Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
The creation of a dictatorship, 1933-34 - Coggle Diagram
The creation of a dictatorship, 1933-34
The Reichstag Fire
On 27 February 1933, the Reichstag building was set on fire. A Dutch communist, van der Lubbe, was caught red-handed in the burning building. Hitler + Goebbel's exploited this incident + claimed that van der Lubbe had started the fire + that the Communists were about to stage a takeover.
On the following day, Hitler used the fire to persuade President Hindenburg to sign the 'Decree for the Protection of People + State,' which replaced the constitutional government by a permanent state of emergency + suspended basic civil rights. The Nazis are above the law: things that were previously illegal were now legal, in the name of National Security. It sets a dangerous precedent, first step to power went from temporary to permanent.
The emergency law allowed the Nazis to imprison large numbers of their political opponents. In the week after the fire, 4000 Communist Party members were arrested including the leader, Ernst Thälmann. There would be less people to oppose them in the Reichstag - there is no one to stand for the Communists. It shows how powerful the Nazis are to other political opponents - instills fear + strikes fear to the voters of these opponents.
The Nazis used the emergency law to violently intimidate their political opponents + won 288 seats in the Reichstag as a result. With the support of other Nationalists, this gave Hitler a majority in the Reichstag, which he could use to make new laws.
This gave proof that a Communist was there, meaning that the Communists were traitors + didn't have the interests of Germany in mind. It gave the justification of getting rid of Communists.
The SA killed 51 Nazi opponents + injured several hundred. Their opponents would be afraid to oppose them in the Reichstag. Before, the SA had to run away from the police, now their violence is legal. They are able to conduct violence without fear of legal repercussions.
Communist + Socialist newspapers were banned. Nazi newspapers would now be more commonly read, allowing their ideology to be spread to more people. This is Nazi censorship, censoring the left-wing publications. They cannot clear their own ways, no way to defend themselves. Therefore, there is only one interpretation of events being spread around - Nazi.
The Enabling Act, the banning of other parties + trade unions
With the Communist deputies banned and the SA intimidating all the remaining non-Nazi deputies, the Reichstag voted by the required two-thirds majority to give Hitler the right to make laws without the Reichstag’s approval for four years, despite the Nazis not gaining the overall majority that Hitler had hoped for.
Passing the Enabling Act would give Hitler + his government full powers for the next 4 days + would mean that the Reichstag would become a rubber stamp for Nazi activities. As Chancellor, Hitler would have greater powers than the President.
The Enabling Act was passed by devious means:
- Absentees counted as present
- SA intimidated members as they entered the chamber
- Communist Party not counted, thus reducing the overall total + number of votes needed by the Nazis
- Communist members not allowed to vote in the chamber
- Promises to the Catholic Centre Party won their vote (e.g. no interference in Catholic schools)
The Enabling Act became law on 24 March 1933 + this signalled the end of the Weimar Constitution + democracy. Hitler could not move to secure closer control of the nation by means of this new law. It was renewed in 1937 + 1941.
With the new Enabling Act, Hitler was in a position to bring German society into line with Nazi philosophy. This policy was called Gleichschaltung. It would create a truly nationalist socialist state + would mean that every aspect of the social, political + economic life of German citizens was controlled + monitored by the Nazis.
On 2 May 1933, trade unions were banned. Instead, German workers were now expected to join the new German Labour Front (DAF). Trade unions could unite people to protest – therefore the Nazis had got rid of a potential form of opposition.
On 14 July 1933, the Law against the Formation of Parties was passed, which made the Nazi Party the sole legal political party in Germany. Banning political parties made Germany a one-party state and destroyed democracy in the country. This removed other parties as a source of opposition.
Hitler also broke down the federal structure of Germany. There were 18 Länder (districts) + each had its own parliament. Hitler could centralise all policy and make sure different states listened to him and did as he wished. It encouraged even more nationalism in Germany. Possible dissent (disagreement) was lessened as the state governments couldn’t lead people as they had once done. Thus he centralised Germany for the first time since its creation in 1871.
The significance of the Enabling Act is that it marks the end of the Weimar Republic and democratic rule in Germany.
The threat from Röhm and the SA, the Night of the Long Knives + the death of Hindenburg
In the first months of his Chancellorship, Hitler saw the SA as a major threat. SA violence + lack of discipline did not reflect the refined, civilised image Hitler wanted.They had played a key part in the growth of the Nazis + by 1933 they were well known across Germany. Most of the SA were working-class men who favoured the socialist views of the Nazi programme. They were hoping that Hitler would introduce reforms to help the workers.
During the first months of 1933, the SA had helped to create an atmosphere of terror + intimidation when Gleichschaltung was introduced. Some leading Nazis, such as Wilhelm Frick + Hermann Goering felt that the activities of the SA might cause a backlash against Hitler + started looking for ways to control them.
There was further tension because Ernst Röhm, leader of the SA, wanted to incorporate the army into the SA + was disappointed with Hitler's close relations with industrialists + the army leaders. Röhm wanted more government interference in the running of the country in order to help the ordinary citizens. He wanted to move away from Germany's class structure + bring greater equality. In effect, Röhm wanted a socialist revolution.
There was added tension because his personal bodyguard, the SS, led by Heinrich Himmler, wished to break away from the SA. Goering (head of the Gestapo - secret police) wanted to lead the armed forces + he too saw an opponent in Röhm.
On 30 June 1934, Röhm + the main leaders of the SA were shot by members of the SS. Hitler could not afford to annoy businessmen or the army, so the SS (Hitler's personal bodyguards) murdered around 400 members of the SA, including a number of Hitler's other opponents like the previous Chancellor, von Schleicher.
The Night of the Long Knives is often seen as the turning point for Hitler's rule in Germany. It eradicated all would-be opponents within the Nazi Party and gave power to the brutal SS whilst securing the support of the army. The SA was relegated to a minor role. It also showed the rest of the world what a tyrant Hitler was. This removed any internal Nazi Party opposition to Hitler. It was now clear that fear + terror would play significant roles.
Hindenburg was becoming very frail + Hitler sought to combine his own post + that of the President. When Hindenburg died of old age in August 1934, Hitler took the powers of President as well as Chancellor.
The significance of the Night of the Long Knives + the death of Hindenburg is that these events led to Hitler becoming a dictator.
Hitler becomes Führer, the Army + Oath of Allegiance
On the death of Hindenburg in August 1934, Hitler combined the posts of Chancellor + President - now Führer. Hitler became the Head of State + the Commander of the Army. Members of the armed forces had to swear a personal oath of allegiance not to Germany, but to Hitler.
Hitler decided he needed to seek the approval of the German people when he combined the posts. In the referendum that followed, more than 90% of the voters (38 million) agreed with his action.
With his new title, the support of the army + the resounding vote in the referendum, Hitler + the Nazi Party were in an extremely secure position. It formally made Hitler the absolute ruler of Germany. This neutralised any sources of opposition to Hitler within the army.
In the beginning, the army swore their loyalty to the office of the President + the Weimar Constitution. Next, the army swore their loyalty to Germany + the German people. Finally, the army swore their loyalty to Hitler personally.
Some elements of the army had supported the Nazis as both groups yearned for the restoration of German imperial + military power, Both hated the Treaty of Versailles, the Allied war reparations + the French occupation of the Ruhr. Both craved an authoritarian government, strong enough to protect German sovereignty.
There had been an opposition from the Reichswehr (army) to the Nazis due to the rapid growth of the SA, The Reichswhr officers were alarmed by the radical political rhetoric in SA ranks (some in the SA began to speak of it as a growing revolutionary army, destined to eventually replace + possibly battle with the Reichswehr). Also, not all Reichswehr leaders supported Hitler. Hammerstein-Equord continued to distrust Hitler + lobbied against him.
The Reichswehr declared support for the Nazis in August 1934 as after the Night of the Long Knives, the SA was downsized, disempowered + purged of those who wanted to lead the Nazi revolution rather than serve it. The Reichswehr leadership was placated + their confidence in Hitler boosted.