Chancellor to Fuhrer

• Hitler's ultimate goal was to have a single strong leader for Germany
• Hitler was constrained by the Weimar Constitution, democracy, and President Hindenburg, Von Papen
• The Reichstag building burned to the ground

  27th of February 1933
• Marinus Van der Lubbe was found at the scene of the Reichstag fire holding matches and firelighters
• Van der Lubbe claimed to have started the fire to unite the workers against the fascist government
• Hitler blamed the Communists for the Reichstag fire
• Hitler declared the fire was the result of a communist plot
• Four thousand Communist party members were arrested after the Reichstag fire
• Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to declare a state of emergency and rule by decree using Article 48
• Hitler called an election for the 5th of March 1923
• Hitler passed a law called the Decree for the Protection of the People and State to imprison political opponents and ban their newspapers
• German industrialists funded the Nazi campaign for the election, collecting over 3 million marks
• 70 people were killed in the violent election campaign
• The Nazis banned the Communist party before the election, allowing them to take their 81 seats
• The Nazis increased their seats in the Reichstag to 288 after the election
• The Nazis had a two-thirds majority in the Reichstag after the election
• Enabling Act

  All laws proposed by the Chancellor (Hitler), passed by the Nazi cabinet, could overrule the Constitution
• The Enabling Act removed the power of the Reichstag and placed it in Hitler's hands
• Hitler used Stormtroopers to intimidate and remove opposition during the passing of the Enabling Act
• The Enabling Act was passed with 444 votes to 94
• The Enabling Act was initially meant to last four years but was renewed in 1937
• Hitler gained dictatorial powers over Germany through the Enabling Act
• Hitler dealt with opposition by sending the SA to smash Trade Union offices, arresting union leaders, and banning all trade unions
• Hitler made strikes illegal to suppress opposition
• Hitler sent the essay to smash Trade Union offices and arrest union leaders


  May 1933
• In May 1933, Hitler banned all trade unions and made strikes illegal
• Hitler banned all political parties except for the nsdap


  July
• Hitler abolished the local government and put Governors chosen by himself in their place


  January 1934
• Hitler wanted all the power in Germany to belong to him and abolished local governments
• Hitler turned to dissent within his own party and did not want anyone to challenge his leadership
• In 1934, Hitler arranged to meet with Ernst Rome and other leaders of the SA in a hotel, where they were arrested, shot, and killed in the Night of the Long Knives
• Von Papen complained to Hermann Goering about the events, but Goering assured him that everything was under control
• President Hindenburg died on August 2, 1934, allowing Hitler to seize total power and declare himself fuhrer
• Hitler combined the roles of Chancellor and President, becoming a totalitarian dictator of Germany
• Hitler held a public vote on August 19, 1934, to confirm himself as fuhrer, receiving 90% of the vote
• Hitler went from being Chancellor to the fuhrer of Germany through a series of strategic actions and eliminations of opposition