1. hitler as dictator (1933 - 34) Flashcards
when did hitler become chancellor?
1933
which factors led to hitler becoming chancellor?
-the great depression
-nazi tactics
the great depression
-germany was forced to accept the blame for the war
-had to pay reparations (germans began to feel resentment, they saw it as humiliation)
-german economy began to recover with help from other countries
-1929 = market stock crash -> global depression, unemployment in germany
nazi tactics
-SA used violent tactics to disrupt other political parties
-propaganda
-newspapers, radios, loudspeakers and posters
hitler’s role
-charismatic
-appealed to the german people because he was a WW1 veteran and was seen as a savior for Germany
-great speaker, able draw in large crowds
-nazis made many promises such as to solve unemployment, destroy the treaty of versailles and communism
-nazis also promised “work and bread”
july 1932 election
nazis now had 230 seats in the reichstag (majority for a single party)
why was hitler appointed chancellor?
von papen assured hindenburg that he could keep hitler under control
ernst rohm
leader of the SA who was arrested and executed during the night of the long knives
himmler
leader of the SS
hindenburg
president of germany from 1925-1934
what and when was the
reichstag fire?
the reichstag was set on fire (27 feb 1933, 1 week before the election)
who was blamed for the
reichstag fire?
marinus van der lubbe (dutch communist)
how many communists were arrested after the reichstag fire?
4000
how did the reichstag fire help
hitler?
he could get votes from those who were outraged by the ‘communist plot’
who actually set the fire?
it could be the nazis so that they could change rules or the communists in opposition to the nazis
how many votes did the nazis win after the reichstag fire, and why?
-288 seats, they didn’t get the overall majority so they formed a coalition with the nationalists to get majority
-the SA intimidated voters
what and when was the
emergency decree?
-a decree for protection of the people and state
(28 feb 1933)
what did the emegency decree include?
-police could arrest suspects & hold them without trial
-rights of personal freedom were restricted (opinion, assembling, telephonic communications)
-house searches, confiscations now permissible
when was the enabling act passed?
24 march 1933
what did the enabling act allow
hitler to do?
-it allowed hitler to make laws without consulting the reichstag (for 4 years)
-it made hitler a legal dictator
-he had no opposition
what was book burning?
-the burning of non-german books or books that opposed the nazis
what happened when trade unions were banned?
-may 1933
-all workers were under the DAF (german workers party), there were no strikes
how was germany made a one party state?
-july 1933
-hitler banned all political parties and the reichstag was dissolved so no elections were held
what was the people’s court?
-set up in 1934
-people who had commited crimes against the state were held on trial
what happened on the night of the long knives and when was it?
-30 june 1934
-hitler was concerned that the SA could threaten his power
-the 4 million members were loyal to rohm
-rohm wanted merge the SA and army together under his leadership, the army did not support this
-to secure the army’s loyalty and reassert his own authority hitler organised the night of the long knives
-hitler used the SS to arrest and remove 400 SA members
-a lot of them were shot and killed
-rohm was imprisoned (using homosexuality as an excuse) and shot the next day
-
what were the consequences of the NOTLK?
-the SA quickly decreased in numbers
-the SS had more prominence as they had proved their loyalty
-there was execution without trial of at least 85 people
-hitler insisted that he was the supreme leader of germans
when did hindenburg die?
august 1934
what happened to hitler when
hindenburg died?
he combined the role of chancellor and president
when did the army swear an oath of loyalty to hitler?
2 august 1934