▁February . ▁H inden burg ▁ins isted ▁on ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁veter ans ' ▁organizations ; ▁with ▁the ▁be gr ud ging ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁St ahl helm ▁and ▁the ▁un cond itional ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁Ky ff hä user ▁League , ▁and ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁Sah m ' s ▁committee ▁had ▁obtained ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 ▁million ▁sign atures ▁for ▁H inden burg ▁in ▁two ▁weeks , ▁gave ▁H inden burg ▁enough ▁motiv ation ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁re e lection , ▁declaring ▁his ▁candid acy ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁February . ▁Among ▁those ▁who ▁signed ▁the ▁pet ition ▁were ▁the ▁writer ▁Ger hart ▁Haupt mann , ▁painter ▁Max ▁Lie ber mann , ▁Art ur ▁Mah ra un , ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Young ▁German ▁Order , ▁the ▁industrial ist ▁Carl ▁D uis berg , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁former ▁minister s ▁Otto ▁G ess ler ▁and ▁Gustav ▁N os ke . ▁ ▁Hitler ▁was ▁hes it ant ▁to ▁run ▁given ▁H inden burg ' s ▁popular ity ▁and ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁NS D AP ▁was ▁still ▁not ▁the ▁biggest ▁party ▁in ▁the ▁Reich stag . ▁However , ▁the ▁Naz is ▁were ▁rapidly ▁growing ▁in ▁popular ity ▁throughout ▁late ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁and ▁Hitler ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁persu ade ▁industrial ists ▁that ▁Naz ism ▁was ▁compatible ▁with ▁capital ism . ▁The ▁Har zburg ▁Front ▁was ▁starting ▁to ▁show ▁dis unity ▁regarding ▁the ▁election , ▁with ▁the ▁D N VP ▁agree ing ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁St ahl helm ' s ▁choice