundamentally opposed - seek restoration of monarchy
  • Current Leader: Alfred Hugenberg (since 1928)
  • Paramilitary: Stahlhelm (Steel Helmet) - ~500,000 members

Who We Are

The DNVP is by far the most powerful party of the Right. We are correspondingly eclectic, composed of nationalists, reactionary monarchists, völkisch and antisemitic elements, and pan-Germanists.

The DNVP spent the Republic's early days in opposition. Between 1925 and 1928, however, the party slightly moderated its tone and actively cooperated in several right-center cabinets. But in the 1928 elections, the party suffered a disastrous showing, falling to just 14 percent.

The Hugenberg Takeover (1928)

As a result of the electoral disaster, Alfred Hugenberg, from the party's right wing, became chair, and favors fundamental opposition to the Republic.

The result has been a series of internal power struggles and splits. But the party is adapting:

  • Replaced the former kaiser with von Hindenburg as object of veneration
  • Openly cooperates with the NSDAP
  • Integrated fascist elements into our thinking

The party has taken a drubbing but is far from out. We have vast financial resources, a press empire, and links to von Schleicher and von Hindenburg. And the campaign against the Young Plan has energized the conservative base.

Our Resources

The DNVP is the wealthiest party in Germany:

  • Hugenberg's media empire: Newspapers, film studios, wire services across Germany
  • Industrial backing: Heavy industry, mining, steel magnates fund us
  • Junker estates: Large landowners are our core
  • Stahlhelm: Largest paramilitary after Reichsbanner
  • Links to Camarilla: Hindenburg, von Schleicher, Meissner sympathetic
  • Protestant Church networks: Conservative clergy support us

Core Beliefs

Restoration of Monarchy

The Republic is illegitimate—born of military defeat and the "stab in the back." Germany needs a strong monarch to restore order, honor, and traditional hierarchy. We don't necessarily want the exiled Kaiser Wilhelm II back, but we want monarchy.

Rejection of Versailles (Katastrophenpolitik)

Germany bears no guilt for the war. Versailles is a criminal diktat imposed by vengeful enemies. We reject:

  • All reparations - not one mark to our enemies
  • Territorial losses - especially the Polish Corridor
  • Military restrictions - Germany has a right to defend itself
  • War guilt clause - a lie and an insult

Strategy: Katastrophenpolitik (policy of catastrophe) - confrontational defiance will force treaty revision. Compliance only legitimizes enslavement.

Pan-Germanism and Lebensraum

All ethnic Germans belong in one Greater Germany. We support:

  • Recovery of lost territories: Polish Corridor, Alsace-Lorraine, colonies
  • Union with Austria: All Germans in one Reich
  • Lebensraum: Germany needs "living space" in the East
  • Germanization: Assimilate or remove Slavic peoples from German lands

Antisemitism and Völkisch Nationalism

Germany is for Germans. We embrace cultural anti-Judaism:

  • Jewish values oppose German ideals and traditions
  • Jews control international finance, Marxism, the press
  • November criminals (who created the Republic) are largely Jewish
  • Jews can assimilate if they abandon Jewishness and embrace German culture

Note: We differ from NSDAP's racial antisemitism. We oppose Jewish influence but allow assimilation. NSDAP sees Jews as biologically unchangeable.

Authoritarian Order

Parliamentary democracy is weak and chaotic. Germany needs:

  • Strong executive: President or monarch with real power
  • Limited parliament: Advisory role, not sovereign
  • Social hierarchy: Natural aristocracy should lead
  • Discipline and order: End the chaos of competing parties

Protection of Junker Privileges

The Prussian aristocracy (Junkers) are Germany's natural leaders. We fight for:

  • Grain tariffs: Protect estates from foreign competition
  • Osthilfe subsidies: State support for agriculture
  • No land reform: Confiscation is Bolshevism
  • Military autonomy: Reichswehr led by aristocratic officers

Internal Divisions

The 1928 electoral defeat triggered a power struggle between moderates and radicals.

Hugenberg Faction (Radical Right)

Leader: Alfred Hugenberg (current party chairman)

Position: Fundamental opposition to Republic; ally with NSDAP; Katastrophenpolitik

Strategy:

  • Freedom Law to criminalize cooperation with Versailles
  • Campaign against Young Plan
  • Work with NSDAP to destroy Republic
  • No compromises with SPD or moderate parties
  • Use media empire to radicalize conservatives

Support: Völkisch nationalists, younger members, some industrialists

Westarp Faction (Moderate Conservatives)

Leader: Kuno von Westarp (former party chairman)

Position: Traditional monarchist conservatism; willing to participate in government

Strategy:

  • Join right-center coalitions when possible
  • Work within system to influence policy
  • Skeptical of NSDAP alliance
  • Pragmatic opposition to Republic
  • Erfüllungspolitik is distasteful but necessary

Support: Old aristocracy, some Junkers, traditional conservatives

The Power Struggle

Hugenberg won the chairmanship in 1928, but Westarp faction still has support. The party could split if tensions escalate.

Some moderates have already left to form smaller conservative parties. Others stay but resist Hugenberg's radical course.

Key Figures in the Reichstag

Alfred Hugenberg

Party Chairman; Media Magnate

The most powerful and wealthy press baron in all Germany, he has just recently emerged as the leader of the party; he has actively steered it toward a more völkisch and anti-Republican stance.

Power base:

  • Owns newspapers across Germany (reaches millions)
  • Controls UFA film studios
  • Runs Telegraphen-Union wire service
  • Vast personal wealth from industrial investments

Strategy: Use media to destroy Republic's legitimacy; ally with NSDAP; force crisis to bring down parliamentary democracy.

Kuno von Westarp

Former Chairman; Moderate Leader

Until the disastrous elections of 1928, he was the head of the DNVP, and now he is in an open rivalry with Hugenberg over the direction of the party; his views are traditional conservative monarchist.

Position: Monarchist, nationalist, but pragmatic. Willing to participate in coalitions. Skeptical of alliance with "vulgar" NSDAP.

Elard von Oldenburg

Junker; Hindenburg's Friend

Like von Hindenburg, he is a deeply traditional Prussian Junker; indeed, he is not only wealthy but also one of the few men whom the president would consider a personal friend, offering him unique access to von Hindenburg's ear.

Importance: Direct line to President. Can influence Hindenburg's decisions. Represents Junker class interests.

Paul Lejeune-Jung

Catholic Industrialist

Though a Catholic, he nonetheless is a member of this generally anti-Catholic party. He is closely tied to conservative Catholics in the Centre Party but also to big industry; the tensions between him and Hugenberg are well known.

Networks: Bridge to Centre Party; represents industrial interests; moderate on some issues.

Paula Müller-Otfried

Women's Advocate (Conservative)

While advocating for women's social and economic rights, she nonetheless expresses her party's conservative views on cultural values and even on women's participation in politics.

Position: "Separate spheres" - women have rights but different roles than men; traditional family values essential.

Oskar Hergt

Former Finance Official; Former Chairman

A former senior official in the Prussian Finance Ministry and also former head of the DNVP, he harbors a grudge against Hugenberg, who just defeated him in an internal party power struggle.

Karl Graf zu Eulenburg

Aristocratic Count

An aristocratic count from the venerable House of Eulenburg, he embodies all of the values and attitudes of the Junker class.

Martin Spahn

Academic; "Reform Catholic"

A respected academic and "Reform Catholic," he has an affinity for the NSDAP.

Position: Represents völkisch wing; sees NSDAP as potential ally; more radical than most DNVP.

Goals and Strategy

What We Want

Immediate Goals (1929-1932)

  • Pass the Freedom Law: Criminalize cooperation with Versailles
  • Defeat the Young Plan: Reject all reparations
  • Bring down Grand Coalition: SPD-led government must fall
  • Win back voters: Recover from 1928 disaster; regain 20%+ support
  • Protect Junker interests: Maintain tariffs, subsidies, block land reform
  • Destabilize Republic: Create crisis to justify authoritarian solution

Long-Term Vision

  • Restore monarchy: Constitutional monarchy with strong executive
  • Destroy Versailles: Recover territories, rebuild military, reject war guilt
  • Eliminate Marxism: Ban KPD and SPD
  • Authoritarian state: End parliamentary chaos; strong leadership
  • Greater Germany: Unite all ethnic Germans; Lebensraum in East
  • Restore traditional order: Hierarchy, discipline, German values

The NSDAP Alliance

⚠️ Playing with Fire

Hugenberg has allied the DNVP with the NSDAP to campaign against the Young Plan. This is controversial within the party.

Hugenberg's reasoning:

  • NSDAP brings energy and mass appeal
  • Both oppose Republic and Versailles
  • Together we can destroy the parliamentary system
  • We're the respectable face; they're the street fighters
  • Once Republic falls, we'll control the new government (NSDAP are too vulgar to lead)

Critics (Westarp faction) warn:

  • NSDAP are radical demagogues
  • Hitler won't be controlled
  • Alliance legitimizes fascist extremism
  • NSDAP will steal our voters
  • We're making them respectable

Can you control the NSDAP, or will they devour you?

Relationships with Other Factions

Faction Relationship Notes
Camarilla Allied Hindenburg sympathetic; von Oldenburg personal friend; von Schleicher pragmatic
NSDAP Allied (controversial) Hugenberg allies with them; Westarp skeptical; share anti-Versailles, anti-Marxist goals
Stahlhelm / RLB Allied Our paramilitaries and agrarian interests; core supporters
Centre Potential partners Anti-Catholic history but share conservatism; could form right coalition; Lejeune-Jung bridges
DVP Potential partners Both nationalist, pro-business; could form conservative coalition
BVP / CSVD Potential partners Conservative Christians; possible allies against left
DDP Opponents Too liberal, too republican; incompatible worldviews
SPD ENEMIES Marxists who created Republic; "November criminals"; must be destroyed
KPD MORTAL ENEMIES Bolshevik revolutionaries; existential threat; sometimes align tactically against Republic

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

  • Huge financial resources: Hugenberg's wealth; industrial backing; Junker estates
  • Media empire: Control newspapers, film studios, wire services
  • Stahlhelm: 500,000-strong paramilitary; respectable, veteran-based
  • Links to Hindenburg: President sympathetic; von Oldenburg has his ear
  • Established networks: Protestant churches, business elites, officer corps
  • Catchall conservative party: Appeal to multiple right-wing constituencies
  • Economic crisis helps us: Chaos discredits Republic; voters turn right

Weaknesses

  • 1928 electoral disaster: Lost 30 seats; credibility damaged
  • Internal divisions: Hugenberg vs. Westarp; party could split
  • NSDAP competition: Nazis steal our voters; more dynamic, radical
  • Tainted by cooperation: Participated in cabinets 1925-28; compromised "purity"
  • Limited appeal: Protestant, rural, aristocratic; can't win urban workers
  • Hugenberg's radicalism: Freedom Law, Young Plan campaign alienate moderates
  • Isolated: SPD won't work with us; Centre skeptical; NSDAP unreliable

Playing the DNVP

Your Position in the Game

You are the main conservative opposition party. With 76 seats, you're significant but not decisive. Your power comes from:

  • Financial resources: Hugenberg's media empire
  • Links to Hindenburg: Can influence presidential decisions
  • Alliance with NSDAP: Combined right-wing block
  • Stahlhelm: Largest paramilitary besides Reichsbanner

Strategic Considerations

The Hugenberg-Westarp Split

You must decide: Which faction do you support?

Hugenberg's radical course:

  • Freedom Law to destroy Erfüllungspolitik
  • Campaign against Young Plan with NSDAP
  • Fundamental opposition - bring down Republic
  • Risk: Alienates moderates, empowers NSDAP

Westarp's moderate course:

  • Join right-center coalitions when possible
  • Work within system to influence policy
  • Distance from NSDAP extremism
  • Risk: Seen as weak, unprincipled; lose voters to NSDAP

Key Decisions

Victory Objectives

Your specific victory objectives will be on your role sheet, but generally the DNVP seeks:

Remember

You are playing with fire by allying with the NSDAP. They may be useful tools now, but can you control them later? Or will Hitler use your respectability to legitimize his movement, then discard you once he no longer needs you?

History suggests the latter. Choose wisely.