How Hitler became a dictator

Question 1

Define “Fuhrerprinzip”.

Answer 1

German for “leader principle”, it was the Nazis’ facsict leadership system. A hierarchy of leaders all gave complete obedience to those above them, with Hitler, the unquestionable Fuhrer, at the top.

Question 2

What was the chain of events that allowed Hitler to become dictator?

Answer 2

• Feb 1933 - Reichstag fire
• March 1933 - general election
• March - Enabling Act
• April - local government reorganised
• May - Hitler banned trade unions
• July - Hitler banned other political parties
• Jan 1934 - Nazis abolished local government
• April 1934 - people’s courts set up
• June - Night of the Long Knives
• Aug - Hitler is Fuhrer, army swears oath of loyalty to him

Question 3

Explain what happened during and as a consequence of the Reichstag Fire.

Answer 3

• February 1933: Marinus van der Lubbe, a communist, set fire to the Reichstag building
• Article 48 then stopped the communists from campaigning, helping the Nazis to gain support in the next election
• The emergency Reichstag Decree allowed the Nazis to imprison without trial any opponents to the Nazis, and shut down anti-Nazi media. Made Germany into a police state.

Question 4

How many communists did the Nazis arrest under the Reichstag Decree?

Answer 4

4000

Question 5

What percentage of the Reichstag did the Nazis get in the March election?

Answer 5

44%

Question 6

What was the Enabling Act and what was its purpose?

Answer 6

• Passed by the Reichstag after the March 1933 elections
• Gave Hitler the power to pass any law, without the approval of the Reichstag, for the next 4 years.
• It could then be renewed.
• Ended all democracy in Germany.

Question 7

When did Hitler ban trade unions and what did this mean?

Answer 7

May 1933. Workers’ rights were removed; all was under Hitler’s control.

Question 8

When did Hitler ban all political parties except the Nazis and what did this mean?

Answer 8

July 1933. It gave Hitler total control; democracy was over. The leaders of all other parties were imprisoned.

Question 9

When did Hitler set up the Peoples’ court and what did this mean?

Answer 9

April 1934. This introduced show courts, giving him control over the justice system and leglisature. All judges swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler.

Question 10

When did Hitler abolish local governments and what did this mean?

Answer 10

Jan 1934. Replaced local parliaments with a governor who directly served Hitler.

Question 11

What was Hitler’s motivation for the Night of the Long Knives?

Answer 11

• Hitler began to fear threat from the SA, a force of 3m men under Ernst Rohm
• Hitler believed Rohm wanted to overthrow him
• The army despised the power the SA had
• Himmler wanted to replace the SA with the SS

Question 12

What happened during the Night of the Long Knives?

Answer 12

• Hitler ordered the arrest of SA “traitors”
• 30th June: the SS arrested 400 SA soldiers
• Some were imprisoned; some were executed, including Rohm
• Hitler used to opportunity to wipe out other political opponents such as von Papen

Question 13

When did Hindenburg die and what followed?

Answer 13

• August 1934.
• Within hours, Hitler fused the role of president and chancellor to make himself “Fuhrer of the Third Reich”.
• Hitler forced the army to swear an oath of unconditional obedience to him.
• He was now unquestionably a dictator.