Political And Governmental Change Nazis Flashcards
From when to when was Muller chancellor, why did Muller’s gov collapse, how and why?
- Jun 1928 to Mar 1930
- Muller resigned after Hindenburg refused to use Article 48
- Government was divided over measures to deal w/ slump
After this who was appointed, who was he, up until when was he chancellor and why?
- Bruning (ZP member)
- From Mar 1930 to May 1932
- Hindenburg did not like Bruning’s proposals to break up bankrupt Prussian estates so dismissed him
- Schleicher, who had initially advised for his appointment, turned against him
From Jul 1930 and Apr 1932 elections, how many laws were actually passed by Reichstag compared to those passed by presidential decree (by Bruning)? Why was this tolerated by SPD?
- 29 by Reichstag
- 109 by presidential decree
- SPD thought anything was better than Hitler
Why did Brüning use Article 48 so much?
- Restrict civil liberties
- Authoritarianism was best way to guard Catholicism
- Could not rely on majority support in Reichstag
What ban did Brüning crucially make in Apr 1932 and why ?
- Banned SA
- To reduce street violence
What aspects of the Nazi Party made some believe they would create socialist society?
- Socialist traditions in pre-GER dating back to pre-Marxism
- Rejected desire for economic rev to break capitalism (unlike Marxism)
- Nazis wanted to end capitalism (like Marxists)
- Rejected privileges setting one class apart from another (like socialists)
What kind of socialism did Hitler advocate for and what was the thinking behind this?
- Trench socialism
- Unity
- Distinctions of rank but roughly equal w/ same danger and uniform
- Learnt to transcend class
What was the appeal of Nazis for different groups of people and which groups were less susceptible to NSDAP?
- Lower middle class –> Promised to protect them from power of big businesses by militant power of department stores and attracting small business owners
- Women –> Promised economic security + greater respect for their traditional role
- Protestants –> Appealed to their nationalism, promising to protect GER from communist threat
- Working class –> Promised ‘work and bread’
- Middle class –> Promised to protect traditional values + wealth of middle class from communist rev
- Less susceptible grps were Catholic + working class
Between 1920 and 1927, how did the number of members in NSDAP change?
- 1920 –> 3,000
- 1925 –> 27,000
- 1926 –> 49,000
- 1927 –> 72,000
What did NSDAP offer, what did Hitler believe, what was his initial strategy to seize power and how and when did this change?
- Offered national rebirth
Beliefs: - Racism (esp anti-semitism)
- Social Darwinism
- Opposed democracy
- Supported political violence
- Blamed traditional rulers
- Changed plan from seizing power in a Putsch to winning it through elections after failure of Munich Putsch
How did Hitler present himself to the German people?
- Strong man
- Contrasted himself to traditional politicians who only talked but did not take action
- Ordinary man, as he was not an aristocrat but rather fought on frontline during WW
What was the first instance where the rise in support for extremist parties was shown, when was this, how did they gain this support and were they part of gov?
- Sep 1930 elections where both parties made gains
- SA made attacks on political opponents
- Neither KPD/NSDAP were part of gov but had a good size in Reichstag
Who were the SA (Stormtroopers), what did they do and what did they originate from?
- Nazis’ private army
- Protected Nazi political meetings
- Attacked other party meetings
- Intimidated Jews + people at elections
- Originated from Freikorps
Who were the two leaders of SA, when did they lead, what was the typical member like and where were they from?
- Hermann Göring 1923-31
- Ernst Röhm 1931 onwards
- Part of working class, violent + attracted by socialism in NSDAP
- Originally consisted of WW1 soldiers, then many unemployed young men in 1930s
In what ways did the crisis of political violence weaken the Weimar Republic?
- Indicated democracy had failed to ensure law + order
- Nationalists supported violence of SA
When were the presidential elections and why did Hindenburg take part despite wanting to retire?
- Apr 1932
- Persuaded to run again due to fear that Hitler would stand
Who won and how many votes did each gain?
Hindenburg won w/ 19.4 mil compared to Hitler’s 13.4 mil votes
Who became Chancellor after this, how, when did this happen, how long was he Chancellor and what kind of gov did he form?
- von Papen
- May 1932 –> von Schleicher persuaded Hindenburg to ask von Papen to form a non-party gov consisting of the elite
- Up until Nov 1932
- Presidential gov
What major action did von Papen take in Jun 1932?
Lifted ban on SA
How did he play a role in undermining democracy?
- Jul 1932 –> Deposed Socialist-led coalition gov in Prussia
Why did Hindenburg dissolve the Reichstag + hold an election (Jul 1932), what were the results and as a result, what did Hitler ask for?
- Deadlock in Reichstag
- NSDAP + KPD won over half the seats
- Hitler asked Hindenburg to be made Chancellor
Give an example to show the continuing lack of support for von Papen and what did Hindenburg do after thus?
- Voted no confidence by 512 to 42 votes
- Dissolved Reichstag after one day
- Called new elections (contrary to constitution )
What were the results of Nov 1932 elections and what did Hindenburg have to do after this?
- Nazis’ share of votes fell from 37% to 33%
- KPD made further gains
- Rule by decree
Who did Hindenburg offer the post of chancellor to, when and up until when did he last as Chancellor?
- von Schleicher, old army friend
- Dec 1932 to Jan 1933
What did Hindenburg offer Hitler and how did he respond?
- Offered a place in his cabinet
- Refused it
- Insisted he would only take chancellor post
Which two politicians wanted an alliance with the Nazis in second half of 1932 and why?
- von Papen + von Schleicher
- Authoritarian gov would have popular legitimacy + mass support in Reichstag
What did von Schleicher suggest to do next and how did Hindenburg respond to this? What was his suggestion after this?
- Continue governing by decree as this was the only way to control Reichstag
- Hindenburg refused
- Make Hitler chancellor + make von Papen vice-chancellor so he can control Hitler
Why did senior military officers + senior bankers and industrialists want Hitler to enter gov?
- Military officers –> Ensure loyalty of SA could be used to fight Red Front in event of communist rev
- Bankers + industrialists –> Protect wealth + property of Germany’s middle class in threat of communist rev
As a result what happened next and when?
30 Jan 1933 –> Hitler appointed Chancellor
What problems did Hitler face in Jan 1933, despite being Chancellor?
- Only had 40% Reichstag seats (needed 50% to pass laws + 2/3 maj to change constitution)
- Only 2/12 cabinet members were Nazis: Wilhelm Frich, Minister of the Interior + Hermann Göring, Minister w/out Portfolio
- Hindenburg still had all of his presidential powers + distrusted Hitler
- Civil rights protected by constitution, limiting legal intimidation
- Germany has federal system
- Other political parties existed
- Unions had power
- Free press
- Army suspicious of Hitler
- Nazi radicals critical of Hitler’s leadership
Legal Revolution:
- Reichstag Fire
- 1933 elections
- Day of Potsdam
- Enabling Act
What was the Reichstag Fire, who was suspected to have done it, why and what is it actually them?
- 27 Feb –> Reichstag deliberately burnt down
- Young Dutch communist, Marinus van de Lubbe as he was supposedly carrying evidence that he had set the fire
- Possible the fire was set by Nazis, but van de Lubbe was scapegoat for it
Why did the Nazis reject communism?
It focused on internationalism and importance of working class
What did Nazis instruct to the police after the fire and what happened as a result?
- Conduct late night raids of leading Communist homes
- Over 4000 arrested
What benefits did the fire create for Nazis?
- Credit for catching arsonist
- Stirred up anti-communist propaganda
- German industrialists contributed generously to Nazi funds due to rising fear of communism
- 28 Feb –> Hitler was able to persuade Hindenburg to declare state of emergency
- Hitler was able to persuade Hindenburg to call an election for 5 Mar
How did Hitler use emergency powers to his advantage?
- Decree for Protection of the People and the State –> suspended civil rights of German citizens (Clause 1), Hitler’s gov has right to enforce law and order in GER states (Clause 2), allowing Hitler to legally arrest political opponents + ban opposition newspapers
Josef Goebbels:
- Joined party in 1922
- Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda
How did Goebbels’ propaganda justify these measures?
Argued that:
- Communist plot was extremely serious
- Communists were planning a rev
- Powers were only ‘temporary’
Why was there no opposition in the first few weeks after Nazi takeover?
- SPD respected his legal position as chancellor
- KPD thought they would only last a few months
- Unions still weak due to mass unemployment so couldn’t organise strike
How did the Nazis attempt to win over the Germans for elections? (4)
- Use of terror –> members of KPD, SPD, union leaders detained in wild concentration camps
- Goering persuaded big businesses to give funding, promising that it would be the last election for years –> more than 3 mil Reichsmarks gained from 20 leader industrialists
- Media used to create illusion that KPD was plotting imminent rev (even sent out soldiers to patrol streets)
- Did not ban KPD to ensure vote between left-wing was split
How many votes + seats did the Nazis win, how did they do this and did they have a majority?
- 43.91%
- 288 seats
- Violent campaign tactics + arrested political opponents
- Held majority due to support of 52 seats won by DNVP
Give examples of propaganda used by NSDAP during the election:
- 31 Jan 1933 –> ‘Appeal to the German People’, where bad economic conditions were blamed on terrorist actions of communists
- Promised 3 mil RM
SOPADE and what they did:
- Social Democrats in exile
- Gathered info about public opinion in GER to pass onto Allies
How did Hindenburg (and someone else?) feel about Nazi violence during the election?
- Concerned about its use even after Nazis had taken over
In what ways did Hitler deal with Hindenburg?
- 10 Mar –> instructed followers to stop violent acts
- Goebbels organised Day of Potsdam to emphasise common ground between Nazism and Hindenburg’s traditional nationalism –> persuaded Hindenburg and others
What was Day of Potsdam and when was it?
- 21 Mar 1933
- Dramatic ceremony at Potsdam Garrison Church to celebrate opening of new Reichstag
What did Hitler want after this and what did he need to achieve this?
- Power to make laws
- Needed 2/3 maj in Reichstag to pass Enabling Act that gave him this power
When was Enabling Act passed?
- 23 Mar –> Reichstag met to debate proposed law at Kroll Opera House (Reich unusable)
How was Hitler able to pass the Enabling Act?
- 81 KPD + 26 SPD deputies not allowed to debate –> on the basis that left was implicated in Reichstag Fire
- Promised to respect RCC rights to gain ZP support
- SA surrounded Reichstag
- Said law was only ‘temporary’ for 4 yrs
By how many votes was Enabling Act passed, who voted against significantly and why?
- 444 to 94 votes
- SPD voted against
- Argued that it destroyed democracy
What happened to Reichstag after this?
- Still existed –> abolishing it would’ve been unpopular
- GER people could only vote for Nazi candidates in elections
- Ceremonial purposes
- Reichstag needed to renew Enabling Act every 4 yrs (1937 and 1941)
How did Nazis deal with potential threats and what was this?
- Gleichschaltung (co-ordination) = Process of Nazification
- Nazified important institutions like newspapers
What move did Nazis make in Jan 1934 to coordinate gov?
- Jan 1934 –> abolished Landtages (regional parliaments)
- Replaced by Reich governors (maj had been Nazi Gauleiters)
- Ministry of Interior given more power over federal regions
Gauleiters:
- Responsible for coordinating Nazi Party in GER regions + organising election campaigns
- Established in 1925
- 1933 –> advisory role in local gov
- 1934 –> federalism officially abolished, giving them full power
How did Nazis coordinate the civil service and why did they do this?
- 7 Apr 1933 –> Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service
- Anyone whose racial purity/political loyalty was doubted could be dismissed
- Stop civil servants opposing Nazi initiatives
What happened to KPD?
- By Mar election –> Driven underground by SA violence + murder of members
- Mid July –> Formally banned
What happened to SPD and why?
- Banned on 22 Jun 1933
- Claimed it was hostile to German state and people
What happened to DNVP?
- Major newspapers began attacking DNVP’s leader under instruction of Nazis, demanding his resignation
- Jun –> due to pressure + negotiations w/ senior Nazis, DNVP dissolved itself
- Some DNVP members stayed in gov, others joined Nazis
What happened to DDP and DVP?
Dissolved after performing poorly in Mar election + Nazi intimidation
What happened to ZP, why and how?
- 6 Jul 1933 –> ZP dissolved itself
- Nazi gov put pressure on senior Catholics to dissolve voluntarily as expression of national unity
- Promised traditional rights of RCC would be respected
What was the law that officially got rid of political parties, what did it say and when was this established?
- 14 Jul –> Law Against the Establishment of Political Parties
- Outlawed formation of new parties + secured NSDAP as only legal political party
Hermann Goering:
- Wounded in Munich Beer Hall Putsch
- Organised Night of Long Knives
- 1928 –> Elected to Reichstag
Roles: - Head of Luftwaffe
- Head of Four Year Plan Organisation
As a result of Goering’s reputation, what was his role in gov and why was this important?
- Won approval of aristocrats in gov
- People sus of Hitler due to his lower middle class background
What powers did being Minister of the Interior give Goering and what did he do whilst in power?
- Control over law and order
- Used police to persecute left-wing opponents
- Appointed 50,000 members of SA as auxiliary police officers
Why did Hitler want to get rid of the SA, despite the help they had given to get him to power?
- Bad for Nazi image, as they were considered thugs
- Loyal to Rohm who was increasingly critical of Hitler’s willingness to compromise w/ traditional autocracy rather than seizing power by force
- Did not need SA as he had the Gestapo and SS
Why was Rohm increasingly critical of Hitler’s conciliation w/ aristocrats?
- SA represented more working class section so its agenda represented more of the socialist aspects
- Wanted to replace traditional autocracy w/ new elite that had right to lead GER, as the aristocrats had failed to win WW1 (or get SA to equal status)
How many members did SA have by 1934 and what did conservative members like Blomberg (head of GER army) think of this?
- 2 mil
- Horrified at the thought as it was regarded ‘thuggish and ill-disciplined’
What event (when?) led to tensions between the army and SA coming to a head and why?
- Jun 1934 –> Hindenburg’s declining health
- Army would lose its most powerful ally, as now there would be no one to defend them against the Nazi radicals
What action did army take after this and what would this mean for Hitler?
- Discuss new gov w/ von Papen
- von Papen + Blomberg considered gov w/ alliance between army + aristocracy
- End to Hitler’s power
Who persuaded Hitler to kill Rohm and why did they do this?
- Himmler and Goering
- Himmler: Wanted SS to have full power + Rohm was gay
- Goering: Wanted to be head of army but Rohm also wanted this
- Both: Did not like that Rohm was Hitler’s fave
What are the key differences between SS and SA?
SA:
- Made up of former soldiers
- Working/ Lower middle class
- Chaotic violence
SS:
- Made up of new gen of WW1 children
- Ultra ruthless elite
- Middle class/ Well educated
- Highly organised
Through 1933 and first months of 1934, what did Hitler try to do and how did this end?
- Compromise w/ Rohm
- Rohm was not willing so no further action was taken
What speech did von Papen make, when, where and why was this worrying for Hitler?
- Marburg speech
- Jun 1934
- University of Marburg
- Showed Papen was confident that he had army backing for alliance
In retaliation, what deal did Hitler make and with who?
Agreed to remove Rohm + order SA leaders and respect army’s rights in return for their support
In June 1934, what did Hitler order the SA to do and where were the SA as a result?
- Ordered them to go on leave for entire month
- Hanselbaur Hotel in Bad Wiesel
How did Hitler and Goering go about the Night of the Long Knives?
- Drew up death list of around 80 enemies
- SS + German soldiers tasked w/ arrests supervised by Hitler at hotel
When was the Night of the Long Knives and what happened?
- 30 Jun to 2 Jul 1934
- Rohm and several hundreds of other senior SA officers were murdered
Who were the others who had been killed, how and why?
Shot:
- von Schleicher + wife
- Kurt von Bredow –> senior military leader who was openly critical of Nazis
- 2 of von Papen’s closest advisers
Killed:
- Gregor Strasser –> sympathetic towards Rohm’s second rev idea + advocated for working w/ Schleicher before Nazi seizure of power
- 12 Reichstag deputies
Imprisoned and intimidated:
- von Papen
What option was Rohm given, what did he do about this and how did it end?
Commit suicide but refused and was shot
What happened to SA after this and what were peoples’ reaction to the event?
- Continued working but in reduced form
- Used mainly for ceremonial purposes
- New leaders: Victor Lutze
- Relieved Hitler had tamed SA
In order to justify the Night of the Long Knives, what did Hitler and the press do?
Hitler:
- Passed the Law Regarding Measures of State Self-Defence after the event
- Said Röhm was planning a Putsch to overthrow the gov
Press:
- Drew attention to homosexuality of many SA members to show they were deserving of what happened
Consequences of Night of Long Knives:
- Leaders of army persuaded by purge to support Hitler’s gov
- Hitler named head of state, head of gov + Fuhrer of the Third Reich
- Power of traditional nationalists destroyed
- Much greater control of Nazi movement
- Soldiers and others had to give oath of loyalty
Give one example of a personal rivalry in gov as a result of lack of clear rules
Himmler and Goering
What did Himmler set up, and what was its role?
- SD –> subsection of SS
- Monitor and suppress Nazi opponents
What was Himmler and Goering’s relationship between 1933 and 1934 like and what shows this?
- Effective
- Goering made Himmler head of Gestapo
Reinhard Heydrich:
- Arrogant
- Wanted SS to replace regular police and become centre of new system of justice
- Key role in organising Holocaust
- His SD was responsible for investigating Nazi members suspected of disloyalty so he was disliked by other Nazis
- Due to Hitler being concerned he was becoming a rival, Heydrich was appointed head of Nazi administration in Bohemia and Moravia
- Reduced his contact w/ Hitler
From mid 1934 how did this dynamic change and what was Goering forced to do?
- Himmler and Heydrich worked together to make Gestapo free of Goering’s supervision
- 1935 –> Himmler won legal battle against Goering, but Goering ignored this as law courts had little authority
- 1936 –> Dispute taken to Hitler, so Goering forced to relinquish control of Gestapo to Himmler, who became Chief of German Police
After Hindenburg’s death, how was Hitler named head of state (Fuhrer) and head of gov?
- New law that united the two roles
- Not given term president, which propaganda said was out of respect for Hindenburg when it was actually to ensure unchallenged Hitler power
- Hitler combines President + Chancellor offices
Specifically, which 3 actions was there a plebiscite on and what was the result?
- Hitler combines President + Chancellor offices
- Soldiers and others had to give oath of loyalty
- Hitler declares himself Fuhrer of the Third Reich
90% voted in favour
On what day did all German soldiers take an oath of loyalty to Hitler and what about another group of people?
- 2 Aug 1934 –> Soldiers
- 20 Aug –> Civil servants
In what way was the power of traditional nationalists destroyed?
- Hindenburg had died
- von Papen was intimidated into being Germany’s ambassador for Austria and was out of politics
How had membership for SA changed after Night of Long Knives?
From 1.6 mil in at end of 1935 to 1.2 mil in 1938
Give stats from 1933 onwards to show how often the Reichstag met. How many laws did it pass between 1934 and 1935?
1933: 72 meetings
1934: 19
1936: 4
1938: 1 (last one)
- Only passed 7 laws
How did Hitler play an important role in gov?
- Added organisation to chaotic gov
- His will was basis of regime
- His personality influenced working of gov
- Used his authority to settle disputes between lieutenants
- Style of gov lead to radical policies
Despite this, what did Hitler keep in gov and why?
- Kept non-Nazi ministers (eg.foreign minister) from before one-party system
- For sense of continuity where officials and citizens felt they understood the system
What variety of organisations had been created by 1936 and what are they?
- Ministries –> traditional (eg. Ministry of Economics ) + new ones (eg. Ministry of Aviation)
- Nazi Party departments –> dedicated to different areas of national life eg. department of economics
- Supreme Reich authorities –> Neither part of party or state eg. DAF, Four Year Plan Organisation
What details about the several ministries set up did Hitler leave ambiguous and what are two possible reasons for this?
- Who was responsible for what
- Deliberately to introduce spirit of competition
- To delay decision making hoping things would sort themselves out (laziness)
What is this approach to gov called?
Polycractic regime (many centres of power)
What positives and negatives came out of taking this approach?
+ Supreme Reich authorities achieved great feats –> Organisation Todt built almost 1000 km of autobahns between 1935 and 36
- Led to uncoordination –> eg. Ministry of Economics was encouraging trade w/ nations in South America, whereas 4 Year Plan Organisation was discouraging it to build an autarkic economy
- Led to conflict between senior ministers and officials
What kind of state was Nazi Germany, what does this mean and how does it compare to other states?
- Prerogative
- Power flowed from Hitler’s right to rule
- Other states are governed by rule of law, however Hitler abandoned this
Consequences of a prerogative state:
- Gov was more chaotic as there was no clear definition of how gov works unlike a constitution
- Hitler’s power was limitless
Did the Nazis implement a new constitution and why did they make this decision?
- They did not
- Key laws modified parts of Weimar Constitution eg. Enabling Act anyway so it was unnecessary
How did Hitler’s personality contribute to an inefficient gov and give one example of this?
- Disliked attending formal gov meetings
- Unwilling to discuss detailed policies
- Lazy
- Left economics mainly to Schaht between 1933 and 36, Goering in last yrs before war
Give one example of Hitler’s involvement in one part of gov
- Foreign policy
- 1936 –> Authorised remilitarisation of Rhineland
- 1938 –> Ordered Anschluss
- Sep 1939 –> Declared war on Poland
How did this style of gov where Hitler gave input in some aspects more than others assist Fuhrerprinzip?
Consistent w/ view that he is an Ubermensch and should be allowed to follow his inspiration
What did Hitler do his best to stop, why, give two examples of how he did this and implications that happened as a result?
- Groups of people working together to form policy, as it made formation of opposition grps easier
- Kept previous gov cabinet ministers & abolished cabinet meetings
- Ministers just worked individually and sent policies to each other on paper
What principle did the Nazi state operate on, what is this and why was it important?
- Fuhrerprinzip
- Hierarchal order where every area of life had someone in charge to tell people what to do
- Leaders set direction of gov w/out discussion
- Ensure people are working together for the good of the nation
- Fanatical Nazis viewed Hitler as an Ubermensch (unique genius)
What did Hitler dislike, give examples to show this and what happened as a result of a lack of this?
- Disliked formality of gov
- After 1933 –> Refused to chair any gov committees
- Preferred to give ideas verbally rather than written form
- Led to bizarre hierarchal order –> Bormann was deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess’ Secretary, however, he was much more powerful
What is ‘working towards the Fuhrer’, give an example of someone who did this extensively and how this helped him
- Devising policies to fulfil Hitler’s vision
- Martin Bormann
- Became one of most powerful figures
Martin Bormann:
- Initially Hitler’s private Secretary
- Used position to create extensive bureaucracy + enter Hitler’s inner circle
- Cut Fuhrer off from more cautious opinions when heading new Party Chancellery
- 1935 –> Acted as Hitler’s personal Secretary, before being officially appointed in 1943
What was one certain way of pleasing Hitler and give examples of how this was executed
Developing ever harsher anti-Jewish policies (cumulative radicalisation):
- From 1937 –> Goering’s progressive policy of Aryanisation –> stripped Jews of their wealth + property (by late 1938, all of it is gone and SS forced Jews into ghettos)
- From 1938 –> SD began forced emigration programme
- 1938 –> Goebbels persuaded Hitler to allow SA to beat + kill Jews and destroy their property (Kristallnacht)
Why did Hitler encourage chaos so much in gov?
- Hitler could rule w/out opposition as most were busy fighting each other that they never challenged him
- Heightened his authority as he could settle more disputes
- Believed constant faction fighting would strengthen gov evolving into a better gov (in line w/ social Darwinism belief)
In what way was Hitler a non-interventionist dictator?
- Delegated often very similar jobs to several people
- Rarely used his power in day-to-day governance, as he assumed problems would sort themselves out over time
- Often would wait until crisis occurred before intervening eg. Did little to resolve tensions leading to Night of Long Knives for months but during the crisis, he resolved it
How did cumulative radicalisation add to the chaos in gov and give examples of this
- Hitler would often approve conflicting initiatives
- For example, Goering’s Aryanisation policy made SD’s forced emigration policy more difficult as countries like GBR did not want poor refugees
- Kristallnacht led to destruction of Jewish property, which Goering had been planning to confiscate
Who largely did administration, who did this body frequently come into conflict with and who did Nazi policy support? In general what happened to the decisions made by these people?
- Done by civil service under Wilhelm Frich
- Reich Special agencies, other ministries, NSDAP officials
- Nazi policy said NSDAP would only intervene when they were gaps in civil service provision
- Decisions regularly overruled by Fuhrerprinzip
In regards to the nation, what were the Nazis largely against, what did they want instead, how did reform the system and what problems did they face along the way?
- Against division of Germany into Länder
- Centralised state
- 30 Jan 1934 –> Law for the Reconstruction of the Reich ended Länder
- Civil service structure and Länder to reorganised
- Never entirely achieved as Frich’s civil service came into conflict with Gauleiters
What did the Gestapo and SS do and what did this mean for the judiciary system?
- Developed their own judiciary that ran alongside court for political offences & Gestapo controlled concentration camps
- People that the courts had freed could still be arrested and imprisoned indefinitely in a camp
