Democracy to dictatorship

• Chancellor


  Head of government
• Hitler was a dictator, not a chancellor
• How Hitler became a dictator


  1. Takes power

  2. Does not have to get agreement from the reichstag
• Important reasons Hitler became a dictator


  • Explanation how this helped make Hitler a dictator
• A communist (Marinus van der lubbe) was found on site with firelighters
• Marinus van der lubbe was put on trial, found guilty and executed
• The 1933 Elections


  Hitler called an election for a new Reichstag, wanted more seats for the Nazis
• How Hitler manipulated the 1933 elections

  1. Goering replaced police officers with Nazi supporters

  2. Hitler was in control of the police so SA violence went under the radar

  3. Members of communist party & social Democrat party arrested/sent to camps

  4. SA broke up election meetings by opposition party

  5. Newspapers which did not support Nazis were closed

  6. Nazis issued huge quantities of propaganda

  7. Threatening supporters were at polling stations to encourage 'correct' voting

  8. Enabled Nazis to win more seats in the Reichstag
• The Reichstag granted Hitler emergency powers to ban the Communist party
• The Nationalist party agreed to support Hitler because many of their beliefs were similar
• Hitler won support from the Centre party by protecting the Catholic Church
• Hitler placed SA/SS around the Reichstag to intimidate members
• The Enabling Act


  Marked the end of democracy, no longer needed Reichstag approval to make decisions
• Removal of Trade Unions


  1. Hitler broke into trade union offices & arrested their leaders

  2. Workers' Front forced workers to join
• Obedience


  Nazis created full support of workers
• One-party State


  • Social Democrats suspended, Nazi occupied their party offices & took their funds
  • Nazi suspended communist party
  • Hitler created new law banning all political parties except the Nazi party
• Control of Local Government


  1. March 1933 - January 1934: Hitler reorganised state parliaments so the Nazis held the majority

  2. Jan 1934: Hitler abolished state parliaments