2 5 ▁and ▁refused ▁to ▁sign ▁his ▁pet ition ▁were ▁bank er ▁Walter ▁Bern hard , ▁Leipzig ▁mayor ▁Carl ▁Go erd eler , ▁and ▁war ▁hero ▁August ▁von ▁Mack ensen . ▁ ▁Du ester berg ' s ▁candid acy ▁attract ed ▁the ▁votes ▁of ▁industrial ists ▁who ▁would ▁have ▁otherwise ▁voted ▁H inden burg ▁for ▁fear ▁of ▁Hitler . ▁On ▁ 1 ▁March ▁the ▁National ▁R ural ▁League ▁( RL B ), ▁despite ▁the ▁best ▁efforts ▁of ▁H inden burg ' s ▁campaign ers , ▁encourag ed ▁its ▁follow ers ▁to ▁vote ▁either ▁Du ester berg ▁or ▁Hitler ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁remove ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁Br ü ning . ▁ ▁Results ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 3 ▁no ▁candidate ▁obtained ▁an ▁absolute ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁votes ▁cast , ▁though ▁H inden burg ▁with ▁ 4 9 . 6 % ▁failed ▁only ▁by ▁a ▁narrow ▁margin . ▁He ▁scored ▁higher ▁election ▁results ▁in ▁traditional ▁Social ▁Democratic ▁and ▁Centre ▁strong holds ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Pr uss ian ▁Rh ine ▁Province ▁or ▁Sax ony . ▁Hitler ' s ▁results ▁were ▁a ▁great ▁disappoint ment ▁to ▁him , ▁never theless ▁the ▁NS D AP ▁recorded ▁further ▁g ains ▁compared ▁with ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁Reich stag ▁election . ▁H inden burg ' s ▁failure ▁to ▁win ▁re e lection ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁shock ed ▁and ▁disappoint ed ▁his ▁supp or ters . ▁ ▁Hitler ▁out per formed ▁H inden burg ▁in ▁several ▁of ▁his ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁strong