consolidation of power 1933-34 Flashcards
role of terror in consolidation of power
NOLK- H&H was the single most dramatic and most significant event during the establishment of H’s supremacy 85 deaths to prove to elites -like Hindenburg- that H had control of his men and simultaneously instilled fear in Von-Papen and other elites from intriguing against him or further criticising him, like he did at Marburg, by killing his speech writer. Many killed were SA. It was particularly significant in a way for the Nazis to consolidate their position as it allowed them to eradicate potential opposition of agitators among the party, such as SA leader Rohm. There were 3 million SA members, many of whom had revolutionary sentiments and this would need to be ironed out so the Nazis could further consolidate their position by having this group solely under the specific control of the desires of Hitler.
Goebbels constructed media to see the move as protection of De ppl and 3 days later the killings were legalised by Hitler: Burleigh: “the purge showed Hitler’s contempt for the law in retrospectively legalising mass murder
The SS controlled the police and its own prison camp system and this gave it ‘awesome power’ (NOAKES). Gelately says ppl were content with terror’s existence if it kept themselves safe, suggesting the consolidation of fear was only relevant to some. this allowed for 26,000 political prisoners to be held dealt with in 1933 alone in terror camps like Dachau. tactics of fear and terror allowed the Nazis to consolidate their power above all else is because it provided the double edge of people feeling protected with a consolidated government which opposed the chaos of Weimar, while also creating fear against going after the Nazis, who through their fear seemd very comfortable in their position.
SA VIOLENCE: INC. KOPENICK BLOOD WEEK where the village of a trade union leader’s family were violently attacked. Evans says shows how the Nazis used terror to decay those who were in opposition to them as a further means to violently consolidate their power.
role of party ban in consolidation of power
Became one party state with parties disbanding out of fear or going into exile (SPD), in knowledge that KPD and SPD were in Dachau and then the formation of new parties=banned
REICHSTAG FIRE
Feb 1933 van der lube=set reichstag on fire. Kershaw believes Van Der Lube worked alone, yet this doesn’t discredit how Hilter utilised this as an attack on Communism through subsequent Reichstag fire decrees and had all KPD deputies arrested, banning their newspapers (including SPD ones for 14 days during the election period). Fischer: “too big and too convenient for the Nazis to have worked alone” with the Nazis subsequently receiving 5 million additional votes in the 1933 March elections. The Reichstag fire decrees removed the civil rights of Germans, yet in their fear, as argued by Kershaw: “established platform for dictatorship that was warmly welcomed” people were supportive of Hitlers autocracy. However, there was still a great deal of opposition as KPD got high no of votes (85 seats) despite being banned, proving how pol actions < terror
ENABLING ACT
“theoretical omnipotence” (Williamson) of Hitler only further supported on the death of Hindenburg, with 90% of the public voting in favour of Hitler becoming Fuhrer. Gave cabinet, IRL H, power 2 make laws for 4 yrs w/out going through Reichstag. Stackleburg: “Z provided the crucial margin for ⅔ majority” with the evote being 444:94. Fritzche: “the political establishment voted for dictatorship”- yet KPD weren’t there and there was SA coercion outside Kroll opera house, further pointing to terror necessary for consolidation and not politics alone.
1933, Nazi candidates won 93% of Reichstag seats therefore acting as an “applause machine” to pass the views of Hitler, so image of power in people’s choice erradicated under guise of H
role of people and organisations in consolidation of power
Gleichschaltung, Locally, Equalisation act had all state and local authorities and organisations reformed in the Nazi image. For example, local leaders would be replaced by Reich Governors as symbol of a structure that governmentalized the Gaultier system that gave the Nazis an edge in their rise to power. In reality in many places this meant few organisations changed with careerists becoming members of the Nazi party for the sake of continuing their line of work rather than perhaps truly believing tin the Nazi message. KOONZ: “Gleichschaltung occurred so stealthily that most German’s hardly noticed”. Yet Swatkas everywhere etc is unnoticible. Even if community structures remained relatively unchanged, symbolic and iconographic differences have significant presence in public conscience.
Concordat: church were 2 be seperate from politics (no Zentrum) and Bishops swore an oath of allegiance to H 2 protect Catholic church: Layton: “oath was an initial success but hid Nazi plans to ultimately destroy the church: signed out of fear due to SA violence, yet as Paul says, “should have never signed since it gave Nazis legitimacy” becuase as an international organisation they would have been capable of resistance and aware of potential tangible dangers of Nazis as seen through the Sterilisation acts, proving debilitating power of terror tactics.
Trade unions: declared loyalty to the Nazis- purging non-Nazi members yet were shut on the 2nd of May of May 1933: Layton: “made the mistake of thinking they could co-operate with the Nazis.” w leader arrested and replaced with DAF. were still treated with violence as a means to consolidate the Nazi position, with their offices being destroyed on the 2nd of May directly after labour day. This points to the idea that Gleichschaltung as a tactic was enforced through fear above the equalisation image.
did they consolidate their power- terror
NOLK- H&H was the single most dramatic and most significant event during the establishment of H’s supremacy 85 deaths to prove to elites -like Hindenburg- that H had control of his men and simultaneously instilled fear in Von-Papen and other elites from intriguing against him or further criticising him, like he did at Marburg, by killing his speech writer. Many killed were SA. It was particularly significant in a way for the Nazis to consolidate their position as it allowed them to eradicate potential opposition of agitators among the party, such as SA leader Rohm. There were 3 million SA members, many of whom had revolutionary sentiments and this would need to be ironed out so the Nazis could further consolidate their position by having this group solely under the specific control of the desires of Hitler.
Goebbels constructed media to see the move as protection of De ppl and 3 days later the killings were legalised by Hitler: Burleigh: “the purge showed Hitler’s contempt for the law in retrospectively legalising mass murder
The SS controlled the police and its own prison camp system and this gave it ‘awesome power’ (NOAKES). Gelately says ppl were content with terror’s existence if it kept themselves safe, suggesting the consolidation of fear was only relevant to some. this allowed for 26,000 political prisoners to be held dealt with in 1933 alone in terror camps like Dachau. tactics of fear and terror allowed the Nazis to consolidate their power above all else is because it provided the double edge of people feeling protected with a consolidated government which opposed the chaos of Weimar, while also creating fear against going after the Nazis, who through their fear seemd very comfortable in their position.
SA VIOLENCE: INC. KOPENICK BLOOD WEEK where the village of a trade union leader’s family were violently attacked. Evans says shows how the Nazis used terror to decay those who were in opposition to them as a further means to violently consolidate their power.
did they consolidate their power- political parties
became one party state with parties disbanding out of fear or going into exile (SPD), in knowledge that KPD and SPD were in Dachau and then the formation of new parties=banned
REICHSTAG FIRE
Feb 1933 van der lube=set reichstag on fire. Kershaw believes Van Der Lube worked alone, yet this doesn’t discredit how Hilter utilised this as an attack on Communism through subsequent Reichstag fire decrees and had all KPD deputies arrested, banning their newspapers (including SPD ones for 14 days during the election period). Fischer: “too big and too convenient for the Nazis to have worked alone” with the Nazis subsequently receiving 5 million additional votes in the 1933 March elections. The Reichstag fire decrees removed the civil rights of Germans, yet in their fear, as argued by Kershaw: “established platform for dictatorship that was warmly welcomed” people were supportive of Hitlers autocracy. However, there was still a great deal of opposition as KPD got high no of votes (85 seats) despite being banned, proving how pol actions < terror
ENABLING ACT
“theoretical omnipotence” (Williamson) of Hitler only further supported on the death of Hindenburg, with 90% of the public voting in favour of Hitler becoming Fuhrer. Gave cabinet, IRL H, power 2 make laws for 4 yrs w/out going through Reichstag. Stackleburg: “Z provided the crucial margin for ⅔ majority” with the evote being 444:94. Fritzche: “the political establishment voted for dictatorship”- yet KPD weren’t there and there was SA coercion outside Kroll opera house, further pointing to terror necessary for consolidation and not politics alone.
1933, Nazi candidates won 93% of Reichstag seats therefore acting as an “applause machine” to pass the views of Hitler, so image of power in people’s choice erradicated under guise of H
independent traditional structures in consolidation of power
Hiden: “the judiciary effectively worked in favour of the regime”. 10,000 lawyers swore allegiance 2 H and had to wear swastikas, therefore, even if law remained in place, it appeared heavily 2 reflect Nazism and when it did not its decisions could be criticised. The Nazis created their own People’s courts for political trials which furthered the notion established from NOLK onwards that he had “contempt for the law” Kershaw.
Kershaw also believes that the Army “chained itself to Hitler” despite being the last indie org to undergo any reform due to their complicity in NOLK. Fact of NOLK alone proves that Hitler saw power in the trad army over his own army so power not solely in Nazi party grip.
Concordat: church were 2 be seperate from politics (no Zentrum) and Bishops swore an oath of allegiance to H 2 protect Catholic church: Layton: “oath was an initial success but hid Nazi plans to ultimately destroy the church: signed out of fear due to SA violence, yet as Paul says, “should have never signed since it gave Nazis legitimacy” becuase as an international organisation they would have been capable of resistance and aware of potential tangible dangers of Nazis as seen through the Sterilisation acts, proving debilitating power of terror tactics.
Trade unions: declared loyalty to the Nazis- purging non-Nazi members yet were shut on the 2nd of May of May 1933: Layton: “made the mistake of thinking they could co-operate with the Nazis.” w leader arrested and replaced with DAF. were still treated with violence as a means to consolidate the Nazi position, with their offices being destroyed on the 2nd of May directly after labour day. This points to the idea that Gleichschaltung as a tactic was enforced through fear above the equalisation image
government power structures in consolidation of power
Civil service- just 5% were purged and with prior DNVP loyalties it is presumed thast power of Nazism within was low as few changes were made. Yet the power of Nazism within is clear because membership became mandatory
Gleichschaltung, Locally, Equalisation act had all state and local authorities and organisations reformed in the Nazi image. For example, local leaders would be replaced by Reich Governors as symbol of a structure that governmentalized the Gaultier system that gave the Nazis an edge in their rise to power. In reality in many places this meant few organisations changed with careerists becoming members of the Nazi party for the sake of continuing their line of work rather than perhaps truly believing tin the Nazi message. KOONZ: “Gleichschaltung occurred so stealthily that most German’s hardly noticed”. Yet Swastikas everywhere etc is unnoticible. Even if community structures remained relatively unchanged, symbolic and iconographic differences have significant presence in public conscience.
did they consolidate their power legally- terror
NOLK- H&H was the single most dramatic and most significant event during the establishment of H’s supremacy 85 deaths to prove to elites -like Hindenburg- that H had control of his men and simultaneously instilled fear in Von-Papen and other elites from intriguing against him or further criticising him, like he did at Marburg, by killing his speech writer. Many killed were SA. It was particularly significant in a way for the Nazis to consolidate their position as it allowed them to eradicate potential opposition of agitators among the party, such as SA leader Rohm. There were 3 million SA members, many of whom had revolutionary sentiments and this would need to be ironed out so the Nazis could further consolidate their position by having this group solely under the specific control of the desires of Hitler.
Goebbels constructed media to see the move as protection of De ppl and 3 days later the killings were legalised by Hitler: Burleigh: “the purge showed Hitler’s contempt for the law in retrospectively legalising mass murder
The SS controlled the police and its own prison camp system and this gave it ‘awesome power’ (NOAKES). Gelately says ppl were content with terror’s existence if it kept themselves safe, suggesting the consolidation of fear was only relevant to some. this allowed for 26,000 political prisoners to be held dealt with in 1933 alone in terror camps like Dachau. tactics of fear and terror allowed the Nazis to consolidate their power above all else is because it provided the double edge of people feeling protected with a consolidated government which opposed the chaos of Weimar, while also creating fear against going after the Nazis, who through their fear seemd very comfortable in their position.
SA VIOLENCE: INC. KOPENICK BLOOD WEEK where the village of a trade union leader’s family were violently attacked. Evans says shows how the Nazis used terror to decay those who were in opposition to them as a further means to violently consolidate their power.
did they consolidate their power legally- party
Became one party state with parties disbanding out of fear or going into exile (SPD), in knowledge that KPD and SPD were in Dachau and then the formation of new parties=banned
REICHSTAG FIRE
Feb 1933 van der lube=set reichstag on fire. Kershaw believes Van Der Lube worked alone, yet this doesn’t discredit how Hilter utilised this as an attack on Communism through subsequent Reichstag fire decrees and had all KPD deputies arrested, banning their newspapers (including SPD ones for 14 days during the election period). Fischer: “too big and too convenient for the Nazis to have worked alone” with the Nazis subsequently receiving 5 million additional votes in the 1933 March elections. The Reichstag fire decrees removed the civil rights of Germans, yet in their fear, as argued by Kershaw: “established platform for dictatorship that was warmly welcomed” people were supportive of Hitlers autocracy. However, there was still a great deal of opposition as KPD got high no of votes (85 seats) despite being banned, proving how pol actions < terror
ENABLING ACT
“theoretical omnipotence” (Williamson) of Hitler only further supported on the death of Hindenburg, with 90% of the public voting in favour of Hitler becoming Fuhrer. Gave cabinet, IRL H, power 2 make laws for 4 yrs w/out going through Reichstag. Stackleburg: “Z provided the crucial margin for ⅔ majority” with the evote being 444:94. Fritzche: “the political establishment voted for dictatorship”- yet KPD weren’t there and there was SA coercion outside Kroll opera house, further pointing to terror necessary for consolidation and not politics alone.
1933, Nazi candidates won 93% of Reichstag seats therefore acting as an “applause machine” to pass the views of Hitler, so image of power in people’s choice erradicated under guise of H
did they consolidate their power- traditional structures
Gleichschaltung, Locally, Equalisation act had all state and local authorities and organisations reformed in the Nazi image. For example, local leaders would be replaced by Reich Governors as symbol of a structure that governmentalized the Gaultier system that gave the Nazis an edge in their rise to power. In reality in many places this meant few organisations changed with careerists becoming members of the Nazi party for the sake of continuing their line of work rather than perhaps truly believing tin the Nazi message. KOONZ: “Gleichschaltung occurred so stealthily that most German’s hardly noticed”. Yet Swatkas everywhere etc is unnoticible. Even if community structures remained relatively unchanged, symbolic and iconographic differences have significant presence in public conscience.
Concordat: church were 2 be seperate from politics (no Zentrum) and Bishops swore an oath of allegiance to H 2 protect Catholic church: Layton: “oath was an initial success but hid Nazi plans to ultimately destroy the church: signed out of fear due to SA violence, yet as Paul says, “should have never signed since it gave Nazis legitimacy” becuase as an international organisation they would have been capable of resistance and aware of potential tangible dangers of Nazis as seen through the Sterilisation acts, proving debilitating power of terror tactics.
Trade unions: declared loyalty to the Nazis- purging non-Nazi members yet were shut on the 2nd of May of May 1933: Layton: “made the mistake of thinking they could co-operate with the Nazis.” w leader arrested and replaced with DAF. were still treated with violence as a means to consolidate the Nazi position, with their offices being destroyed on the 2nd of May directly after labour day. This points to the idea that Gleichschaltung as a tactic was enforced through fear above the equalisation image.
