12 - The Establishment Of The Nazi Dictatorship

Question 1

Why was HItlers power limited as chancellor

Answer 1

Hindenburg, as president had the ultimate authority under the constitution
The nazis were a minority in the coalition cabinet
The constitution was still in force and it guaranteed the rights of German citizens under the law

Question 2

What had been established by end of March 1933

Answer 2

A nazi legal dictatorship

Question 3

What action in Feb 1933 were steps towards hitlers disctatorship

Answer 3

1st Feb - hitler dissolved the Reichstag and called new elections
27th Feb - Reichstag building set on fire
28th Feb - decree for the protection of the people and the state

Question 4

What result did the nazis have on the elections on the 5th march 1933

Answer 4

Won 43.9% of the vote
Still short of a overall majority

Question 5

Action in march 1933 towards hitlers dictatorship

Answer 5

5th - Reichstag elections
6-7th - Nazis began to take over state governments
8th - first permanent concentration camp
13th - ministry for public enlightenment and propaganda established
24th enabling act passed

Question 6

who was the chancellor and vice chancellor of the coalition cabinet

Answer 6

Hitler
Franz Von Papen (non-party)

Question 7

who were the defence minister and foreign minister of the coalition cabinet?

Answer 7

General Blomberg (non - party)
Freiherr von Neurath (non-party)

Question 8

Minister of the interior of coalition cabinet

Answer 8

Wilhelm Frick (NSDAP)

Question 9

Minister without portfolio of coalition cabinet

Answer 9

Herman Goering (NSDAP)

Question 10

Minister for economics of coalition cabinet

Answer 10

Alfred Hugenberg (DNVP)

Question 11

Minister for labour of coalition cabinet

Answer 11

Franz Seldte (non-party)

Question 12

How could the Nazis now unleash terror

Answer 12

Control over the police
Sympathetic judges

Question 13

How did the SA expand

Answer 13

From 500,000 to 3million
Merged with Stahlhelm
Given a position of auxiliary police
Regular police ordered not to interfere in SA activities

Question 14

Who did the Nazis unleash a wave of violence against

Answer 14

Trade unions
SPD and KPD offices and members
Newspaper offices

Question 15

When was Dauchau established

Answer 15

8 March 1933

Question 16

What did the use of terror do

Answer 16

Intimidated opponents
Heightened the feeling that Germany was on the brink of civil war and that only extraordinary measures would prevent the country descending into chaos

Question 17

What was the Pact of 1933

Answer 17

A compromise with the old elites that gave Hitler vital backing in his bid to establish a legal dictatorship

Question 18

What Hitler did to gain support of army and big businesses

Answer 18

3rd Feb 1933 - met with the army’s senior offices to reassure them that the Nazi regime did not pose a threat to the army’s position as the most important institution in the state

20th Feb - met leading industrialists to reassure them that there would be no Nazi attacks on large capitalist enterprises and get their financial backing

Question 19

Who demanded for their to be a election in March 1933

Answer 19

Hindeburg agreed to Hitlers demand be a new election held on 5th March

Question 20

What did the Nazis do around this election

Answer 20

Terrorised their opponents and made it difficult for them to campaign

Question 21

When and what was the Reichstag fire

Answer 21

27th February 1933
Reichstag building destroyed by a fire

Question 22

Who was charged with causing the fire

Answer 22

Marinus van der Lubbe
A communist
Many now think the SA were involved

Question 23

Hwo did the Nazis gain from the fire

Answer 23

It was blamed on the communists as part of a plot to start a revolution and used as a reason to legalise terror

Question 24

What decree did hindeburg agree to following the fire

Answer 24

The decree for the protection of the people and the state
Suspended civil and political rights and gave the police increased powers of arrest.
This was used to arrest communists and socialists

Question 25

How did propaganda add to this

Answer 25

Portrayed their opponents as a threat to stability

Question 26

What was the result of the 5th March election for Nazis

Answer 26

In the election the Nazis gained 43.9% of the vote and 288 seats
With their DNVP allies (52 seats) they now had a majority in the Reichstag

Question 27

Result of the election for KPD AND SPD

Answer 27

Despite the violence and intimidation against them
KPD secured 12.3% of the vote
SPD received 18.25% of the vote

Question 28

What weakened the opposition to the Nazis

Answer 28

Nazi victory in March election
Decree for the protection of the people and the state

Question 29

What did hitler still need for a fully established dictatorship

Answer 29

More wide ranging powers

Question 30

What is the enabling act also called

Answer 30

The law for Removing the Distress of the People and the Reich

Question 31

When was their a Nazi demand for the enabling act

Answer 31

At the first meeting of new Reichstag on 23 march

Question 32

What did enabling act do

Answer 32

Provided the legal basis for the Nazi dictatorship as it gave Hitler the power to issue decrees without the support for the Reichstag without needing Hindeburgs agreement

Question 33

Why was the law passed

Answer 33

SA created an atmosphere of intimidation at the opera house

KPD deputies were not allowed to attend as the party was now banned

The DNVP deputies were willing allies of the Nazis

The centre party deputies votes for it because Hitler promised to protect the Catholic Church and he would only use his powers with Hindenburgs aggreement

The SPD was the only party to oppose the measure

Question 34

Where did the Reichstag sit following the fire

Answer 34

The opera house

Question 35

What was the timing of the enabling act supposed to be

Answer 35

Four years
In practice became a permanent feature of the Nazi regime