Key Issue 4 - Consolidation of Power Flashcards
When did Hitler and the Nazis secure control of all aspects of the German state?
January 1933 to August 1934
What had Hitler done by August 1934?
Combined the posts of chancellor and president
How did Hitler stop opposition to the Nazi regime?
- banned political parties
- controlled the media
- created trade unions
- support of police
- kept all his actions within the legal framework of the time
What did the burning down of the Reichstag building provide Hitler with?
An excuse to remove the threat posed by his greatest opposition - the Communist Party
Why was Hitler’s position as chancellor not very strong at the beginning?
- the Nazis didn’t have a majority in the Reichstag
- Hindenburg hated Hitler
- it became clear that von Papen couldn’t control Hitler like he claimed
When did Hitler call a general election to attempt to get a majority in the Reichstag?
5th March 1933
When was the Reichstag building set on fire?
27th February 1933, one week before the election
Who did the Nazis arrest for the fire?
Marinus van der Lubbe, a Dutch communist
What happened after the Reichstag fire?
Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to sign the “Decree for the Protection of People and State.” This suspended basic civil rights and allowed the Nazis to imprison large numbers of their political opponents. Communist and socialist newspapers were banned.
What happened in the March 1933 general election?
The Nazi Party won 288 seats, which was not a majority of votes, so a coalition was formed with the National Party.
What percentage of the vote did the Nazi Party win the the 1933 general election?
44%
What was the Enabling Act?
This gave Hitler and his government full powers for the next four years and would mean that the Reichstag would become completely susceptible to Nazi activities. It resulted in the suspension of civil liberties, the imposition of censorship, control of the press, the abolition of trade union and the disbanding of all political parties apart from the Nazi Party. Hitler had basically created a dictatorship.
When was the Enabling Act passed?
23rd March 1933
What was the Night of the Long Knives?
The purging of Hitler’s political and military rivals in the SA to win the support of the army.
Why did Hitler see the SA as a threat?
The leader of the SA, Ernst Röhm, wanted to incorporate the army into the SA and wanted to move away from Germany’s class structure and bring greater equality. Hitler’s personal army, the SS, wanted to move away from the SA and Goering, the head of the the Gestapo, wanted to lead the armed forces and saw Röhm as an opponent.
When was the Night of the Long Knives?
30th June 1934
Why did Hitler choose to take action?
Himmler informed Hitler that Röhm was about to seize power. Hitler now had to choose between the SA and the army, and chose the army.
What happened during the Night of the Long Knives?
Röhm and the main leaders of the SA were shot by members of the SS. Von Schleicher was shot alongside other people who opposed Hitler. Around 400 people were murdered.
What was the impact of the Night of the Long Knives?
It was seen to be the turning point for Hitler’s rule in Germany. The SA was relegated to a minor role and if there had been any doubt about Hitler’s rule, it was now clear that fear and terror would play significant roles.
When did Hitler give himself the title Fuhrer?
August 1934, after the death of Hindenburg
