Consolidation Of Power

Question 1

Consolidation of power: Key dates
30th January 1933
27th February 1933
5th March 1933
13th March 1933
21st March 1933
22nd March 1933
24th March 1933
30th June 1934
2nd August 1934

Answer 1

Hitler appointed as Chancellor
Reichstag Fire
Last elections 
Ministry for Propaganda and Public Enlightenment established  
Day of Potsdam 
Dachau established
Enabling Act 
Night of the Long Knives
Hindenburg dies

Question 2

Use of terror: SA.

Answer 2

Primary terror 1933.
Rapid expansion 500,00 Jan 1933- 3 million Jan 1934
Sustained attacks socialist and communists (intensified DPOPAS)
26,789 political prisoners 70 camps. (Started Dachau March)
Leaders arrested, meetings broken up and newspapers closed.

Question 3

Day of Potsdam

Answer 3

Rally. Old traditional and new modern Nazi forces together.
Hindenburg and Hitler together.
Appease left wing public and conservative elites. Disliked violent methods
Heavily orchestrated by Gobbles. Capture hearts and minds. Broadcast over radio.

Question 4

Reichstag Fire (Date, who did it and consequences)

Answer 4

27th February 1933
Dutch communist Van Der Lubbe
Blamed communists
Consequences: Comm lost favour, opposition underground, anti Nazi media banned, disrupted meetings, took control state government which curtails state authority

Question 5

Decree For The Protection of the People and The State (Date, consequences)

Answer 5

28th February 1933
Suspension civil liberties (1st step dictatorship, no speaking up)
Electoral participation suppressed
Justified arrest political opponents. 26,789 by July 1933 70 camps
Attacks communists socialists intensify

Question 6

March 5th elections 1933

Answer 6

Intimidation SA poll booths
KPD: 12% SPD 18% Nazis: 30% (no majority)
Despite left wing driven underground

Question 7

Enabling Act: ‘The legal revolution.’

Answer 7

24th March 1933
No parliamentary procedure 4 years
Kroll Opera House more intimidating
Not sure would pass. Only majority w/German National People’s Party 8%.
Communists underground or intimidated SA
Centre party appeased by Concordat (compromise)
Passed 444-94
‘Way now open for Hitler to create one party totalitarian dictatorship

Question 8

How did Nazis consolidate their power? Terror

Answer 8

SA. Intimidation of opponents
Reichstag Fire
DfPoPaS 
Night of Long Knives
Enabling Act (intimidation)

Question 9

How did Nazis consolidate their power? Legality

Answer 9

Potsdam 
Enabling Act
Establishment of Propaganda ministry 
Trade unions banned May 1933 (Replaced with DAF) 
Reich entailed Farm Law
Law Protection Retail Trade
Law to reduce unemployment 
March 5th Elections

Question 10

How did Nazis consolidate their power? Compromise

Answer 10

Concordat
Business leaders 3M bankroll
Meeting with army leaders with plans for rearmament

Question 11

Concordat (What was it, why did Nazis need it)

Answer 11

No interference CatholicChurch, no interference Nazis. 
Retain autonomy 
compromise enabling act passed 
Church too powerful 
Lack of power/conviction Hitler

Question 12

Why Catholics sign Concordat?

Answer 12

Get rid communism through enabling act. Seen as threat Communists=atheists.
Condemned liberal Weimar values (decadent)
Positive Christianity
Anti Semitic. Voice 4 views
Von Papen led centre party. Lose to Hitler. Wanted self preservation after Kulterkamph in 1870’s

Question 13

Revolution from below
‘Revolution is not a permanent condition’
‘Violence vital tool Nazi leadership but in its uncontrolled and uncoordinated form its usefulness was limited’

Answer 13

Violence unplanned and uncoordinated
Hitler go with it Feb-Jun 1933: Political opponents
Ensured they didn’t attack army/police (only institutions force from office)
Hitler speech Jul 1933, warning SA targets violence. No longer needed.
Hitler took too long to tackle. Torn traditional allegiances SA & maintaining army control/cons elites
Lack of conviction cost Hitler

Question 14

Second Revolution

Answer 14

Ernst Rohm didn’t accept Rev from below
SA to continue violence until achieved radical aims
Nucleus of national militia, absorb/replace army.
Stalhelm and SA 4.5M Jan 1934. More than army.

Question 15

Lead up to Night of The Long Knives

Answer 15

Summer 1933, SA importance declined. Lost Auxillary August
Need for SA violence dropped. One party state.
Resentment felt. Drunken brawls common
Rohm homosexual. Undermined Nazi ideology
Summer 1934 stopped army convoys/took weapons
Blomburg threatened martial law. Hitler’s hand was forced

Question 16

Night of the Long Knives ‘Supreme judge of the German people’

Answer 16

30th June 1934
Purge 77 SA leadership & political opponents
Full responsibility Reichstag: ‘The supreme judge of the German people’
Save country SA coup: Public support for decisive actions
Support of Army

Question 17

Why was Night of Long Knives necessary?

Answer 17

Stop threat of Revolution from Below/Second Revolution
Gain support of Army
Establish the Leadership Principle as a form of legalised murder

Question 18

Compromise with big business (Date, 2 things)

Answer 18

20th Feb 1933: Industrialists bankrolled Hitler 3M RM for autonomy (were concerned anti business rhetoric of Nazis)

Dr Kurt Schmitt economics minister until 1935. Managing director Germany’s largest insurance company

Question 19

Compromise with civil service

Answer 19

Law for the re-establishment of a professional civil service
Purge Jews, communists, socialists
No concentrated effort appoint Nazis key civil service positions
Correlation Nazi membership to career advancement

Question 20

Consolidation: use of laws

Answer 20

Law for the protection of the Retail Trade: Banned extension department stores. Protect small business owners from Jews profiteering from Capitalism & establish volksgemeinschaft

Law to reduce unemployment: Public works projects. Did little. Artificially reduced figures every opportunity. Only really dropped with push for rearmament