Laws and the consolidation of power: Treaty of Versailles + April 1933 - September 1935 Flashcards
What did the Military Service Law of May 1935 do?
Introduced universal military service. Under this law, every boy at age 18 joined a labour service corps for six months, and he entered a two-year term in the military at age 19.
Aryan descent became a prerequisite for military service
What did the Law Against Overcrowding of German Schools do? April 1933
Removed many Jewish students
What did the Law for the Restoration of a Professional Public Service do? April 1933
removal of Jews from positions in government
What did the Nuremberg Laws do and include? September 1935 (laws announced)
The Reich Citizenship Law
- moved the rights of German Jews to hold German citizenship
Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honour
- removed the rights to marry Germans of non-Jewish background
What was the Decree for the protection of the people/Reichstag Fire decree? 28 Feb 1933
- suspended civil liberties
- Restrictions on individual freedoms,
- government allowed to freely arrest and incarcerate opponents, suppress publications
Enabling Act 23rd March 1933
Allowed Hitler to freely enact new laws without president or Reichstag
Removed balance of power, legalising Hitler’s dictatorship
What was the Law for the Reconstruction of the Reich? 30th Jan 1934
Abolished Länder (state) legislatures (parliament), power transferred to the Reich and their institutions abolished.
Germany became a highly-centralised state, and the concept of a federal republic was removed.
What was the Law for the abolition of the Reichsrat? 14th Feb 1934
The upper house of the national legislature, the Reichsrat
As the Reichsrat represented the state governments, its abolition meant the total removal of states’ power
What was the Law concerning the Head of State? 19 August 1934
Office of President merged with the Chancellor (Adolf Hitler)
Allowed the Nazi party to issue laws without the consent of the German parliament
Extra
The Nazi party detained opposition in detention camps ‘under protection’ in order to win a 2/3rd vote to pass the Law
What was the Law against the establishment of new parties? July 14 1933
Nazi Party proclaimed as the only legitimate political party; all others were disbanded or dissolved.
–> one-party dictatorship
What was the Reichstag Fire? 27 Feb 1933
German parliament building caught fire
Blamed communist
Used to persuade von Hindenburg to pass the Reichstag Fire Decree(given the threat of communism), suspending civil liberties
What was the Oath taken by the members of the armed forces?
August 1934
Members of the Armed forces pledge alliegence to Hitler and the Nazi party
Absolute control over members of the armed forces
What was the Night of the Long Knives?
2 July 1934
The SS troops found SA Leader Edmund Heines in bed with an 18 male SA troop leader. The two were later taken out of the hotel and shot.
Removal of political opponents and Enemies of the Nazi party
What did the Article 231 of the Treaty of Versailles do?
War Guilt Clause
Germany accepts sole responsibility for the war
Hitler thinks this is outrageous
Good for propaganda
What did Article 232 of the Treaty of Versailles do?
(Reparations)
They went around tallying up lives lost, limbs lost (monetary value), property and gave Germany the bill based off of all lost
USD 33 billion (back in those days)
