National Studies GERMANY 1918

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National StudiesGERMANY 1918
1939Consolidation of Nazi Power1933 - 1934

• By
• S. Angelo
• Head Teacher History
• East Hills Girls Technology High School
• 2007

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Step 1

• Hindenburg appoints Hitler as Chancellor 30th
  January 1933
• 3 Nazis in Cabinet with von Papen as
  Vice-Chancellor (Hitler, Goering, Frick)
• Hindenburg agrees to dissolve Reichstag 1st
  February and hold new elections
• Hitler hopes to gain 2/3 majority needed to form
  a government
• What are the implications for this?

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Step 2

• Reichstag Fire 27th February 1933
• Probably arson committed by Dutch Communist
  Marinus van der Lubbe acting alone
• Exploited by Nazis to highlight danger posed by
  communist threat
• How would this help the Nazis gain power?

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Step 3

• Presidential Decree 28th February 1933
• Decree of the Reich President for the Protection
  of the Nation and State
• Issued by Hindenburg using Article 48
• Suspended constitutional and civil rights
• Gave secret police power to hold people
  indefinitely in protective custody
• Used to repress KPD
• Remained in force throughout Third Reich
• Essentially forming the basic law
• What are the ramifications of this for the German
  people?

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Step 4

• Elections 5th March 1933
• Government uses control of radio, police, along
  with unofficial pressure, to intimidate opponents
  in election
• Highest ever turnout - 88.8
• Nazi election slogan The Battle Against
  Marxism
• Nazis only get 44 of vote
• Nationalist allies get 8
• Formation of a coalition government
• What do you think the reaction of Hitler and the
  Nazi leadership would have been?

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Step 5

• Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda
  established 13 March 1933
• Goebbels appointed as head
• Exercised control over all media
• Film, radio, newspapers
• How significant was this in the consolidation of
  Nazi power?

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Step 6

• Enabling Act 24th March 1933
• Law for Terminating the Suffering of the People
  and the Nation
• Passed by Reichstag as SA and SS surround Opera
  House and intimidate deputies
• Gave emergency powers to government for four
  years
• Cabinet (Hitler) could pass decrees without
  Presidents involvement
• Needed 2/3 majority since it was a constitutional
  amendment
• Passed 441 votes to 94 (SPD opposed KPD banned)
  Centre Party supported it with promises from
  Hitler
• Renewed in 1938
• Virtual constitution of Third Reich
• What did this essentially mean?

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Step 7

• Boycott of Jewish shops 1st April 1933
• One day
• SA enforced boycott by standing outside stores
  with placards kauft nicht bie Juden dont buy
  from Jews
• Associated with mass dismissal of Jews from civil
  service
• Law for Restoration of Professional Civil Service
  8th April 1933
• How do you think the German people would have
  reacted to this?

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Step 8

• Destruction of Trade Unions
• May Day holiday 1st May 1933 turned into a Day of
  National Labour
• Trade Union offices siezed 2nd May 1933
• All unions incorporated into new German Labour
  Front - DAF

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Step 9

• One Party policy 14th July 1933
• KPD and SPD already banned
• Other parties had to dissolve themselves
• No new parties allowed
• Germany becomes a one party state

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Step 10

• Reduction in power of local government
• 30th January 1934 Law for the Reconstruction of
  the State
• From March 1933 many state (local) governments
  were overthrown by the SA using violence
• Third Reich government appoints commissioners
• New laws formalise this
• Elected State Assemblies dissolved
• Reich Governors created to run states

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Step 11

• Night of the Long Knives 30th June 1934
• Advised by Mussolini to get rid of SA
• SS shoot many SA and other people seen as a
  threat
• Removed the left wing threat
• Won support of Reichswehr who resented SA
• Reduced conservative opposition
• Justified as a removal of Rohm SA leader
• Gustav von Kahr and Gregor Strasser also removed
• As many as 1,000 died including about 50 SA
  leaders

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Step 12

• Death of Hindenburg 2nd August 1934
• Hitler becomes undisputed head of government
  the Fuhrer leader
• 1st August Law Concerning the Head of State of
  the German Reich merged office of President and
  Chancellor the position was called The Fuhrer
  and Reich Chancellor
• Confirmed by Plebicite
• Army takes an oath of personal obedience to
  Hitler
• I swear by God this sacred oath I will render
  unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler, the
  Fuhrer of the German nation and people, Supreme
  Commander of the armed forces, and will be ready
  as a true soldier to risk my life at any time for
  this oath.

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HITLERS STRATEGY
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