part 2: establishment of hitler's dictatorship Flashcards
1
Q
3 problems once chancellor
A
- opposition in Reichstag: communists with support of working class - reichstag fire
- people more powerful than hitler: hindenburg as he could sack him anytime, had to ask him to use article 48 - enabling act/fire/death
- people in his own party: rohm wanted to merge army and SA and lead them but army hated rohm and hitler needed an army - night of long knives
2
Q
one of first decisions as chancellor and why?
A
- called an election for 5th march, hoping it would give him a clear majority
3
Q
when was the reichstag fire?
A
27th feburary 1933
4
Q
describe events of the reichstag fire
A
- reichstag building was set on fire
- blamed on dutch communist, van der lubbe, who was caught in the building
- nazis claimed communists were about to stage a take over
- 4000 communists arrested that night
- happened a week before election where nazis won 44% of votes (288 seats) which still wasn’t a majority
5
Q
how did the fire help hitler to gain power?
A
- used fire to persuade hindenburg to pass reichstag fire decree - a law restricting personal liberty (freedom of speech, press and assembly)
- gave him legal grounds to imprison communist leaders and other political opponents which stopped them campaigning for the election
- despite not gaining the majority in the election, it was still enough to progress and pass enabling act as hitler had arrested many communists and other parties intimidated by SA
6
Q
describe the ‘reichstag fire decree’
A
- restricted rights of privacy of post, house searches, no freedom of speech, can’t assemble in big groups, can’t go against government, no freedom - gave hitler even more power
- banned communists from reichstag
7
Q
why did hindenburg pass the decree?
A
- because of fire
- communist plot
8
Q
when was the enabling act?
A
23rd march 1933
9
Q
describe the enabling act and how it occurred
A
- hitler had stirred up enough fear of communism and fear from SA that he persuaded other politicians to join him
- reichstag voted by 2/3 majority to give hitler the right to make laws without reichstag’s approval for four years (enabling act): HITLER DID THIS LEGALLY
- because all communist deputies banned and SA intimidated rest of non-Nazi deputies
10
Q
impact / how did enabling act helped hitler gain power?
A
- ultimately marked the end of democracy and allowed hitler to rule as a dictator
- gave hitler absolute power to make laws which enabled him to destroy all opposition to his rule
- removed reichstag as a source of opposition
11
Q
when were trade unions banned?
A
2nd may 1933
12
Q
impact of banning trade unions
A
- removed a sense of freedom, representation and democracy
- taken away worker’s sense of complaining: freedom of speech
13
Q
when were all political parties banned other than nazis?
A
14th july 1933
14
Q
impact of banning all parties / how it helped hitler?
A
- used enabling act to ban other parties: legally did this
- made germany a one-party state
- removed democracy
- therefore removed other parties as opponents
- took over regional governments
15
Q
when was the night of the long knives?
A
30th june 1934
16
Q
causes of night of long knives
A
- hitler saw SA as a threat: over 3 million members
- some still keen on original socialist ideas, some wanted to take over rich landowners / big businesses
- hitler couldn’t afford to annoy businessman, needed them
- rohm wanted SA to take over army, however army hated rohm and hitler needed army
- needed to reassure army who were smaller than SA
- army supported by powerful businessman who wanted hitler to expand it
17
Q
describe night of long knives
A
- ordered SS (hitler’s personal protection) to purge over 400 SA leaders
- SS and special police arrested and executed leaders of the SA
- rohm shot after refusing to commit suicide
- von schleicher and strasser also short
- 400 people killed altogether over 4 days
18
Q
how did hitler get away with night of long knives?
A
- nazis publically announced they found out about a ‘secret plan’ to start a revolution by SA
- told killings had to take placed to protect germany
- propaganda used made every action hitler made seem like the right one for germany
19
Q
impact / how night helped hitler to gain power?
A
- removed any internal opposition to hitler
- gave power to brutal SS
- showed rest of the world hitler was a tyrant
- reassured army and got onside by removing fear of rohm
20
Q
when did hindenburg die?
A
19th august 1934
21
Q
describe hindenburg’s death
A
- when hindenburg died, hitler became fuhrer (leader)
- hitler declared himself jointly president, chancellor, and head of the army
- members of armed forces had to swear on oath of allegiance to hitler, rather than germany: ‘i will render unconditional obedience to the fuhrer’
22
Q
impact of death / oath
A
- formally made hitler absolute ruler of germany
- neutralised any source of opposition within the army
23
Q
describe use of propaganda
A
- josef goebbels controlled media, ensuring only nazi-approved messages were spread
- cult of hitler created, portraying him as germany’s saviour
- mass rallies, posters and radio broadcasts reinforced nazi ideology
- ultimately all propaganda made every action hitler took seem like the right one for the country, minimising resistance
24
Q
when did hitler have complete contol of germany?
A
autumn 1934
