5. nazi politics

• Hitler is sworn into office as Chancellor on the 30th of January 1933
• There were only 2 other Nazis in Hitler's cabinet of 12 (Frick and Goring)
• Within 24 hours of his appointment, Hitler called for fresh elections. He hoped to get a 2/3 majority.
• Reichstag Fire 27th February 1933
• After the Reichstag fire, Hindenburg declares a national state of emergency.
• The Decree of the Reich President for the protection of the people and state was passed to suspend free press, protest and speech. It also gave Hitler power over the German state police forces.
• Hitler sent in the SA, SS and State police to beat up, arrest and murder 4,000 communists in response to the Reichstag Fire.
• The Dutch Communist Marinus van der Lubbe was blamed for the Reichstag fire.
• The unions were very weak due to high unemployment so any attempts at general strike were ineffective.
• The SA were present at polling booths during the March 1933 elections.
• Political Violence during the March 1933 campaigns led to 69 deaths.
• The Nazis took 44% of the vote in March 1933. 50% of the Reichstag was needed to pass a law and 66% to change the constitution.
• The Nazis raised over 3 million Reichsmarks from 20 leading industrialists for their March 1933 campaign.
• The Enabling Act 1933 suspended the constitution for 4 years, but it could be renewed.
• The Enabling Act was renewed twice.
• The enabling Act was passed by 441 votes to 94. Only SPD voted against as the KPD had already been banned.
• The SA represented the populist, socialist and anti-capitalist wing of the Nazi Party.
• When Hindenburg fell ill in 1934, Hitler knew he would need the unopposed support of the army to become President.
• At least 85 people were killed and more than 1,000 arrested on the Night of Long Knives.
• SA membership dropped from 2 million in 1934 to 1.2 million in 1938.
• Von Papen was arrested and made to step down as Vice Chancellor. He accepted a position as the German Ambassador to Austria.
• The Army volunteered to to swear an oath to Hitler on the 2nd of August 1934.
• On the 20th of August 1934 the civil service swore an oath to Hitler.
• The March Elections had an 88.8% turnout.
• The Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service purged administrations, courts, schools and universities of 5% of their staff.
• On the 1st of May 1933, Hitler introduces the 'National Day of Labour'. On the 2nd of May all trade union offices are seized and forced into the new German Labour Front (DAF)
• On the night of the Reichstag fire Hitler orders the SA and state police to beat up, imprison or murder 4,000 communists.
• The Dutch Communist Marinus van der Lubbe was blamed for the Reichstag fire.
• Goebbels used the media to exaggerate the communist threat in response to the Reichstag fire.
• The Nazis took 44% of the vote in March 1933. They needed 50% to pass laws and 2/3 to change the constitution.
• Political violence had led to 69 deaths in the March 1933 election campaign.
• The unions were weak due to mass unemployment so they could not hold a general strike effectively.
• The SA were present at polling booths during the March 1933 elections.
• The Enabling Act temporarily suspended the constitution for four year periods.
• The Nazis raised over RM 3 million from 20 leading industrialists for their campaign.
• The Enabling Act was passed 441 votes to 94.
• Hitler could bring a law into affect in only 24 hours.
• 94 SPD deputies voted against the Enabling Act in the Reichstag.
• The role of the Chancellor and President were merged into the role of Fuhrer from August 1934.
• Elected state governments were taken over and personally controlled by Hitler under the Law on the Reconstruction of the Reich 1934