Nazi control and Dictatorship Flashcards
Why was the Reichstag Fire important?
Marius van der Lubbe, a Communist agitator, was arrested and blamed for the fire.
The day after the fire, “The Reichstag Fire Decree” was passed, leading to heavy restrictions on the freedom of Germans. With the Nazis in key positions in the government, this led to the arrest of anyone who opposed the Nazis.
What did the Enabling Act allow Hitler to do?
To pass laws without consultation of the President or the Reichstag. It allowed him to begin overriding the powers of the Weimar Constitution.
It represented the beginning of the end for Democracy in Germany.
What was the effect of banning Trade Unions and Political Parties?
The Trade Unions helped silence grassroots Communism.
Banning Political Parties made it possible to silence enemies of moderates and supporters of Democracy.
Why did Hitler see Ernst Rohm as a threat?
He wanted to merge the German army with the SA and have it placed under his command.
What happened on the Night of the Long Knives?
The SS were ordered to “purge” the SA with the murder of its elite leaders, including Ernst Rohm.
What did the death of Hindenburg mean for Germany?
The last bits of Democracy in Germany could be dismantled.
The army took an oath of loyalty to Hitler and Hitler gave himself the title of Fuhrer.
What did the army’s oath of allegiance mean for the SA?
The SA were no longer needed.
What was the role of the Gestapo, the SS, SD and Concentration Camps?
The SS were expanded to 240,000 men and were used to inflict violence on opponents of the Nazis.
The SD were a security force that kept index cards on anyone thought to oppose the Nazis.
The Gestapo existed to identify any and all critics of the Nazi Party. They spied on people, tapped phones and used informants to identify suspects. In 1939 alone, 160,000 people were arrested.
People were placed in Concentration Camps when suspected of being opponents of the Nazis. The first camp was opened at Dachau in 1933.
How did the Nazis control the legal system?
Judges had to be members of the Nazi Party and “Peoples Courts” were set-up where the need for evidence was suspended.
