Chapter 2: Germany
Consolidation of Power
On 30 January 1933, Hitler had become Chancellor. Whilst this was a
powerful position, his power was not yet absolute.
Limitations of his power –
1. Only 2 other Nazis in the cabinet.
2. His coalition did not have a majority in the Reichstag.
3. Hindenburg could easily sack Hitler.
Strengths of his power –
1. He was leader of the largest political party.
2. NSDAP gained access of resources eg Goring and the Prussian
police, and Goebbels and propaganda (radio and press).
The Reichstag Fire:
27 February 1933 – A young Dutch communist, Marinus der Lubbe, was
arrested for setting the Reichstag building on fire.
The Nazis exploited this to their advantage. The next day, Frick drew up
and Hindenburg signed the ‘Decree for the Protection of People and State’.
In this, most civilian and political liberties were suspended, and the power
of the Central government was strengthened.
- It suspended the right to assembly, to freedom of speech and press.
It also permitted the regime to arrest political opponents without
charge, and to overthrow state governments.
- This Decree remained in place until the Nazi defeat in 1945.
In the final week of the election campaign, 100s of anti-Nazis were
arrested, with huge levels of violence ensuing.
It was also a propaganda success for the RW parties, by showing the
communists as violent opponents.
March 5 Elections of the Reichstag:
Within 24 hours of becoming Chancellor, Hitler had organised new
elections.
The campaign was brutal and violent, with meetings of socialists broken
up by the Nazis. Goring (in Prussia) added 50 000 police members, most
of whom were Nazis in the SS or SA. 69 died in the 5-week campaign.
Hitler used propaganda in the election campaign –
, 1. ‘Appeal to the German People’ on 31 January 1933. He blamed the
poor economic conditions on the democratic government and the
terrorist activities of communists.
2. Image of the NSDAP as a ‘national uprising’ which was determined
to restore pride and unity.
3. Exploited the deepest desires of many Germans after WW1 yet
never committed to a political / economic program.
Money –
1. Hitler was promised 3 million Reichsmarks from twenty leading
industrialists on 20 February. This funded their propaganda
campaign.
The election had an 88% turnout, due to SA intimidation and corruption?
Nazis got 43.9% of the vote, 288 seats. This meant that the NSDAP did not
have a majority in the Reichstag, and needed the support of the
Nationalists. This also meant that changing the Constitution would be
difficult as it required a 2/3 majority.
The Enabling Act – 1933
The Enabling Act was a law which transferred all power to the Chancellor
and his government for four years. It would remove parliamentary
procedure and legislation.
For the law to pass, he needed a 2/3 majority. So, Hitler needed to gain
support of other parties or make them abstain.
Gaining support from other parties was made even more difficult due to
the ‘revolution from below’, in which lower ranked members were taking
the law into their own hands and threatening the image of legality which
Hitler was trying to maintain.
As a result, he organised the ‘Day of Potsdam’ in which the Crown Prince
(the son of Kaiser Wilhelm II) and Hindenburg were present to symbolically
align National Socialism with the forces of old Germany. This helped to
gain support of the DNVP, who favoured a monarchy.
He gained the favour of the ZP by promising to uphold the rights of the
Catholic Church and their religious / moral values.
23 March – the Reichstag met at Kroll Opera House, where Communists
were refused admittance. SA intimidation was also used to deter anti-
Nazist members.
The final result was 444 vs 94. The DNVP and ZP voted for the Enabling
Act, and the SPD voted against. The Enabling Act was made law!
, ‘A dictatorship grounded in legality.’
Gleichschaltung:
Co-ordination – the degeneration of democracy into Nazism.
Political
Lander
1. Lander (regional states) obstructed Nazi ideals of a fully unified
country.
2. 31 March 1933: dissolved regional parliaments and reformed them
with acceptable majority, with the domination of Nazis.
3. 7 April: created Reich governors, regularly these were the local
Gauleiters with full power.
4. January 1934: regional state parliaments were abolished. The
governments were subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior in the
central government.
Trade Unions
1. Hostile to Nazism, trade unions held significant power within
Germany (as seen in the Kapp Putsch and the general strike).
2. By May 1933, the power of Trade Unions had significantly declined,
with the Great Depression reducing membership. The leaders
deluded themselves to think that they could work with the Nazis to
retain semi-independence.
3. The Nazis declared May 1 a national holiday, giving the impression
of co-operation as it was the day of celebration for international
socialist labour.
4. But, the following day, trade union premises were occupied by SA
and SS, funds were confiscated, and leaders were arrested and sent
to the early concentration camps such as Dachau.
5. The German Labour Force (DAF) led by Ley, absorbed all of the
independent trade unions into one. It had 22 million members,
acting more as a way to control workers rather than to address their
grievances.
6. Lacked the fundamental rights ie to negotiate wages and working
conditions.
Political Parties
1. Communists had been outlawed since the Reichstag Fire.
2. SPD seized and banned after trade unions were destroyed. (22
June).
3. Most remaining parties willingly dissolved in June 1933, even the
Nationalists who were in the coalition.
Consolidation of Power
On 30 January 1933, Hitler had become Chancellor. Whilst this was a
powerful position, his power was not yet absolute.
Limitations of his power –
1. Only 2 other Nazis in the cabinet.
2. His coalition did not have a majority in the Reichstag.
3. Hindenburg could easily sack Hitler.
Strengths of his power –
1. He was leader of the largest political party.
2. NSDAP gained access of resources eg Goring and the Prussian
police, and Goebbels and propaganda (radio and press).
The Reichstag Fire:
27 February 1933 – A young Dutch communist, Marinus der Lubbe, was
arrested for setting the Reichstag building on fire.
The Nazis exploited this to their advantage. The next day, Frick drew up
and Hindenburg signed the ‘Decree for the Protection of People and State’.
In this, most civilian and political liberties were suspended, and the power
of the Central government was strengthened.
- It suspended the right to assembly, to freedom of speech and press.
It also permitted the regime to arrest political opponents without
charge, and to overthrow state governments.
- This Decree remained in place until the Nazi defeat in 1945.
In the final week of the election campaign, 100s of anti-Nazis were
arrested, with huge levels of violence ensuing.
It was also a propaganda success for the RW parties, by showing the
communists as violent opponents.
March 5 Elections of the Reichstag:
Within 24 hours of becoming Chancellor, Hitler had organised new
elections.
The campaign was brutal and violent, with meetings of socialists broken
up by the Nazis. Goring (in Prussia) added 50 000 police members, most
of whom were Nazis in the SS or SA. 69 died in the 5-week campaign.
Hitler used propaganda in the election campaign –
, 1. ‘Appeal to the German People’ on 31 January 1933. He blamed the
poor economic conditions on the democratic government and the
terrorist activities of communists.
2. Image of the NSDAP as a ‘national uprising’ which was determined
to restore pride and unity.
3. Exploited the deepest desires of many Germans after WW1 yet
never committed to a political / economic program.
Money –
1. Hitler was promised 3 million Reichsmarks from twenty leading
industrialists on 20 February. This funded their propaganda
campaign.
The election had an 88% turnout, due to SA intimidation and corruption?
Nazis got 43.9% of the vote, 288 seats. This meant that the NSDAP did not
have a majority in the Reichstag, and needed the support of the
Nationalists. This also meant that changing the Constitution would be
difficult as it required a 2/3 majority.
The Enabling Act – 1933
The Enabling Act was a law which transferred all power to the Chancellor
and his government for four years. It would remove parliamentary
procedure and legislation.
For the law to pass, he needed a 2/3 majority. So, Hitler needed to gain
support of other parties or make them abstain.
Gaining support from other parties was made even more difficult due to
the ‘revolution from below’, in which lower ranked members were taking
the law into their own hands and threatening the image of legality which
Hitler was trying to maintain.
As a result, he organised the ‘Day of Potsdam’ in which the Crown Prince
(the son of Kaiser Wilhelm II) and Hindenburg were present to symbolically
align National Socialism with the forces of old Germany. This helped to
gain support of the DNVP, who favoured a monarchy.
He gained the favour of the ZP by promising to uphold the rights of the
Catholic Church and their religious / moral values.
23 March – the Reichstag met at Kroll Opera House, where Communists
were refused admittance. SA intimidation was also used to deter anti-
Nazist members.
The final result was 444 vs 94. The DNVP and ZP voted for the Enabling
Act, and the SPD voted against. The Enabling Act was made law!
, ‘A dictatorship grounded in legality.’
Gleichschaltung:
Co-ordination – the degeneration of democracy into Nazism.
Political
Lander
1. Lander (regional states) obstructed Nazi ideals of a fully unified
country.
2. 31 March 1933: dissolved regional parliaments and reformed them
with acceptable majority, with the domination of Nazis.
3. 7 April: created Reich governors, regularly these were the local
Gauleiters with full power.
4. January 1934: regional state parliaments were abolished. The
governments were subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior in the
central government.
Trade Unions
1. Hostile to Nazism, trade unions held significant power within
Germany (as seen in the Kapp Putsch and the general strike).
2. By May 1933, the power of Trade Unions had significantly declined,
with the Great Depression reducing membership. The leaders
deluded themselves to think that they could work with the Nazis to
retain semi-independence.
3. The Nazis declared May 1 a national holiday, giving the impression
of co-operation as it was the day of celebration for international
socialist labour.
4. But, the following day, trade union premises were occupied by SA
and SS, funds were confiscated, and leaders were arrested and sent
to the early concentration camps such as Dachau.
5. The German Labour Force (DAF) led by Ley, absorbed all of the
independent trade unions into one. It had 22 million members,
acting more as a way to control workers rather than to address their
grievances.
6. Lacked the fundamental rights ie to negotiate wages and working
conditions.
Political Parties
1. Communists had been outlawed since the Reichstag Fire.
2. SPD seized and banned after trade unions were destroyed. (22
June).
3. Most remaining parties willingly dissolved in June 1933, even the
Nationalists who were in the coalition.
