Hitler’s Steps to Power

Question 1

Order of events that brought Hitler to power?

Answer 1

Rachel Never Expected To Appear Naked During Winter
Reichstag fire, New elections, Enabling act, Trade unions banned, All political parties banned, Night of the long knives, Death of Hindenburg, Army oath

Question 2

When and what was the Reichstag fire?

Answer 2

night of 27th February, 1933 Reichstag parliament building caught fire
—>Marius Van Der Lubbe (anarchist, learning difficulties, supposed communist Dutchman) was caught on the site of the fire

Question 3

Who was held accountable for the Reichstag fire?

Answer 3

Hitler convinced almost senile Hindenburg that the communists set fire to the Reichstag
—> Hindenburg signed decree using Art 48; ‘Decree for the protection of the people and state’ = suspended civil rights of residents of Weimar Republic as it allows them to be rested without reason or trial
—> before dawn 4,000 communists were arrested (wrecking chances in nearing elections)

Question 4

What was the outcome of the New Elections?

Answer 4

March 1933 elections; not democratic (4,000 communists arrested, no opposing newspapers, 50,000 Nazi paramilitaries were police auxiliary)
-Nazis won 43.9% of the vote = not majority (unfair electoral conditions)
-SPD = Centre party held firm, high number of votes
-KPD got 5 million votes = 81 seats
—>Hitler needed 2/3rds of seats to alter Weimar Constitution

Question 5

Decree passed of 4th of February 1933

Answer 5

suppress publications and meetings of other parties

ironically drafted to control the Nazis

Question 6

Day at Potsdam events

Answer 6

1st March 1933; meeting in famous Garrison church (military church) in Potsdam (small city outside of Berlin)
—>left empty throne for Kaiser, attended by son of Kaiser and President Hindenburg, christian service, attended by SA

Question 7

What was the purpose of the Day at Potsdam?

Answer 7

designed to reassure and to reaffirm good traditional German values, for the Nazis to look respectable

Question 8

What happened when the Reichstag opened after the March 1933 elections?

Answer 8

• no KPD deputies present (all arrested)
• 26 SPD deputies prevented from attending by SA
• put forward The Enabling Act

Question 9

What was The Enabling Act and when was it passed?

Answer 9

23rd March 1933; Chancellor can make law without the permission of the President, allowing government to alter constitution at will (veneer of legality)
—> supposed to pass for 4 years however stayed throughout Hitler’s rule and made him a dictator
—>94 social democrats voted against it despite intimidation

Question 10

What happened to trade unions?

Answer 10

ADGB (trade union federation) broke connection with SPD in hopes of saving themselves
—>1st May, May Day Trade Union Festival allowed to go forward
—>2nd May, trade union offices invaded by SS + SA
= trade unions banned

Question 11

What replaced trade unions?

Answer 11

new organisation; DAF = German Labour Front
—> leadership of Robert Ley
—> used to ensure workplace harmony and end disputes

Question 12

How did the Nazis attack the federal government system?

Answer 12

-Prussian state gov had already been dissolved by Von Papen
—> 31st March Diets (local parliaments) dissolved apart from Prussia (Goering in charge) and ordered to reconvene without socialists
—>Appointed new Reich commissioners in Lander
—> Jan 1934, Reichstag abolished länder

Question 13

How did the SPD dissolve?

Answer 13

June 1933, SPD banned, a move which was supported by most other parties

Question 14

How did the Centre party dissolve?

Answer 14

Hitler signed a deal with the Vatican in July 1933 (concordant signed by Pope = bilateral agreement between Vatican and other country)
—> 5th July Centre party dissolved as Catholic interests were now defended by Hitler

Question 15

What happened to the rest of the political parties?

Answer 15

DVP, DNVP, DDP disbanded themselves (sense of fatalism)

Question 16

When did the Nazi party officially become the only party in Germany?

Answer 16

14th July, Law passed banning the creation of all political parties apart from the Nazi party
= Germany officially one party state

Question 17

What were the long term causes for the Night of the Long Knives?

Answer 17

• some NSDAP members were inclined slightly more towards the left, eg. Rohm (leader of SA), Strasser brothers
• Rohm became concerned that Hitler was cosying up to big business and army generals
• Rohm wanted a new ‘People’s army’

Question 18

Why did Hitler have to prioritise his relations with the army in the Night of the Long Knives over his closest associates and own paramilitary organisation?

Answer 18

Army was the only establishment that could stil remove Hitler; close to President Hindenburg (a previous army general) and the President could still remove Hitler, needed army’s support to become President himself
-SA threatened the army; promoted to auxiliary police in Prussia recently, wanted a new ‘People’s army’

Question 19

What triggered the Night of the Long Knives?

Answer 19

Von Papen (vice-chancellor and leading non-Nazi in cabinet) began to realise his mistake
—> speech at the University of Marburg; critical of Hitler and direction he is going in, concerned by violence of SA on streets, Nazis imposing rule on every aspect of life

Question 20

How did Hitler get the Army Generals on board?

Answer 20

Met with two leading generals and agreed to deal with the Brownshirts and other enemies (eg. Von Papen)

Question 21

What happened on the NotLK?

Answer 21

30th June 1934; 200-400 people primarily from the SA were killed, mostly by SS, army there for support
—> also Von Schleicher, two of Von Papen’s associated, Gregor Strasser

Question 22

How did Hitler legalise the NotLK?

Answer 22

3rd July passed law to legalise killings as “legitimate acts of self defence”
—> justified himself a few days later in a speech to the Reichstag

Question 23

What di the NotLK achieve?

Answer 23

• SS gradually became even more powerful than the SA ever were failed to be recognised by Reichswehr
• Army now aligned with Hitler (General Von Bloomberg made public show of thanks)
• SA threat rendered almost unarmed and powerless
• enhanced Hitler’s personal supremacy

Question 24

When did President Hindenburg die?

Answer 24

August 1934

Question 25

What happened as a result of Hindenburg’s death?

Answer 25

Hitler declared himself the Fuehrer = combined role of chancellor and president
—> referendum to join ole of president and chancellor gained widespread support = 89.93%

Question 26

What was the Army Oath?

Answer 26

August 1934, every soldier had to swear an oath to Hitler as the head of the army (head of armed forces as President)