Hitler And Stuff

Question 1

When did the nazi make considerable gains?

Answer 1

1930 - along with the communists. The SPD also dropped seats.

SPD lost 10 from previous election - 143
NSDAP gained 95 from previous - 107
KPD gained 23 from previous election - 77

Question 2

How was nazi support boosted for the 1930 elections?

Answer 2

The SA attacked political opponents

Question 3

Why did Hindenburg run for the April 1932 presidential election and did he win?

Answer 3

He ran because he did not want Hitler as president. He won by 19 million votes whereas Hitler won 13 million votes - Hindenburg also won due to the SPD and Catholics not putting forward a candidate so they could choose Hindenburg over Hitler. They were not Hindenburgs usual support base but it demonstrated that people though Hindenburg was the lesser of 2 evils

Question 4

Who he’d the most seats in the July 1932 elections?

Answer 4

The Nazis - with 230 seats, or 37.4% of the vote

Question 5

Even though the Nazis had the majority, why did Hitler not offer the position of chancellor to Hitler. Who was offered it instead?

Answer 5

Hindenburg did not want to work with Hitler so Hindenburg offered the position to his army friend kurt Bon schleicher

Question 6

Hindenburg called another election later in September 1932, who were the biggest party?

Answer 6

Even with less votes than the July 1932 elections, the nazis were still the majority

Question 7

When was Hitler appointed chancellor and why?

Answer 7

Hitler was appointed chancellor on the 30th jan 1933 because con papen suggested that if he were to be vice chancellor and Hitler as chancellor then hindernburg and papen could control him and sandwich him

Question 8

What happened on thr 27th of February?

Answer 8

The reichstag was deliberately burned down. A young communist called van der Lubbe was caught by the nazis carrying evidence that he had started the fire. Many believe that the nazis started the fire and used this to support the claims of a communist coup to support nazi repression. Either way thr nazis used this to their advantage and accused the communists for plotting an overthrow of the government

Question 9

How did the nazis use the burning of the reichstag to their advantage?

Answer 9

• They got credit for catching van der Lubbe
• They were able to stir up anti communist propaganda
• nazis Gained financial support from industrialists as fear of communism rises
• Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to declare state of emergency due to communist threat. Giving Hitler the decree for the protection of the people and the state. This meant that Hitler could govern Germany by decree without the reichstag and legally arrest political opponents and ban opposition newspapers. He arrested many anti nazis, 4000 communists
• He also persuaded Hindenburg to call election on the 5th of March. In which due to use of decree to remove opposition, he had 288 seats or 43% of the vote.
• Banned 81 communist seats and gave the DNVP 52, giving the Nazis a majority

Question 10

When was the new reichstag opened?

Answer 10

21 March 1933 - and was celebrated at the Potsdam garrison church. This made it seem that the nazi party had continuity with the old German governments, which made them seem more respectable. He also said that he would support and respect the rights of the Catholic Church and uphold religious values.

Question 11

How and When was the enabled act passed

Answer 11

On the 23rd March 1933 - Hitler proposed an enabling law to the reichstag that enabled him to rule by decree. The tense atmosphere of the reichstag fire and support from both papen and Hindenburg made it seem necessary. In order to have it passed, Hitler needed 2/3 of the votes. The SA and the SS also contributed towards terror and violence in return for support. The nazi parties also gained catholic support by saying they would uphold catholic morals and values. And with the banning of the KPD- It was passed on the 24th of March 1933 with 444 votes against 84 ( all of which were spd)

Question 12

What did the enabling act allow Hitler to do?

Answer 12

Pass laws without reichstag for 4 years, however he renewed it in 1937 and after that, his dictatorship had been set up.

Question 13

What did this act mean for the Weimar constitution?

Answer 13

It tore it up, Hitler used it to remove parties in the reichstag one by one until by 14 July 1933, Germany when was a one party state. Hindenburg could have prevented this but he was too old and ill. When Hindenburg died, Hitler fused the role of chancellor and president together into fuhrer. Hitler also used it to ban trade unions and have them all absorbed under 1 official union called the German labour front. This ensured there were to strikes against the nazi regime.

Question 14

How did Hitler gain the Catholic Support

Answer 14

On the 23rd of March, he made a speech that they would respect and uphold catholic morals and values

Question 15

How did terror contribute to the consolidation of nazi power

Answer 15

• 100 000 political opponents of the nazi party were imprisoned between 1933-34
• Concentration camps opened such as Dachau (20 March 1933) this was the first nazi concentration camp where political opponents would be sent
• KPD banned after reichstag fire and trade unions closed 2 May 1933
• left wing newspapers closed

Question 16

What and when was the day of Potsdam?

Answer 16

21 March 1933 After the Reichstag fire in Berlin, Hitler used the inaugural celebrations of the newly elected Reichstag for a message of propaganda. In the Potsdam garrison church, they wanted to demonstrate not only the alleged unity of the nation but also the historical continuity between the Third Reich, Prussia, and the German Empire. This gained the backing of the old elite

Question 17

How did backstairs Intrigue contribute towards hitlers appointment of chancellor?

Answer 17

March 1930 - Brüning was appointed chancellor of Germany. He tried Introducing finance bills but would not get support, he used article 48 and dissolved the reichstag as well, calling for new elections. However in April 1932 he banned the SA in order to reduce violence. However bruning also introduces a policy of land requisition called agrarian Bolshevism which became very unpopular amongs the junkers. This caused schleicher and Hindenburg who once supported him, to Turn against him and he was dismissed as chancellor.

In May 1932 - schleicher persuaded Hindenburg to appoint Von papen as chancellor. He created a non party government consisting of only the elite and no reichstag dons. It lacked little support but he hoped to gain the support of the NSDAP. In order to further gain their support, he lifted the ban on the SA in June 1932, this increased street violence. Papen also used A.48 to depose the socialist led government in Prussia. Another blow to Weimar democracy. Due to the fact that the reichstag would not work with papen, Hindenburg dissolved the reichstag and called for new elections in July 1932, which was a disaster for Weimar Republic. Hitler with 37% of the vote demanded to be appointed chancellor with an enabling act but Hindenburg bluntly refused. In September 1932 papen tried to regain support but was voted no confidence of 512 votes to 42. Reichstag dissolved and new elections called in November as schleicher warned of civil war. Schleicher then persuaded Hindenburg to dismiss papen and make him chancellor who made Gregor stresser vice chancellor and developed brunings land requisition. However it failed as he alienated the junkers and left support.

Papen now saw an opportunity to take revenge and met with Hitler many times in January 1933. They agreed that Hitler would become chancellor and papen as the vice chancellor, in hopes that they could sandwich and control Hitler. Refusing schleichers request for rule by decree he made Hitler chancellor on the 16 January 1933 with papen as vice.

Question 18

In April 1934 Hindenburg was looking weak and he looked like he couldn’t live much longer. If he died, Hitler wanted no opposition to presidency, what did he do?

Answer 18

Röhm was the leader of the SA and was the only big threat to hitlers leadership as he had a loyal army of about 2 million soldiers. The SA were also thugs who were bad for the nazi image. He was also becoming more critical of Hitler by the minute. Mid June hitler made a speech that called an end to SA excesses and on the 30th of June the night of the long knives began. Rohm and senior SA officers were arrested and shot the next day. During the next few days, the several hundred people were murdered, many of which were SA members. Strasser and schleicher were also killed. People were relived that Hitler purged the SA as they were becoming overly violent and they hated them. Rohm was also gay lol.

Question 19

What were the consequences of the night of the long knives?

Answer 19

• German army aligned itself behind the Nazis and swore an oath of alliance to Hitler
• SA were rendered unarmed and continued working in a very reduced form. For example helping to attend nazi propaganda rallies.
• Hitler secured political supremacy