The Creation of a Dictatorship, 1933-34 Flashcards
Describe the Initial Limits to Hitler’s Power
-From 30 January 1933, Hitler was Chancellor of Germany but his power was limited.
-The Weimar constitution controlled what the Chancellor could do.
-Hindenburg retained all powers of the President.
-Hitler’s cabinet had 12 members- but only two were NSDAP members (Wilhelm Frick and Hermann Goering).
-NSDAP members numbered only about one-third of the Reichstag.
Describe the Reichstag Fire
-On the evening of 27 February 1933, the Reichstag building was destroyed by a massive fire.
-A young Dutchman, a communist supporter named Marinus van der Lubbe, was caught on site with matches and firelighters.
-He confessed and was put on trial with four others, though he claimed he had acted alone. The other four were found not guilty and released; van der Lubbe was found guilty and executed.
-Van der Lubbe’s execution was not enough for Hitler. He and Goering, the new chief of police, claimed that van der Lubbe was part of a communist conspiracy against the government.
-They decided to use the Reichstag fire as an opportunity to attack the communists.
Describe the Impact of the Reichstag Fire
-Four thousand communists were arrested on the night of the Reichstag fire.
-The next day, Hitler used the fire to pressure Hindenburg into declaring a state of emergency. As long as Hindenburg supported him, Hitler could now use decrees to govern Germany.
-Next, he persuaded Hindenburg to call an election for 5 March 1933. He hoped for more Nazi seats in the Reichstag.
Describe the Lead Up to the Election of March 1933
-Hitler issued the Decree for the Protection of the People and the State. This gave him powers to imprison political opponents and ban communist newspapers.
-Since he now controlled Germany’s police force, Hitler ensured that they turned a blind eye to the violent activities of the SA.
-Hitler persuaded Gustav Krupp and other industrialists to bankroll the Nazi campaign. Three million marks were donated in just one meeting.
-It was a bloody election campaign; violent clashes led to 70 deaths.
Describe the Results of the March 1933 Election
-When the results were announced, the Nazis increased their Reichstag members to 288.
-Hitler used his emergency powers to ban the Communist Party from taking up its 81 seats.
-With the support from two other nationalist parties, this gave Hitler a two-thirds majority in the Reichstag.
-This was crucial. Hitler now had enough votes to change the constitution of the Republic.
Describe the Enabling Act
-In March 1933, Hitler proposed the Enabling Act to the Reichstag.
-Since this Act was designed to destroy the power of the Reichstag, Hitler expected opposition and used his Nazi Party stormtroopers to intimidate opposition.
-The full name of the law was the Law for the Removal of the Distress of the People and Reich.
-It said the Reich cabinet could pass new laws. These laws could overrule the constitution of the Weimar Republic and would be proposed by the Chancellor- Hitler.
Describe the Dangers of the Enabling Act
-In effect, the Enabling Act would change the constitution.
-It would give Hitler the right to make laws for four years without the consent of the Reichstag.
-The Reichstag vote was taken under very serious circumstances.
Describe the Result of the Vote Over the Enabling Act
-On 24 March 1933, in the absence of any communist members, the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act by 444 votes to 94.
-It was supported by the Nazis, the National Party and the Centre Party.
-In this sense, it was legal- even though Reichstag members were intimidated during the vote.
-The Act was renewed in 1937. In effect, therefore, the 1933 Enabling Act marked the end of democratic rule and the end of the Weimar constitution.
Describe the Removal of Trade Unions
-Trade unions were potential sources of opposition to Hitler.
-Hitler believed that, if communists amongst working men were able to control their trade unions, then these could be used to undermine the government (for example, in strikes).
-Therefore, in May 1933, Nazis broke into trade union offices all over Germany and arrested trade union officials.
-Hitler also used his new powers to ban trade unions and made strikes illegal.
Describe the Removal of Other Political Parties
-In May 1933, Hitler attacked his two main political rivals.
-Nazi stormtroopers entered the offices of the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party, destroyed their newspapers and confiscated all their funds.
-Two months later, in July 1933, Hitler followed this up by issuing a decree to make all political parties in Germany illegal, except for the NSDAP.
Describe the Removal of Local Government
-Hitler’s next step was to strengthen the central government in Berlin, which he controlled, and to weaken local government in Germany.
-Under the Weimar constitution, each region of Germany had its own parliament, which ran the local government in the area.
-By 1934, Hitler had control of the Reichstag but could not control the 18 Lander parliaments.
-In January 1934, he abolished the Lander parliaments and declared instead that governors appointed by him, would run every region of Germany.
Explain why Hitler Viewed Ernst Rohm as a Threat
-Rohm opposed Hitler’s policies. He criticised Hitler’s links with rich industrialists and army generals. He wanted more socialist policies, to tax the rich and help the working class.
-Rohm had merged an army veterans group, the Stahlhelm, with the SA. This brought SA numbers to three million.
-Some stormtroopers complained that although they risked death for Hitler, he undervalued them.
-By 1933, 60% of the SA were permanently unemployed. These embittered SA members were loyal to Rohm, which put him in an ideal position to challenge Hitler.
Explain why Leaders of the Army and SS Viewed Ernst Rohm as a Threat
-German army officers were worried about Rohm. After the Treaty of Versailles, the army only had 100,00 men, whereas the SA was much bigger.
-They believed that Rohm wanted the SA to replace the German army.
-Leaders of the SS, such as Heinrich Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich, resented Rohm too.
-They wanted to reduce the power of the SA, so that they could increase their own power and the status of the SS.
Describe the Night of the Long Knives
-In 1934, leaders of the SS and the army warned Hitler that Rohm was planning to seize power.
-As a result of this, Hitler arranged to remove the threat of Rohm and the SA.
-He arranged a meeting with Rohm and 100 other SA leaders at a hotel in the Bavarian town of Bad Wiessee on 30 June 1934.
-When they arrived, Rohm and the other senior officers of the SA were arrested, imprisoned and shot.
Describe the Removal of Von Papen
-During the Night of the Long Knives, Von Papen (Vice Chancellor), protested to Goering.
-Von Papen was told that the SS had things under control and he should return home for his own safety.
-SS squads were rounding up suspects. One group reached Von Papen’s office before he did, shot his press secretary and arrested his staff.
-Von Papen’s home was surrounded and his telephone cut off. It was now clear that he did not have Hitler ‘in his pocket’.
