4.1 Setting up a Nazi dictatorship Flashcards
What were Hitler’s strengths as Chancellor?
Nazis were the largest party in the Reichstag
Nazi support was essential if nationalist coalitions were to work
The Nazis held key positions in the cabinet
What were Hitler’s weaknesses as Chancellor?
Clear limits to the Chancellor’s power to make laws
Hindenburg kept all presidential powers and could sack cabinet members
Out of a cabinet of 12, only 2 were Nazis
Only a third of Reichstag members were Nazis and lacked a majority
When did Hitler call a new election in 1933?
5th March 1933
What did Hitler get Hindenburg to pass on the 4th February 1933?
A new law stating that all election meetings had to be notified to the police 48 hours in advance so police could protect them - instead the SA disrupted them
Who was in charge of the police in Germany?
Goring
How many men did Goring bring into the police force?
50,000
Mainly SA members
What did Goebbels make use of during the 1933 March election?
The radio - all of Hitler’s speeches were broadcast with his own commentary
When was the Reichstag Fire?
27th February 1933
Who was accused of the Reichstag Fire?
Dutch Communist, Marianus van der Lubbe was found on site with matches and firelighters. He confessed and was executed by guillotine.
What do some historians believe about the Reichstag Fire?
Some historians believe that he was set up by the Nazis and others believe that the Nazis started the fire themselves and blamed it on van der Lubbe
What were the consequences of the Reichstag Fire?
Goering said that Lubbe had been part of a Communist plot to overthrow the government
4,000 Communist leaders were arrested
They lost 19 seats as a result
The next day, Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to pass The Decree for the Protection of People and State starting that people’s rights be stopped
The police could ban meetings, search houses and imprison without trial
The death penalty could be used for certain crimes
Concentration camps like Dachau were set up
What steps did Hitler take to get people to support the Nazis in 1933?
Police officers were slowly replaced with Nazi supporters
He recruited 50,000 SA members
Political violence during the election campaign led to around 70 deaths
Thousands of members of the Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party were arrested and sent to concentration camps
The SA broke up election meetings by opposition parties
Newspapers that did not support the Nazis were closed
Hitler secured funds from industrialists with promises to destroy Communism
The Nazis issued huge amounts of propaganda
Voters were threatened at polling stations to ‘encourage’ correct voting
How many seats did the Nazis get in March 1933?
288
What percentage of the votes did Hitler get in the March 1933 election?
The result wasn’t the two-thirds that Hitler wanted - it was 44%
Who did Hitler ban with his emergency powers?
The Communist Party
The Socialists
Who did Hitler win the support of in the Reichstag in 1933?
The Centre Party after promising to protect the Catholic Church
What did the Enabling Act do?
Allowed Hitler to pass laws without the Reichstag
It would be invalid after 4 years
After getting the support of the Centre Party and removing the Communists and Socialists from the Reichstag, what was Hitler able to do?
He could pass the Enabling Act with 444 votes to 94
It effectively ended the need for the Reichstag
Hitler passed a law saying the Nazis were the only party allowed in Germany
The Enabling Act started 6 months of huge change known as the Nazi Revolution
What were the consequences of the Enabling Act?
It effectively ended democracy in Germany
The original act applied for 4 years but was renewed in 1937
Hitler no longer needed the approval of the Reichstag to make decisions
The main targets of the Nazi revolution were local government, trade unions and big business.
This process of Nazification is known as Gleichschaltung (bringing into line)
How did Hitler remove opposition within local governments?
31st March 1933: Nazis closed down Germany’s 18 state parliaments
Hitler reorganised them so the Nazis had a majority
Hitler appointed Nazis state governors
Jan 1934: Hitler abolished state parliaments altogether
How did Hitler remove opposition within the trade unions?
2nd May 1933: the Nazis broke into the trade union offices and arrested their leaders
Nazis created the German Workers’ Front and forced workers to join this new organisation
How did Hitler remove opposition within other political parties?
10th May 1933: Social Democrats were suspended, the Nazis occupied their seats, and took their funds
End of May 1933: Nazis suspend the Communist Party
July 1933: Hitler created a new law which banned all political parties except the Nazi Party
By the end of 1933, Hitler’s power was at risk from which three sources?
The President
The army
The SA
Who led the SA?
Ernst Rohm
Why did Hitler want to reduce the power of the SA?
The SA was powerful. In 1934 it had over 2 million members. Rohm was a possible rival to Hitler
The head of the SS, Himmler resented the SA’s influence
Some SA members used violence and intimidation in a way that embarrassed Hitler. The Nazis lost some support from conservative Germans
Rohm had very different views to Hitler. He wanted more socialist policies and to take measures against big business
Some in the Nazi Party were offended by Rohm’s homosexuality
The SA wanted to take the place of the army meaning that Rohm would be even more influential
When was the Night of the Long Knives?
30th June 1934
What happened during the Night of the Long Knives?
While Rohm was on holiday with other SA leaders, on the 2-9-30th June, SS troops broke into their homes and arrested them
Hitler accused Rohm of plotting to overthrow him
Around 90 SA leaders die
Hitler also took revenge on former enemies like von Kahr and the von Schleicher who were executed.
He also executed Strasser, a potential rival
Why did Hitler take responsibility for the Night of the Long Knives?
He claimed that he was defending Germany against a plot led by Rohm
What happened on the 2nd August 1934?
Hindenburg died and Hitler combined the offices of Chancellor and President
Hitler took the name of Fuhrer, what does this mean?
Supreme Leader
What did the army do on the 2nd August 1934?
The entire army swore a personal oath to Hitler and he began to rearm
Hitler held a plebiscite to agree to changes he began to make as the Fuhrer of Germany. What percentage of the public vote did he gain?
90%
