'Aus der Krankheit konnten wir unsere Waffe machen.'. (German)

Despite the fact that many generations of historians have discussed the topic extensively, the central issues of Heinrich Brüning's economic and fiscal policy during the Great Depression still remain unclear. Was his chancellorship merely a period of situational crisis management, during which conceptual action was practically impossible due to the international and domestic circumstances, or did Brüning actually pursue a restoration of the monarchy? Did he opt for an aggravation of the crisis by engaging in deflationary measures due to a lack of alternatives or because of his political convictions? The background of Berlin's categorical 'No!' to French loan offers in 1930/31 may provide new insights into these questions. They ultimately suggest that Brüning's austerity diktat did actually result from a specific political calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

War die restriktive Finanz- und Haushaltspolitik der von Heinrich Brüning zwischen 1930 und 1932 geführten Präsidialkabinette alternativlos? Oder hätte es Handlungsspielräume für einen anderen Kurs gegeben, um die sozialen und ökonomischen Folgen der Weltwirtschaftskrise zumindest abzumildern? Über diese Fragen ist viel diskutiert worden, und sie stehen auch im Mittelpunkt des Aufsatzes von Paul Köppen. Der Historiker nähert sich der Thematik am Beispiel der französischen Kreditangebote auf dem Höhepunkt der Krise, arbeitet davon ausgehend Brünings langfristige Ziele heraus und kommt schließlich zu einer eindeutigen Antwort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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