Nazi Germany 1933-34 - How did Hitler come to power? Flashcards
What happened on January 30th 1933
Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany
What were the limitations
of Hitler’s power as Chancellor in 1933?
The Nazis didn’t control the Reichstag
What happened on February 27th 1933
- A fire destroyed the Reichstag
- A young Dutch communist, Marinus van de Lubbe, was arrested for the crime
- Hitler and the NSDAP used these vents to their advantage
Why did the Reichstag fire benefit the Nazis
- they framed it like a communist plot to take over Germany,
- which enabled Hitler to persuade Hindenburg to grant him emergency powers
What did the Reichstag fire enable the Nazis to do
- this gave the police the power to arrest people & hold them for as long as they wanted,
- so the Nazis arrested people who opposed them, banned opposition meetings & closed down their newspapers
What was the result of the March 5th election
The Nazis got their best result ever, of 44%, gaining majority in the Reichstag
Why were the Nazis able to gain majority in the Reichstag
used the police & the SA to put pressure on political opponents, broadcasting anti-communist messages
When was the Enabling act passed
March 24th 1933
How did the Enabling act change Hitler’s power as chancellor
would give Hitler the power to pass laws, without going through the Reichstag or the President
The enabling act was a ….. moment in Hitler’s movement
key
What happened on May 2 1933
- Trade union offices were taken over by the SA and SS,
- many union leaders were arrested and sent to the early concentration camps
- All trade unions were merged into the new German Labour Front (DAF),
- controlled by the Nazis and led by Robert Ley
How did the abolition of the trade unions change Hitler’s power
the Nazis collectively controlled all of the trade unions
What happened on July 14th 1933
- A law was passed which banned all remaining political parties
- and prevented new parties from forming
How did the law passed on July 14th 1933 change the political nature of Germany
- no new parties could be set up to challenge the Nazis
- Germany became a single party state
What law was passed on January 30th 1934
- The Law for the Reconstruction of the Reich was passed
- which abolished the Länder (local governments) altogether and brought them under central control.
How did the law passed on January 30th 1934 change the political nature of Germany
-power had now become centralised under Hitler
What event happened on June 29-30, 1934
The Night of the Long Knives
Why did Hitler authorise the Night of the Long Knives
- to reassure the army - feared being overtaken by the SA & had over 3 milliion members
- he had been increasingly threatened by the power of the SA - wanted to take over Germany
What was the Night of the Long Knives
- The leader of the SA, Emst Röhm, a potential rival,
- & other senior SA officers were arrested and executed
- Over the next few days, several hundred people were murdered by the SS,
- inc General von Schleicher (ex-chancellor)
The Night of the long Knives sent a…
warning to the rest of Germany about how ruthless Hitler was in his pursuit of power
It is estimated up to ……. people died in the Night of the long Knives.
5,000
Who died on August 2nd 1934
Hindenburg
What was Hitler able to do following the death of Hindenburg
Hitler made himself president as well as chancellor, the undisputed head of government
What happened in August 1934
The Amy oath - German army aligned itself behind the Nazi regime and took an oath of personal loyalty to Hitler, to risk their life for him at any time
