▁the ▁We imar ▁Constitution ▁had ▁provided ▁for ▁a ▁semi - pres ident ial ▁republic , ▁struct ural ▁weak ness es ▁had ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁par al yz ed ▁Reich stag ▁and ▁this ▁combined ▁with ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁government ▁that ▁had ▁govern ed ▁exclus ively ▁via ▁president ial ▁decre es ▁since ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁giving ▁the ▁President ▁much ▁power . ▁H inden burg ▁had ▁been ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁office ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁with ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁a ▁coal ition ▁of ▁several ▁parties ▁on ▁the ▁right ▁who ▁hoped ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁over turn ▁the ▁We imar ▁Republic , ▁which ▁was ▁never ▁particularly ▁popular . ▁ ▁The ▁NS D AP , ▁whose ▁members ▁were ▁known ▁as ▁" N az is ", ▁had ▁ris en ▁from ▁being ▁a ▁fr inge ▁group ▁to ▁the ▁second - larg est ▁party ▁in ▁the ▁Reich stag . ▁Led ▁by ▁Hitler , ▁who ▁exerc ised ▁sole ▁control ▁over ▁its ▁policy ▁and ▁direction , ▁its ▁ide ology ▁combined ▁extreme ▁host ility ▁towards ▁the ▁We imar ▁Republic ▁with ▁fer vent ▁ant is emit ism ▁and ▁German ▁national ism . ▁The ▁threat ▁of ▁Hitler ▁caused ▁many ▁on ▁the ▁left ▁to ▁support ▁H inden burg ; ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁H inden burg ' s ▁failure ▁to ▁over turn ▁the ▁We imar ▁Republic ▁had ▁disappoint ed ▁many ▁of ▁them ▁who ▁had ▁supported ▁him ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 . ▁The ▁combined ▁effect ▁of ▁these ▁two ▁influ ences ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁revers al ▁of