Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Nazi Consolidation of Power - Coggle Diagram
Nazi Consolidation of Power
Reichstag Fire
27 th February 1933
Young Dutch Communist, Marinus van der Lubbe blamed
Nazis claimed it was a Communist plot
Gorign ordered the arrest of all KPD deputies and leading officals, the closing of the party's offices + a ban on all their publications + a 14 day ban on SPD <- 4,000 arrests made
Decree for the Protection of People and State
Drafted the morning after R.stag Fire by Wilheml Frick (Nazi Reich Minister of the Interior)
Decree signed by President Hidenburg
Became the foundation of Nazi rule
Removed civil rights-> freedom of press, assembly + expression, permitted the govern. + police to spy on people -> post, telegrams and telephone, allowed the police to conduect search + seizure operations in private homes + alliowed police to arrest people + put them into custody charging them with :red_cross: specific offence
Nazis tried to stress that the decree was a temporary measure <- remained in place for the duration of their reign
March 1933 Election + Takeover of the Lander
With the D.P.P.S the SA +SS were free to arrest + even murder socialists + communists in the run up to the March elections
Nazi propoganda focused on 'communist responsibilty' for the R.stag fire
Turnout= 88% + Nazi vote rose by 5.5 million -> only 44% of vote :red_cross: = majority in R.stag
9th March= takeover of Landers complete <- inspired by Papen + Prussia
Landers-> pressure on non-Nazi state govern.s to electa Nazi in charge of police, threatening demostrations by SA + SS, symbolic raising of the swastika banner on town halls, surrender of elected govern.s with little or :red_cross: resistance + appointment of Reich commissioner to restore order
Enabling Act
Allow Nazis to bypass the R.stag
Gave the govern. power to alter the constitution, make laws + agree treaties with foreign states <- for 4 years
Pass in R.stag-> imprison KPD deputies + bargain with the Centre Party (said it would be a temporary measure) <- only SPD to vote against
Otto Wels, Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD)= only one to openly oppose it
Gleichschaltung
Process began as soon as Hitler became Chancellor-> Goring put in charge of the Prussian Military of the Interior <- oversaw the largest police force in Germany -> Goring encouraged police to use violence when dealing with communists + Prussian police force reinforced by volunteers from SA + SS <-
50,000
joined
.Bringing into line'
Days after March election= Lander came under Nazi control
2nd May 1933= Trade unions forcibly shut down by the SS
22nd - 5th July 1933= All parties in Germany chose to dismantle themselves -> SPD= only exception, chose to go in exile + KPD had almost been entirely surpressed
14th July= Nazis passed the
Law Against the Formation of Parties
<- preventing any new political parties from forming + making the NSDAP the sole legal party.
An election was held in Nov 1933 turnout= 95.2% + NSDAP won 39.6 million votes
Several laws passed on the 14th July-> Confiscate the property of organisations, remove the citizenship fo individuals without saying why, control rural settlement + hold plebiscites to discover public opinion on policies
14th July=
Prevention of Preogeny with Hereditary Disease
-> legalised compulsory sterilisation + first step in the euthanasia programme <- 100,000 people who had 'lives not worth living'
1st April 1933= 1 day boycott of Jewish shops + businesses
Other laws passed April 1933= Banned Jews from legal profession, banned Jewish doctors from treating National Insurance Scheme patients + limited the number of Jewish children in schools
Nazi seizure of power @ national level
Town councils expelled 'Marxist' councillors
Many councillors elected as representatives of other parties switched to the NSDAP
All sorts of clubs + societies were taken over + 'Nazified'
Hitler made special efforts to ensure the coordination of the legal profession where many judges + lawyers embraced Nazism
10th May 1933= Students + university lecturers organised burning of books considered unacceptable to the Nazi regime
Creation of the Position of Fuhrer
1st August= Hitler had all the ministers put their names to a law determining that on HB's death, the office of Reich President would be combined with that of Chancellor -> Fuhrer
2nd August= HB dies -> 1 hour after his death it was announce that Hitler would become the Head of State + supreme commander of the army
Army leadership+ civil servants immediately offered to swear an oath of loyalty <- Oath to Hitler :red_cross: constitution
Absolute power had now been grasped