Hitlers rise to power Flashcards
What did Hitler use the Reichstag fire as?
A pretext to crush the KPD; Goebbels claimed Germany was under attack from the communists
How many communists were arrested in the aftermath of the Reichstag fire?
4000 leading communists
How many votes in the Reichstag did Hitler need in the march election?
50% to pass laws
2/3 Majority to change the constitution
What Nazi violence was employed during the March elections?
The SA and police terrorised all Nazi’s political opponents- KPD, SPD & union leaders were imprisoned, ‘detained’ in camps, beaten, or even killed
How many deaths came about due to the Nazi’s terror campaign during the march elections?
69
How did the Nazi’s use the media in 1933?
They used their growing control of the media to plant the illusion that the KPD was plotting an imminent revolution
What was the result of the march elections?
The Nazi’s only got 43.9% of the vote but the coalition with the DNVP meant >50% in the reichstag
Give an example of intimidation used on the day the enabling act was due to be discussed
-81 KPD deputies and 26 SPD deputies were refused admission on the basis of them being ‘responsible’ for the Reichstag fire
-The SA surrounded the Reichstag building, thus intimidating deputies
When was the Enabling act discussed?
23 March, 1933
What did the enabling act pass by?
444 votes to 94
What was the membership of the SA? What was the effect of this?
By 1933 the SA had a membership of 2 million
This greatly concerned the conservative elites; Hitler needed to remove the SA to gain the support of the army
How did Hitler go about removing the SA?
-Drew up a deaths of around 600 enemies
-Himmlers SS and soldiers carried out execution during the night of the long knives
When was the Night of the Long Knives?
June 30 to July 2, 1934
Where was Rohm executed?
SA conference in Bad Weisse
What senior conservatives were also executed?
General Von schleicher
What limitations are there to the importance of the enabling law?
While the EL gave Hitler power over the Reichstag, there were powerful groups outside of parliament that threatened Hitlers power, such as the TU’s and the press
How did Gleichschaltung refine Hitlers power?
By Nazifying important institutions such as TU’s and the press, it neutralised potential threats to the Nazi regime. It also coordinated German aspects of government
What happened in 1934 to regional gov?
Landtages were abolished since opponents of the Nazi regime controlled some
Democratically elected Landtages were replaced by Reich governors appointed by the government, the majority had been Nazi Gaultier’s
What institution was given more power in Nazi Germany? What was the effect of this alongside other changes to regional gov?
The ministry of the interior was afforded greater power over Germany’s federal regions.
This marked the demise of federalism and meant control was largely centralised
How did the Nazi’s ‘co-ordinate’ the civil service?
April 1933- The law for the restoration of the professional civil service; it meant if that ‘racial purity’ and loyalty was in doubt, they could be dismissed
What happened to TU’s?
Merged into the DAF, led by Robert Ley- mitigated opportunity for opposition from unions
How was control over the press established?
-1933 The decree of the reich president for the protection of the people and the state; allowed the Nazis to ban publications
-1933 Editors law; it was a criminal offence for the editor of an NP to publish something that might weaken the third reich, culture or economy; it was the sole responsibility of editors to uphold the requirements of the propaganda ministry
How were Hitler and Goebbels able to persuade Hindenburg and the cabinet to authorise an emergency decree?
Via evoking fears of communism through the reichstag fire
What were the clauses of the decree of the Reich president for the protection of the people and the state?
Clause 1:suspended individual rights and the freedom of the press
Clause 2: Hitlers gov had the right to enforce law and order in the German states
How much money was raised by Goering to support the NSDAP’s march elections campaign?
3 million RM’s
How did Hitler overcome the negative effect of violence to Hindenburg?
-10 march Hitler instructed followers to cease Violence
-Goebbels organised the day of Potsdam to emphasise the common ground between Nazism and Hindenburgs nationalism
Was the day of Potsdam successful?
Yes-it persuaded Hindenburg and other nationalists that Nazism represented a rebirth of the best German traditions
Give an example of a lie Hitler told at the debate of the enabling act
-announced the act was temporary
-promised to respect traditional rights of the Catholic Church
What law was passed following the dissolution of the centre party?
The law against the establishment of political parties
