The Collapse Of Democracy, 1928-33 - The Establishment Of Nazi Dictatorship Flashcards
Who was Franz Seldte?
He was the leader of the paramilitary Stahlelm, and he was a conservative German nationalist who joined the Nazi’s in 1933
Who were the Stahlelm?
A paramilitary group of ex-servicemen dedicated to the restoration of the monarchy and revival of Germany as a military power. By 1930 they had 500000 members
What was the composition of Hitler’s first cabinet?
- Papen was appointed as vice chancellor
- there were two Nazi Party Ministers - minister of the interior Wilhelm Frick and Minister without Portfolio Hermann Goering
- the aristocratic army officer General Blomberg was defence minister
- Alfred hugenburg was the minister of economics
- freiherr Von neurath (an aristocratic professional diplomat was made foreign minister at Hindenburg’s insistence
- franz Seldte was made minister of labour
What was the torchlight procession and when was it?
It was on the 30th January 1933, 100000 Nazi members stood outside the Reichstag Chancellery, which was organised by Joseph Goebelles to show that hilter’s appointment wasn’t going to be a normal change
How did the Nazi’s use violence?
- the SA’s played a key role grew to a 3mn membership in 1933/34 & gained legal authority
- the SA and Stahlelm merged to form the ‘auxiliary police’; orders wear given to the regular police forces forbidding them from interfering with SA activities
- in response to terror from socialist and communist opponents, the SA unleashed a sustained assault of TU and KPD offices as well as homes of left wing politician
What happened on the 5th of February?
A young Nazi short dead the SPD mayor of a small town in Prussia and a communist was killed in clashes with the SA. However these crimes were ignored and the SPD newspaper was banned
When was Dachau concentration camp set up a what was it?
On the 8th March in Dachau near Munich, the first permanent concentration camp was set up with an accommodation for over 5000 people
By July 1933, how extensive were the powers of the SA?
26,789 political prisoners had been arrested by the SA or taken into ‘protective custody’ and imprisoned in some 70 camps
What caused the Reichstag fire and when was it?
It took place on the 27th February 1933, and was part of the Nazi campaign prior to the election in March that Hitler’s told Hindenburg to call so that the Reichstag could be dissolved
What were the results of the Reichstag fire?
A young Dutch communist, Marinus Van der Lubbe was arrested and charged with causing the fire by the election in March 5th, the SPD and KPD had been driven underground
How did the Nazi’s use legal power?
after the Reichstag fire Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to sign a decree giving him ‘emergency’ powers, called the ‘decree for the protection of people and the state’, which suspended important civil liberties that were guaranteed under the Weimar constitution
What powers did the ‘decree of protection of the people and state’ give the Nazi Party?
- the government could censor publications
- the police could search private premises
- it made it easy to arrest socialists and communists, ban newspapers
- it gave the power for central gov. to take over state governments
- it legalised full-scale assaults on the communists
Why were the KPD reduced in support despite not being banned?
Party membership was treated by the courts as an act of treason and many communists were given long sentences and the like of civil servants, judges and the police were mainly conservative and nationalist
What were the results of the March 1933 election?
- KPD won 81 seats and 12.3% of votes
- NSDAP won 288 seats and 43.9% votes
- the SPD won 18.25% of votes and 120 seats
When was the enabling act passed and what did it signify?
It was passed on the 24th March 1933 after gaining a two-thirds majority in the new Reichstag, and this gave Hitler full legislative and executive powers, meaning he could rule without a Reichstag majority
What was the process of ‘Gleichschaltung’?
The process by which the Nazi’s attempted to control all aspect of German society, which had the intention that there should be no organisations standing between the state and individual, and said that individuals should have no private space
What was Hitler’s objective at the first new Reichstag meeting (23rd March)?
To secure the necessary 2/3rd majority for his ‘Enabling Act’ which would allow him to make laws without the approval of the Reichstag and interference from the president
When was the Enabling Act passed?
24th March 1933
