NAZI GERMANY

• Nazi Germany


  1933-1945
• Hitler's consolidation of his power and his rise to become Führer (supreme leader)


  1. 1933-1934

  2. Hitler was now the Chancellor of Germany

  3. Hitler and the Nazi Party did not have a majority in the Reichstag

  4. Hitler called another election for March 1933 hoping to get a majority
• Reichstag Fire


  • The Reichstag building was set on fire one week before the March 1933 election
  • The Nazis arrested Marinus van der Lubbe, a Dutch Communist, and claimed the Communists were about to stage a takeover
  • Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to sign the Decree for the Protection of the People and State, allowing the Nazis to imprison political opponents and ban Communist/Socialist newspapers
• The Reichstag Fire


  Helped the Nazis as their main rivals found it difficult to campaign and many Germans were worried about voting for the Communists
• At the March 1933 election, the Nazis increased their vote to 288 seats (44%) but still didn't have a majority in the Reichstag
• The Enabling Law


  1. Hitler formed a coalition with the Nationalist Party to get a majority in the Reichstag

  2. Hitler passed the Enabling Act on 23rd March 1933 using tactics like banning Communists from voting, counting absent members as voting in favour, SA intimidation, and promises to Catholics

  3. The Enabling Act allowed Hitler to make laws without consulting the Reichstag for 4 years, enabling him to turn Germany into a dictatorship
• After the Enabling Act

  1. Banned opposing parties and put leaders in concentration camps

  2. Banned Trade Unions

  3. Put Nazis in charge of all state governments

  4. Used fear and intimidation to stop people challenging the Nazis
• The Night of the Long Knives

  1. The SA under Röhm became a threat to Hitler

  2. On 30 June 1934 Hitler had Röhm and 400 SA leaders shot by the SS

  3. Hitler also got rid of other enemies like von Schleicher

  4. Hitler told the German people he had protected them from a takeover
• The Death of President Hindenburg


  1. Hindenburg died in August 1934

  2. Hitler combined the roles of Chancellor and President to become Führer (Supreme Leader)

  3. Hitler made the army swear an oath of loyalty to him, not the country

  4. Hitler was now in total control of Germany, having turned it into a dictatorship by legal means