Nazi Control and Dictatorship, 1933-39 Flashcards
Reason Hitler needed more seats and how he achieved it
- If Nazis got a 2/3 majority, Nazi party would be able to make changes to the constitution and give Hitler absolute power
- In March 1933 elections Nazis took no chances. Hitler tried to stop other political parties from carrying out effective campaigns. controlled news media and opposition meetings banned
- Hitler used SA to terrorise opponents. February 1933 SA raided Communist party headquarters and claimed found evidence communists planning uprising against government
- February 1933 6 days before election fire brok out in Reichstag. Hitler blamed Communist party using event to cause Ant-Communist feelings
How Hitler used the Reichstag fire to get rid of the communist party
- Hitler used fire to claim communists were a threat to country. Nazi newspapers used this as excuse to publish anti-communist conspiracies
- Hindenburg issued decree giving Hitler emergency powers to deal with supposed communist threat- many basic right from constitution suspended
- Emergency powers was a turning point towards Germany becoming a dictatorship, despite this he had little opposition from the public due to him justifying it
- Hitler used these powers to intimidate communist voters, decree also enabled SA to round up and imprison 4000 communist members
How Hitler passed the Enabling Act
- March 1933 Nazis won 288 seats but didn’t have overall majority. Hitler simply made communist party (with 81 seats) illegal
- This gave him enough support to bring in the Enabling act, passed with threats and bargaining March 1933. Let him govern 4 years without parliament. (Not massive leap due to Article 48)
- Enabling Act important step in Hitler’s consolidation of power.
- allowed Hitler to bring controversial legislation into force to strengthen Nazi party’s position
Laws Hitler introduced under Enabling Act
- May 1933, Trade Unions abolished, union officials arrested: Hitler saw unions as a threat due to their control over workers, after this workers had to join Nazi Labour Front
- July 1933, all political parties banned except Nazis, new parties couldn’t be made making Germany officially one-party state. Some thought this would be an improvement reducing instability
How the SA became a threat to Hitler
- SA helped Hitler come to power
- But Hitker saw SA as threat since they were loyal to Ernst Röhm, SA leader
- SA also unpopular with leaders of German army and with some ordinary Germans
The ‘Night of the Long Knives’
- Ernst Röhm biggest threat to Hitler but other Nazi members were a problem due to disagreeing views
- 29-30th June 1934, Hitler sent men to arrest or kill Röhm and others. several hundred killed or imprisoned, including Röhm.
- Hitler claimed those killed plotting against government therefore murders legal
- became known as ‘Night of the Long Knives’
- Stamped out all potential Nazi opposition, sent powerful message about Hitler’s ruthlessness and brutality. showed Hitler free to act above law
Hitler taking full control of Germany
- August 1934, Hindenburg died, Hitler used this to combine posts of chancellor and president, also making himself commander in chief of Army
- Called himself Der Führer- beginning of dictatorship
- Reorganised government- made the 1926 Gau of Nazi party official provinces with a Gauleiter in charge of each
- Above gauleiters were Reichsleiters advised Hitler
- At top with complete control Der Führer
- Every aspect of life controlled, only loyal Nazis could succeeed
How Germany became a police state
- Nazis wanted complete control
- Enabling Act allowed government to read post, tap phone calls, search homes without notice
- Law for Reconstruction of the Reich 1934 gave Nazis total power of local governments
- Laws to sack non-Nazi supporter civil servants
- Nazis made changes to justice system. Judges expected to make rulings in line with Nazi policy not ‘fair’ or unbiased
- SIcherheitsdienst (SD) was Nazi intelligence. Initially run by Reinhard Heydrich- aimed to bring every German under continual supervision
Ways the Nazis made legal system unfair
- 1933, Nazis set up special courts where basic rights of accused suspended- couldn’t appeal or wuestion evidence given against them
- 1934, Hitler established People’s court in Berlin. held trials for important political trials. Defendants nearly always found guilty
How SS terrified people into conforming
SS (Schutztaffel) began as Hitler’s bodyguard. expanded massively uner Himmler 1930s. members totally loyal to Hitler, feared for cruelty
How Gestapo terrified people into conforming
Himmler in charge of secret police- Gestapo. Gestapo’s job ‘to protect safety and order’, but methods included harsh interrogations and imprisonment without trial
How Local wardens terrified people into conforming
Local wardens employed to ensure Germans were loyal. Members of public encouraged to report disloyalty. Many arrested by Gestapo as result
How concentration camps terrified people into conforming
After 1933, concentration camps built across Germany to hold political prisoners and anyone else considered dangerous to Nazis. Some later turned to death camps
Reasons not all German people scared by Nazis
- Most Germans prepared to go along with new regime. Some accepted out of fear
- Others went along because they believed in Nazi aims just not brutal methods
- For those who didn’t fit in with Nazi ideals however life under SS and Gestapo could be terrifying, though many Germans supported rather than feared Hitler
Propoganda and the Nazis’ use of it
- Propoganda means spreading information that influences how people think and behave
- Gives only certain points of view often leaving out important facts
- nazis used powerful propoganda to get support of German people. Dr Joseph Goebbels in overall charge of Nazis’ ‘Propoganda machine’
