Hitlers Consolidation of Power Flashcards
Quote Von Papen on Hitler being the Chancellor with only 3 Nazis total in the cabinet
“Within two months we will have pushed Hitler so far into the corner that he’ll squeak”
How would Hitler sort the two other Nazis in the cabinet, and why would he appoint them what he did?
- Hermann Göring - Minister without portfolio and Prussian Minister of the Interior | Gave him control of police in Berlin
- Willhelm Frick - Minister of the Interior | Control over police in Germany
How does Hitler win over the aristocratic army? (inc date)
3rd February 1933
- Meeting with the commanders of the Reichswehr
- He assures expansion of the army
- Hitler was willing to go against the Treaty of Versailles
What action would Hermann Göring take?
- Retired 14 Prussian police presidents and fired subordinates
- 4th Feb decree, Used to suppress publications and meetings
- 17th Feb 1933: Police told to keep good relation with SA + SS
- 22nd Feb 1933, Nazi street terror legitimised by making them auxiliary police
When was the Reichstag fire and what were the effects?
27th Feb 1933
- Marinus Van der Lubbe, communist was found at the sight
- 4,000 communists were arrested
- Hitler would warn Hindenburg of the communists
How would Hindenburg react to the Reichstag fire?
28th Feb 1933:
- Signed a decree suspending basic rights of the citizen
- Allowed people to be arrested without trial (later used in concentration camps)
- Created a normal aspect of the Nazi state
How would the New Elections turn out, when were they held?
March 1933
- Not a democratic election, meetings were broken up by the police and communists were arrested
- Nazi’s gained 43.9% of the vote
- SPD and Centre maintained
- KPD 81 seats
- Hitler needed 2/3 of the seats to alter the constitution
When was the Day at Potsdam and what was it?
23rd March 1933
- Garrison Church with an empty Kaiser throne
- Hindenburg, Kaisers son, General and Stormtroopers present
- 26 socialists stopped from preventing, 94 socialists against
- Showed Hitler had traditional values
When was the Enabling Act passed?
24th March 1933
- Allowed Hitler to make laws as Chancellor for 4 years
- No need for President, article 48 for the Chancellor
- 94 Socialists against
How would Hitler take care of Local Government?
31st March 1933
- Diets dissolved
- New Reich Commissioner in Länder to produce Nazi policies
- Later in Jan 1934 the Reichstrat was abolished as a whole
How would the ADBG (Trade Union) attempt to save themselves from Fatalism, what would this lead to?
- Announced a break with the SPD
- 1st May 1933 the Trade Unions allowed to hold their festival
- 2nd May 1933, Trade Unions invaded by SA and SS
- DAF (German Labour Front) set up under Robert Ley instead
How would Hitler deal with opposing Political Parties?
- SPD banned 22 June 1933
- DVP, DNP, DNVP all disbanded (fatalism)
- Centre Party and Vatican disband in July 1933
- 14th July Law: Against forming political parties
Who was Ernst Röhm and what were his concerns?
- Leader of the SA
- Concerned Hitler was too invested in big businesses and not enough about making the SA a greater army
- Reichswehr did not want a greater SA
- Hitler seemed to be more focused on pleasing Generals
What would cause Hitler to go against Röhm?
- Hitler knew the power of the army (Ebert-Groener Pact)
- Army were unhappy of 2 million SA being made auxiliary police
- Hinenburg valued the army, if they complained he would be out
- Hitler did not like Socialist element of the 25 point programme (‘left’ of the party would want this)
What would trigger the Night of the Long knives?
- Vice-Chancellor Von Papen gave a speech at the University of Marburg
- Criticised Hitler, the Nazi violence and wanted some normality to return
- Would force Hitler to act
