Nazi Control And Dictatorship Flashcards
What is the reichstag
The building where the government meets
What was hitlers position as chancellor like in January 1933
Unstable
Why was hitlers position as chancellor unstable in January 1933
Only two members other than him that are Nazis in the Cabinet
Hindenburg and Von papen want to use him to get rid of Communist parties as they thought they could control him
weimar constitution limits power as it means he has to be chancellor of a democracy Hitler doesn’t like democracy
largest party in Reichstag but didn’t have a majority
(In 1933) hitler needed a majority so he planned an ——— however 1 week before what happened?
Election at the beginning of March
Reichstag was set on fire
How long before the March election did the riechstag set on fire
1 week
Who was accused of starting the reichstag fire and what happened to them
Van de lubbe
Communist
He was arrested
Who was goering
Head of police
When was the reichstag fire
February 1933
What do goering and hitler declare after the reichstag fire
That it had been the start of the communist revolution
What does hitler persuade Hindenburg to grant in feb of 1933
The decree for the protection of people and the state
What did decree for the protection of the people and state allow hitler to do
Arrest people without questions
How many communists did hitler arrest due to decree for the protection of the people and state and what did he ban
Arrested 4000 communists + their leader
Banned communist newspapers
Where do the nazis get money from to get the communists out of the way so hitler can try get a majority
From companies
Eg. Krupp
In the March election of 1933 how many votes does nazis increase by and do they now have majority
Inc. by 288
This was not the majority
After nazis failed to get the majority in the March 1933 elections what party did hitler join with so he can get a majority.
Joined with the nationalists to get just over 50%
Why did hitler need 2/3 and not just a majority in the elections
Because he wanted to change the constitution
What was the enabling act
Gave hitler power for 4 years
How does hitler persuade Hindenburg to pass the enabling act
SA intimidation (would be waiting outside voting booths)
Absentee voted counted in favour
Centre party promised to leave catholic such alone
Communists can’t vote (as in prison)
How many a votes in favour / against does the enabling act get
444 in favour amd 94 against
What does gleichschaitung mean
Nazification
Every aspect of life was to be controlled amd monitored by the nazis
What does hitler do + when to achieve nazification
April 1933 - civil service decree: political openings, Jewish people, non-aryans had to resine
May - 1933- trade unions and strike were banned (disagrees sent to re education and concentration camps)
May 1933 - the socialist and communist parties had their property and funds seized
June 1933 - all other political parties dissolved themselves
July 1933 - law against the formation of parties: Nazi party the only legal party
Nov 1933 - nazis gained a large majority
Jan 1934 - district parliaments where abolished
When was the night of the long knives
30th June 1934
Events of the night of the long knives
Hitler arranged a meeting with Ernest rohm (head of the SA), amd 100 other SA leaders at a hotel in Bavaria, they where arrested by the SS, imprisoned and then shot
Over the next 4 days 400 people, including 150 senior SA members were killed.
Others killed included: von schleicher, strasser, von papen
SA power was no limited and Under hitlers control
Why did the night of the long knives happen becuase of rohm
Rohm had merged the army veteran group (stanihem) with SA
Brought SA to 3 mil
Storm troopers complained they were risking too much
1933 - 60% of SA were permanently unemployed so very loyal to rohm (he could challenge hitler)
Rohm opposed hitlers policies ( he wanted more socialist policies)
Why did the night of the long knives happen because of the German army
German army officers were worried about rohm after TOV
Army to 100,000 men but SA much bigger
They believed rohm wanted SA to replace German army
Why did the night of the long knives happen because of SS leaders
Himmler + heydrich
Wanted to reduce power of SA so they could increase the power and status of the SS
Who would killing rohm help hitler increase his political control
Destroying threat of rohm would remove SAS loyalty to him
How would the night of the long knives help increase hitlers political power through the Germany army
It will get the army on his side
When did Hindenburg die
August 1934
What did hitler do when Hindenburg died and why was it important
Merges role of president and chancellor into one
Achieving gleichschaltung
It was important as it increased his power
How did hitler make his actions legal (merging president and chancellors positions )
There was a vote
People wouldn’t vote against as he was the only leader amd just killed lots of people in his Own party so people were very scared
When was the SS set up
In 1925
What was the SS jobs in 1925
Hitlers bodyguards
Stoping any threats to hitler
What was the SS jobs in 1929 + why did it change
It was taken over by Heinrich himmler
This gave them a clear identity
Turned into an obedient elite
Eg. Aryan, heterosexual, black uniforms, symbol
What was the SS role in the police state
Stop any threats to nazi way of life
A visual representation of nazi power
Over see SD and Gestapo
How many SS were there in 1939
250,000
Who Is the boss of the SS SD and gestapo
Himmler
When was the SD established
1931
Who runs the SD (appointed by himmler)
Heydrich
What was the SDs role in the police state
Work as detectives to find and monitor potential enemys
Keep files on everyone
SD attracts very intelligent, well educated men
When was the gestapo set up
1933
Who were the gestapo
Secrete police
Who lead the gestapo
Goering
In 1934 who were the gestapo put under control of
Himmler and hydrich
What was the gestapos role in the police state
Find / search for opposition
Eg. In conservation
Rely on a network of informants so people lived in fear of being turned in
What power did the gestapo had
Could arrest without evidence or trial and take you to a concentration camp
160,000 in 1939 arrested without reason
Legally allowed to torcher people for a confession
How many members of the gestapo where there compared to the German population
30,000 gestapo
80 million population
So controlled through fear not numbers
What did hitler set up to maintain the law
Nationalist socialist league
How did hitler control judges
All judges had to be members of the nationalist socialist league
If they didn’t anything to displease they nazis they could not be members so they couldn’t be a judge
Judges were told they should always rule in line with nazi ideology
How did hitler control the courts
Trial by jury was abolished
judges would decide the punishment
Hitler sometimes decided sentences himself (eg, he decided an elderly many found guilty for hoarding eggs to be executed not just Imprisoned)
There was no right to appeal against a verdict given In the people court
What was the peoples court
Set up in 1934
To hear all cases of treason against the state
Judges handpicked
Trials held in secrete
Who ran concentration camps
SS And SD
(Gestapo had the authority to send people there)
At first what were concentration camps set up the detain
Political opponents
Eg, communists, socialists and trade unions
Where was the first concentration camp
Dachau, Munich
Later, what did concentration camps also start to detain
Ideological and racial opponents
Eg, Jewish people, ethnic minorities, religious groups, ‘workshy’, homosexuals