3 December

Hindenburg appoints Schleicher as the new Reichskanzler and commissions him to form a new cabinet. On the previous day Hindenburg decided to ask Papen again to form a new government. However, the majority of the ministers were against Papen's continued chancellorship. Furthermore, the Defence Ministry under Schleicher’s leadership noted the tense political situation and claimed that the Reichswehr would not be able to cope with simultaneous insurgencies by the workers, the SA and a Polish invasion of the eastern territories. In constructing this unrealistic scenario, the Reichswehr leadership under Schleicher was simply seeking to highlight that it had lost confidence in the Papen government.
[Büttner, p. 485]

8 December

Gregor Strasser, leader of the left-wing of the NSDAP, resigns from all his party posts. This is due to a row with Hitler over the NSDAP possibly forming part of Schleicher’s government. In Hitler’s view, it is out of the question for the party to be part of any government if he is not the chancellor. He therefore refuses to participate in talks with Schleicher. Strasser on the other hand is prepared to make concessions and enters into negotiations with Schleicher. The incompatibility between the different views leads in the end to Strasser’s resignation.
[Kolb, p. 147-148]

10 December

Werner Heisenberg receives the Nobel Prize in Physics.
[Büttner, p. 798]

11 December

In the Five-Power Declaration, the US, Great Britain, France and Italy grant Germany equal status in armaments matters. For the US, Great Britain and Italy, the aim of this is to encourage Germany to return to the negotiation table at the World Disarmament Conference. France refuses to agree to this kind of declaration up to the last minute but is swayed in the end. Germany agrees to re-enter into negotiations, but when the conference is continued on 31 January, the NSDAP is already in the Reich government.
[Büttner, p. 469]