chapter 12 - the establishment of the nazi dictatorship jan - march 1933

Question 1

hitler appointed chancellor

Answer 1

30th jan 1933

Question 2

reichstag fire

Answer 2

27th february 1933
young dutch communist van der lubbe arrested and charged with causing the fire
suspicions that the nazis set up van der lubbe
belief it was a communist plot
opposition towards the communists grew
nazi regime grew due to the fire
claim it was a communist plot to start a revolution in germany
terror now a legal means to crush opposition

Question 3

decree for the protection of the people and the state

Answer 3

hitler appointed chancellor legally
after the reichstag fire - hitler persuaded hindenburg to sign a decree giving him emergency powers
suspend important civil and political rights s
police given increased powers to arrest and enter and search private premises
powers were used to arrest communists and socialists, ban their newspapers and disrupt their organisations

decree designed to legalise a full scale assault on communists
backed by propaganda campaign
Germany on the brink of a german bolshevik revolution

police arrested 10,000 communists in 2 weeks

kpd who were not yet banned could still put up candidates for the march election

Question 4

march 1933 election

Answer 4

sa controlled the streets
many nazi opponents were locked up
offices of kpd and spd had been smashed up with their funds confiscated
nazi propaganda machine flooded the country

nazi vote increased since november 1932 election but not as much as hitler hoped

nearly 64% of voters had supported non nazi parties

nazis with support of dnvp allies now had reichstag majority

Question 5

the enabling act

Answer 5

first meeting of the new reichstag - kroll opera house on 23rd march
hitlers objective was to secure the requires 2/3 majority for his enabling act
allowed him to make laws without approval of reichstag and without reference to president for 4 years

passed on 24th may 1933

hitler also allowed to make treaties with foreign states without reichstag approval

centre party held key to getting 2/3 majority
hitler offered party reassurance that he would not use his powers without consulting hindenburg first

final piece of legal framework that legitimised nazi dictatorship
nazis could now begin to construct the one party terror state hitler wanted