Nazi Politics Flashcards
Who supported Hitler in becoming Chancellor?
President Hindenburg
Why did Hindenburg and Von Papen support Hitler?
They believed the could control him
What happened in the 1933 election?
The Nazis won 43.9% of the vote. The DNVP won 8%. Between them the two parties had a majority.
What happened on the 27th Feb 1933?
The Reichstag was burned down. A Dutch Communist admitted to starting the fire and the Nazis claimed it was a Communist plot to spark a revolution. The Communists blamed the Nazis, claiming the fire provided Hitler with an excuse to move against the Communists - it certainly was convenient for him.
What was the Enabling Act?
Allowed Hitler to pass laws without the Reichstag’s consent
How did Hitler achieve the 2/3 majority needed to change the constitution?
He prevented 81 Communist members from taking their Reichstag seats and by winning the Centre Party’s support, he was able to pass the Act by 441 to 94 votes.
How did the Nazis describe their consolidation of power?
A legal revolution
What aspects of the political system did Hitler ‘bring into line’?
- April 1933 - a law removed Jews and Nazi opponents from the civil service, schools and courts
- May 1933 - trade unions were abolished
- May 1933 - the Nazis occupied SPD and Communist Party offices, confiscating their funds
- Left wing newspapers were banned
- Thousands of Nazi opponents wre arrested and places in concentration camps
- In June/July 1933 the other political parties dissolved themselves and Germany became officially a one party state
What was the DAF?
Deutsche Arbeitsfront (German Labour Front)
What was the aim of the DAF?
To reconcile German workers to the Nazi Party by protecting their interests
What were the two subsidary organisations of DAF?
Strength through Joy and Beauty of Labour
What did Strength Through Joy do?
helped organise workers’ leisure time
What did Beauty of Labour do?
Improved working conditions
What was the membership of the DAF?
22 million - the largest organisation on the Third Reich
Why did Hitler still not have complete control in 1934?
- Hindenburg remained as President
- the army remained outside of Nazi control - troops took an oath of loyalty to the President
- the 2 million strong SA was a potential threat - while it played a crucial role in helping Hitler win, its violent methods were proved something of an embarssment after ‘33. Many of them were critical of Hitler as they had not benefited.
What did SA leader Ernst Röhm attempt to do in 1933-4?
Merge the SA and the army under his control, alarming both Hitler and army leaders.
In fear of Röhm, what did Hitler do?
He used a detachment of the SS to purge the leaders of the SA and settle the score with other enemies.
What was this purge nicknamed?
The Night of the Long Knives
How many people were killed in the Night of the Long Knives?
About 200 including Ernst Röhm
What was the consequence of the Night of the Long Knives for Hitler?
In one stroke he had wiped out a main threat to his power and gained the support of another - the army - as Hindenburg and the amry leaders supported Hitler’s action
What happened when Hindenburg died in 1934?
Hitler combined the offices of Chancellor and President, making himself the Führer. Civil servants and members of the army now took a personal oath of loyalty to him
Who designed the first concentration camp and what was it for?
Heinrich Himmler established the first concentration camp for political opponents, at Dachau.
Who appointed the judges?
Nazi Minister of Justice
What was the Volksgerichtshof?
The People’s Court - made sure that opponents of the Nazis charged with high treason were found guilty, even of there was little or no evidence
