Establishment Of The Nazi Dictatorship, January-March 1933 Flashcards
When was the Hitler Cabinet’s first meeting?
30th January 1933
How much of the Hitler cabinet was made up of Nazis and what did this reflect?
Only 3/12 posts of the ministers in cabinet, reinforced Papen’s view that no proper political chance could come about when the Nazis are included
What was Von Papen’s role in the Hitler Cabinet?
. Vice-Chancellor and Minister-President of Prussia
. He won the right to be present whenever Hitler met with Hindenburg
Who was really in control of the decisions in the Hitler cabinet?
The non-Nazi majority, mostly included the old aristocratic elites
What did Papen believe about Hitler in his cabinet?
He wouldn’t be able to dominate his own cabinet against a non-Nazi majority
Who were 2 of the Nazi ministers in the Hitler cabinet?
Wilhelm Frick (minister of the interior)
Hermann Goering (minister without portfolio and minister of the interior in Prussia)
What did ministers of the interior do?
Controlled the police
Who was the defence minister in the Hitler cabinet?
General Bloomberg (aristocratic army officer)
Who was the minister for economics in the Hitler cabinet?
Alfred Hugenberg (leader of DNVP)
Who did Hindenburg insist on being in the Hitler cabinet and what was this persons role?
Freiherr von Neurath as foreign minister - aristocrat with wide experience in foreign affairs
Who was the minister of labour in the Hitler cabinet?
Franz Seldte (leader of the paramilitary Stalhelm)
When was the torchlight procession?
30th January 1933
What happened in the torchlight procession?
. Hitler stood on the Reich Chancellory balcony
. 100,000 Nazi members processed the streets of Berlin
. Goebells organised it to show that Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor would bring something special
What was the significance of the torchlight procession?
. Personal triumph for Hitler
. Victory for Nazi movement
. Made it clear that the Nazis would break from the past and bring a ‘National Revolution’
What did Hitler use state resources for?
Consolidating his position and expanding the SA to eliminate opponents
How did the membership of the SA grow as Hitler became chancellor?
500,000 members in January 1933 to 3 million a year later
How did the SA gain much power with Nazis in power?
They gained legal authority:
. Late February 1933: Stalhelm and SA merged as ‘auxiliary police’
. Orders given to regular police to not interfere with actions of auxiliary police
. Frick and Goering controlled the police
What is another name for the surge in SA violent actions when Hitler became chancellor?
The ‘Revolution from below’
What happened in the SA ‘Revolution from below’?
. Sustained assault on trade union and KPD offices
. Assaults on homes of left-wing politicians
. Broke up SPD and KPD meetings
. 5th February 1933: young Nazi shot SPD mayor of small town in Prussia
All of this was ignored by police and any SPD newspapers condemning the killing was banned
When did the centre party become a target of the Nazis?
after it’s newspapers criticised Nazi regime
- the papers were banned
- SA attacked the party’s meetings
When was the Dachau concentration camps established and with how much space?
8th March 1933 with accommodation for over 5000 people
How did the Nazis justifying sending people to concentration camps and who was sent?
They claimed it was for ‘education’:
. Socialists
. Trade unionists
. Communists
1000s were sent
What became the model for later concentration camps?
Dachau
How many political prisoners were imprisoned by SA and sent to camps by July 1933?
Around 27000 prisoners taken into ‘protective custody’ and put into around 70 camps
How did Hitler use his powers as Chancellor on 22nd February 1933?
Appointed 50,000 Nazi SA as auxiliary police
What happened on 24th February 1933?
Goering ordered a raid on the communist headquarters and the Nazis falsely announced they’d found evidence of the communist planning to attack public buildings, which fits suspiciously into place with the Reichstag fire
When was the first ‘New Reichstag’ meeting and where?
23rd March 1933 - Kroll Opera House
What was the aim of the first ‘New Reichstag’ meeting?
Achieve the 2/3 majority Hitler needed to pass his enabling act as 2/3 majority was needed to legally change the constitution
What does the enabling act allow?
Hitler to make laws without Reichstag approval or reference to the president for 4 years
Although the enabling act was theoretically only in place for 4 years, what was it in practice?
Permanent to the Nazi regime as Hitler as a dictator would continue this power
When was the enabling act passed?
24th March 1933
What power did Hitler get along with the passing of the enabling act?
Power to make treaties with foreign states without Reichstag approval
How did the Nazis get the 2/3 majority they needed?
. Communist deputies weren’t able to take seats
. DNVP willing to support the Nazis to pass the Enabling act bill
. Hitler reassured the centre party (key to the majority) he wouldn’t use his power without first consulting Hindenburg
Who voted against the enabling act bill?
SPD deputies
What if the formal name for the Enabling Act?
The law for Removing the Distress of the People and the Reich
How did the Enabling act change the Reichstag?
Hitler could now rule without needing a Reichstag majority, so after 1933, the Reichstag barely met as it was pointless.
Nazis could now construct the one-party terror start Hitler was looking for
Was the constitution still in place during the 3rd Reich?
technically yes, but didn’t practically seem so
How was Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor legal?
The constitution made it legal as his appointment came from the president
How was the constitution not technically in effect during the 3rd Reich?
After the Reichstag Fire , Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to sign a decree for ‘emergency powers’ as he believed the threat of communists would be of concern to Hindenburg
When was the Reichstag fire decree signed?
28th February 1933
What was the formal name for the Reichstag fire decree?
The Decree for the protection of the people and the state
What did the Reichstag fire decree do?
. Suspended many civil and political rights that had been guaranteed under the constitution
. Police could detain without charge, those who seemed a threat to state security
. Police could enter and search private premises
. Government could censor publications
. Central government could take over state governments that refused to act against Nazi’s political opponents
What was the Reichstag fire decree initially needed for?
. A full-scale assault on the communists after the R.F
- SA launched a ferocious campaign across Germany, backed by propaganda claiming Germany was on the brink of a ‘German Bolshevik Revolution’
- police arrested 10,000 communists in 2 weeks, including most leaders
What did the Reichstag Fire Decree mean for the KPD?
. Not officially banned and could put up candidates in March elections
. However, party membership was treated as treason and many members got long sentences
How did the society in Germany allow the Nazis to campaign for the terror state?
Civil servants, judiciary and police where overwhelmingly nationalist and conservative
What was the Nazi election campaign for the March elections based off and how?
Intimidation:
. SA controlled streets
. Many Nazi opponents locked up
. Offices of SPD and KPD smashed up and funds confiscated
. Left-wing posters torn down as soon as put up
. Near impossible for the left to organise election meetings
. Distributing KPD/SPD leaflets led to arrests
It seemed Nazis were in complete control of this election
With state resources and Goebbels, what did Nazi propaganda for the March elections include?
. Posters
. Leaflets
. Radio broadcasts
. Election rallies
. Parades
What were the results of the March 1933 election? (% of votes)
DNVP: 8%
Nazis: 43.9%
SPD: 18.25%
KPD: 12.3%
Centre: 11.25%
What were the significances of the March 1933 elections?
. Despite all of the effort Nazis put into the campaign, still couldn’t get the majority they wanted
. DNVP and Nazis could have joined for a majority, but Hitler wanted a dictatorship not a coalition
. Support still held up surprisingly well for left-wing despite all the restrictions
. Main surprise: 64% of votes supported non-Nazi parties
When was the Reichstag Fire?
27th February 1933
What happened in the Reichstag Fire?
Reichstag building in Berlin destroyed by a huge fire
At the scene, a Dutch communist called Marinus van der Lubbe was found with matches and fuel
What happened to Van Der Lubbe after the Reichstag fire?
Nazis arrested him and claimed the communists were about to stage a take over
- Lubbe claimed to work alone, but 4 others were tried with him and later released
- Lubbe confessed, was put on trial and executed
Why was Marinus van der Lubbe such an easy communist to influence?
. Mental age of an 8/9 year old
What did the Reichstag fire allow Nazis to do?
Have an excuse for 4000 communist to be arrested on the night of the R.F
. one week before March elections, KPD are banned (can’t take seats), discrediting the communists
When did the SPD have its HQ seized?
10th May 1933 as Nazis claimed the SPD were a threat to the public
How did the Enabling Act get passed?
. As KPD were banned, they disregarded them from total votes, manipulating communist statistics to not reflect the true results
. SA intimidate people as they entered the chamber, saying if they don’t vote for Nazis…
. Centre party approves the act as Hitler agrees to not meddle in Catholic affairs
. Absentees counted as votes for Nazis
What were the results for the votes on the enabling act being passed?
444 in favour
94 against
How did Hitler bring German people into line?
Through a policy of Gleichschaltung - every aspect of life monitored by the Nazis to create a truly National Socialist state (Nazification)
Who are trade unions?
Groups of workers who organise protests/strike to protect their rights in work through an aim for better pay and working conditions
When were all trade unions banned?
2nd May 1933
Why did Hitler not like trade unions?
They had too much power for the rights of workers
What did the Nazis replace trade unions and employers’ groups with?
The Nazi Labour Front (DAF)
How did the DAF control rights of workers?
. Wages were set up by them
. Employment depended on ownership of a workbook with employment records of who’s been where
- all previous jobs recorded and seen when getting a new job
. Strikes were outlawed and anyone who striked was sent to concentration camps for ‘political re-education’ (torture to get put back in line)
