Hitler's Road To Power

Question 1

How did Hitler become a dictator

Answer 1

Reichstag fire
Enabling act
Banning of political parties
Night of the long knives

Question 2

Enabling act

Answer 2

SA and SS intimidated voters into passing law + communists banned from reichstag and voting

1. Ability to pass whatever laws fast and without support
2. Can remove any opposition
3. Prevented the need for a coailition government

Question 3

Reichstag fire

Answer 3

Van Der Lubbe a Dutch communist found in burning building and blamed by Hitler.

1. Hindenburg passed an emergency decree suspending all articles of the constitution= ability to arrest anyone and search anyone’s homes
2. Shone communism in a negative light (they lost support by next election just 81 seats)
3. He killed 4000 communist leaders which reduced his opposition drastically enabling more people to vote for him, he also banned them from the reichstag

Question 4

Night of the long knives

Answer 4

1. Hitler removed opposition within own party (Ernst Rohm-SA had 2.5 million men
2. Hitler chose the army over SA, gained support of generals and Hindenburg
3. Army swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler, SA were directly under the influence of Rohm
4. Removal of other political parties (Schleicher-murdered by SS)

Question 5

Rohm

Answer 5

1. Desired a revolution (conflicting views to Hitler)
2. SA loyal to him and not Hitler
3. He was struggling to control the SA (embarrassing)

Question 6

Hitlers road to chancellor

Answer 6

Nazi change of tactics
Weak Weimar government
Invitation to power
The depression

Question 7

Nazi change of tactics

Answer 7

1. He took power legally, didn’t want to ruin the ‘golden twenties’ with violence
2. Local organisations set up in 34 districts + Nazi youth organisation
3. Propaganda used in newspapers and through Hitlers speeches
4. Set up a clear set of aims - Mein Camf and 25 point programme.

Question 8

Weak Weimar Republic

Answer 8

1. Coalition governments weak and indecisive + gave minor parties a voice
2. Anti democratic parties received up to 30% of votes (lack of support)
3. Nationalists opposed government due to the ‘stab in the back theory’ (lack of trust)
4. Number of elections held through the impact of the depression, too weak to handle crisis

Question 9

The depression

Answer 9

1. America recalled loans and unemployment skyrocketed to 6 million- Bruning had unpopular economic policies.
2. Proved the weakness of the Weimar government
3. More people listened to extremist views as they wanted radical changes. Hitler advertised as a saviour in propaganda

Question 10

Invitation to power

Answer 10

1. Hitler never actually had a majority and refused to form coalition governments
2. He was actually losing support in between July and March 1933 they lost 4% of votes
   3.

Question 11

Hitler before the Nazi party

Answer 11

Designed the swastika
Set up the SA with a private uniform
SA broke up the meetings of social Democratic Party
He,led draft programme demanding the treaty of Versailles