Impact of Hitler's Rule

Question 1

How did Hitler consolidate his power politically?

Answer 1

Reichstag Fire
* A Dutchman arrested near building, accused by Nazis of being part of a communist (main rivals) conspiracy. Leaders of the Communist Party arrested, charged with arson + attempting to overthrow the government.
* Hitler convinced Hindenburg to invoke Article 48 of the constitution, establish emergency powers + sign Reichstag Fire Decree ➔ Suspended civil liberties (freedom of press/to assemble in public). SA arrested communists, broke up meetings, shut down their newspapers. -> Affected election campaigns of other political parties

Enabling Act

• With the Communist Party out of the way, the Nazi Party won 44% of the votes in March 1933 elections.
• Hitler wanted to pass the Enabling Act (pass laws without President’s approval). When the Act was to be voted on, SA and SS surrounded building, only Nazis and supporters allowed in.
• Communist Party and Social Democrat Party banned from future elections

Night of Long Knives

• Some in the Nazi Party + army leaders viewed SA as a threat. Roehm (SA leader) had talked rashly about taking over the army.
• Conspired, convinced Hitler of Roehm as a threat. Hitler made pact with the army, that if **he removed Roehm and other SA leaders, army swear an oath of allegiance to him. **
• 400 executed. Power of SA broken, subjected to control of SS,

Question 2

How did Hitler consolidate his power economically?

Answer 2

Re-employment and Remilitarisation

• Unemployment was about 6 million ➔ Under the economic minister Hjalmar Schacht re-organised Germany’s finances to create new jobs. He recommended Hitler to initiate public works programmes
• Public Work Scheme: Huge programme of building hospitals, schools and public buildings such as the 1936 Olympic Stadium. The construction of the autobahns created jobs for 80 000 men.

Autarky and Big Industries

• Aim to make Germany self-sufficient.
• New Plan: Important industries subsidised, imports barred. Production of important products (oil, steel, coal, explosives) increased. Innovation -> German scientists attempted to create synthetic oil and rubber to reduce dependency on the need to import,
• Goering’s Four Year Plan: Massive expenses on rearmament boosted incomes of companies producing war materials. Companies had to make compulsory donations directly to the Nazi Party.

Question 3

How did Hitler consolidate his power socially?

Answer 3

• National boycott of Jewish businesses (segregate from rest of German society + destroy them financially). Jewish shops marked with the Star of David. SA men stood outside to ensure Germans did not go in.
• The Night of the Broken Glass, 1938.Nazi diplomat shot dead by a young Jewish boy in Paris. Nazis looted and destroyed Jewish shops. Homes burned. Jews beaten, killed, sent to concentration camps.
• Holocaust: Nazi leaders met at the Wannsee Conference to **finalise plans to kill all of Europe’s Jews **
• Deadliest phase of the Holocaust (‘The Final Solution’) .Throughout Europe, Jews sent to ghettoes/concentration camps, waiting their turns to be sent to death camps (gassed to death). Sometimes, cruel medical experiments performed on them first. young Jews worked to death in factories.

Hilter Youth
* **Instill unwavering support for the party among the youth. **
* Curriculum were indoctrinated with anti-Semitism and Nazi ideology.
* Hitler formed the Hitler Youth, aimed to grow future leaders in Nazi organisations. It provided military training such as rifle training, endurance and team building activities for boys.
* He also introduced the League of German Girls for the girls. Girls were taught about their place in society and the importance of producing healthy baby boys