Hitler Consolidating His Power During 1933-34 Flashcards
What happened in the reichtag fire? When did the reichtag fire happen?
27th feb 1933
- the reichtag burnt down and hitler blamed communists
- hitler demanded emergency powers to deal with situation
- president hindemburg gave hitler said powers
- hitler used the powerrs to arrest communists, break up meetings and frighten voters
How did the reichtag fire help hitler consolidate his power?
- reichtag fire decree allowed him to have almost the same power as the president
- reichtag fire decree became enabling act (perminant)
When was the night of the long knives and what happened?
29th-30th June 1934
- SS soldiers broke into house of Röhm (leader of SA) and other SA leaders
- Röhm and 400 others were excecuted for ‘plotting to overthrow and execute Hitler’
- army was satisfied and Hindenburg thanked hitler for his ‘purge’
How did the night of the long knives help hitler consolidate his power?
- gained support of army
- removed large political opposition
- removed unloyal SA
What was the enabling act and when was it passed?
23rd march 1933
- hitler used SA and SS to intimidate the reichtag into passing enabling act
- allowed hitler to make laws without consulting the Reichtag
- only SDP voted against enabling act
- made hitler a virtual dictator
How did the enabling act help hitler consolidate his power?
- banned communism
- made hitler a virtual dictator
How did hitler use terror and propaganda between 1933-1934?
The geostapo
- could arrest citizens without excuse + send to concentration camps with no trial
- spied on people , nobody was safe
Police and courts
- high ranking nazis in high positions of power in police and courts so most didn’t get fair trials
- nazis were not punished for crimes
The SS
- lead by Himmler , lead concentration camps, visual propaganda for aryan race
Concentration camps
- prisoners forced to do hard labour
- often starved, tortured and killed
How did terror and propaganda consolidate hitlers power?
- removed opposition
- created fear
Who were the three politicians at the Munich putsch?
Karr, seisser, lossow
Why did hitler need help from Ludendorff for the Munich putsch?
- Ludendorff was high up / leader of army
- wanted army on hitlers side to be a successful revolution
What is meant by Führerprinzip?
‘Fuhrer prinicple’ - idea that Germany needed one autocratic leader with ultimate power
What were gauleites?
Local leaders on nazi party
How did the nazi party grow support in the 1920s
- funding from buisnessmen after promising to destroy trade unions
- modern forms of propaganda (film + radio)
- hitler youth, nazi teachers association, union of Nazi lawyers and Nazi women all set up
- set up small local governments (gaulieteers)
How did hitler become chancellor by 1933?
- poor examples of Weimar + democracy (hindenburg abused article 48, von schlicher + von papen ignored election results to favour wealthy)
- underestimating hitlers power by thinking could control him as chancellor
- Great Depression showed weakness of Weimar
- proportional representation showed failure of democracy
- hitlers personal appeal
What events in 1933 helped hitler consolidate his power? What month for each , there are 5?
- hitler became chancellor - January
- reichtag fire - February
- enabling act - march
- trade unions and strikes made illegal - may
- all other political parties banned - July
What events in 1934 helped hitler consolidate his power? What month for each , there are 3?
- local governments removed - January
- night of long knives - June
- president hindenburg dies (makes hitler Führer)- august
