Topic 1: Consolidation

• Hitler Consolidates Power


  1933-1934
• Hitler becomes Chancellor


  On 30th January 1933, Von Papen convinced President Hindenburg that Hitler should become Chancellor
• Hitler's goals as Chancellor


  1. Consolidate power

  2. Crush all other parties

  3. Become dictator
• Hitler was still under Hindenburg's control
• Hitler's plan to gain majority in Reichstag

  1. Arrange for election on 5th March 1933

  2. Use Reichstag fire to gain emergency powers
• Reichstag building was set on fire

  27th February 1933
• Hitler used the Reichstag fire to persuade Hindenburg that there was a Communist plot to overthrow the government
• The Law for the Protection of the People and the State

  1. Restricted right to speak freely

  2. Restricted right to meet or form groups

  3. Restricted right to print opinions

  4. Restricted right to private phone conversations or mail
• The Law for the Protection of the People and the State allowed Hitler to imprison without trial and break up party meetings using the SS and SA
• Hiller's party (the Nazis) won 288 seats/44% in the 1933 election but this was not a majority of 2/3</b>
• The enabling act


  1. Allowed Hiller to rule and make laws for Germany for 4 years without Reichstag approval

  2. Hiller used tactics to get the 2/3 majority needed to pass this law in the Reichstag
• Hiller got the Catholic Centre party to vote for the enabling act


  In return, Hiller would cancel the law for the protection of the church in the future
• On the day of the vote, the opera house was filled with Nazi supporters shouting "We want the enabling act" and some SPD members were prevented from entering the building
• The enabling act was passed on 23rd March 1933 with 441 votes
• Gleichschaltung


  The process by which Hitler would use the enabling law to get rid of any opposition to the Nazis and bring the entire political system under his control
• Gleichschaltung


  1. Trade unions and their leaders were abolished

  2. Trade unions were arrested and their funds were confiscated

  3. Strikes were declared illegal

  4. All workers had to join the German Labour Front (DAF) run by Robert Ley

  5. Within 2 years 20 million workers had joined the DAF
• German Labour Front (DAF)


  • Workers gave up fights in return for parts offered by the Strength through Joy (KdF) movement because they feared the SS
• Establishment of People's Courts

  1. Judges had to swear an oath of loyalty to the Nazis

  2. Courts were used to punish any disloyalty to the Nazis
• Nazification of local government

  1. State parliaments were closed down

  2. New Nazi governors were appointed in each state

  3. In 1934 the state parliaments were abolished altogether
• On 14th July 1933, Germany became a one-party state
• The night of long knives


  1933-1934
• The SA


  A paramilitary group set up by Hitler in 1921 to deal with political rivalries. Its leader was Ernst Röhm.
• Hitler wanted to get rid of the SA


  Because the SA was too much of a threat
• The SA had 2 million members and wanted to take over the much smaller German Nazis to carry out a second revolution</b>
• Hitler and the army did not want to annoy the SA


  Because they believed the SA was the only group that would stop them from becoming a dictatorship and could potentially overthrow Hitler
• What happened on the 30th June 1934

  1. Hitler ordered the SS to murder several people including Röhm

  2. Hitler tried to publicly justify the slaughter by accusing the SA of being homosexuals and plotting against Germany
• On the 3rd July 1934 the killings were retrospectively made legal
• The significance of the night of long knives

  • It destroyed all opposition to Hitler within the Nazi party
  • It gave the SS more power
  • It discouraged potential opponents
  • It gained support from the army
• The Führer


  Hitler's title as absolute ruler of Germany after President Hindenburg's death on 2nd August 1934
• On the 2nd August 1934 every German citizen was legally required to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler
• Hitler kept the army out of politics by keeping it busy with conscription and later rearmament
• Becoming Chancellor

  1. Reichstag fire

  2. Enabling Act

  3. Gaining control

  4. Gleichschaltung (Coordination and control)