1933 German League of Nations withdrawal referendum

1933 German League of Nations withdrawal referendum

12 November 1933

Do you approve, German man, and you, German woman, this policy of your national government, and are you willing to declare as the expression of your own opinion and your own will and solemnly profess it?
Results
Choice
Votes %
For 40,633,852 95.08%
Against 2,101,207 4.92%
Valid votes 42,735,059 98.26%
Invalid or blank votes 757,676 1.74%
Total votes 43,492,735 100.00%

A referendum on withdrawing from the League of Nations was held in Germany on 12 November 1933 alongside Reichstag elections.[1] The measure was approved by 95% of voters with a turnout of 96%.[2] It was the first of a series of referendums held by the German cabinet under Chancellor Adolf Hitler, after the cabinet conferred upon itself the ability to hold referendums on 14 July 1933.[3]

The referendum question was on a separate ballot from the one used for the elections. The question was: "Do you approve, German man, and you, German woman, this policy of your national government, and are you willing to declare as the expression of your own opinion and your own will and solemnly profess it?" (German: Billigst Du, Deutscher Mann, und Du, Deutsche Frau, diese Politik Deiner Reichsregierung, und bist Du bereit, sie als den Ausdruck Deiner eigenen Auffassung und Deines eigenen Willens zu erklären und Dich feierlich zu ihr zu bekennen?)[4]

  1. ^ Nohlen & Stöver 2010, p. 762.
  2. ^ Nohlen & Stöver 2010, p. 770.
  3. ^ Zurcher 1935, p. 91.
  4. ^ Suksi 1993, p. 100, note 2.