Consolidation of power Flashcards
(30 cards)
As soon as Hitler was appointed Chancellor
Did not have dictatorial powers at first but by 1934 Germany was a one party state under Hitler
Hitler- Key dates
1933 Jan 30- elected Chancellor Feb 27- Reichstag Fire March 5th- Last elections according to Weimar Constitution March 21st- Day of Postdam March 23rd- Enabling law passed July 14- all political opposition to NSDAP illegal 1934 June 30- Night of Long Knives Aug 2- Hindenburg dead Hitler merged role of president and chancellor to be Fuhrer
Hitlers limited power at beginning- Hindenburg/ Papen
Hindenburg wasn’t prepared to support Hitler’s appointment until he ensured chancellor position was limited Papen was confident ‘In 2 months we’ll have pushed Hitler so far into a corner.. squeaking’.
Hitler limitations- big 3
-Only 2 other Nazis in cabinet of 12 Wilhelm Frick-minister of interior- Goring- no specific responsibility Other non Nazis all had conservative nationalist backgrounds army industry landowners Hitlers coalition gov didn’t have a majority in Reichstag- can’t introduce dramatic legislation Chancellors position was dependent on whim of Hindenburg- also army/ trade unions could organise coup/ strike
Hitler’s strengths- early days- pt 1
Within months Hitler got past all of these weaknesses while following the policy of legality his strengths were: Leader of largest political party in Germany- ignoring him led to failed Papen/ Schleicher govforced conservatives to work with him- alternative to Hitler was civil war/ communism
Hitler’s strengths- early days- pt 2
Nazi party had now gained access to resources of the state. Goring was minister of interior of Prussia- had power over police Goebbels - ‘radio and press are at our disposal’
Hitler’s strengths- early days- pt 3
Hitler was a political tactician- in contrast papen= politically naive- Hitler couldn’t be tamed
Hermann Goring
Born in Bavaria 1893- took part in 1923 Munich Putsch- was injured 1933- Joined Hitlers’ cabinet as minister without portfolio- same year used Reichstag Fire to discredit communists/ impose dictatorship 1933-4 organised infiltration of German police by SA and SS 1934- organised night of long knives
Hermann Goring pt 2
1935- commander in chief of Luftwaffe 1936- appointed director of 4 year plan and took over Schacht to become economic dictator 1939- named Hitler’s successor 1940-45- retained most of his offices became increasingly isolated in Nazi leadership until death with aristocratic wife and coming from well off family- gave Nazis good image
Reichstag election 5th March 1933
Within 24 hours of Hitlers appointment he called for new Reichstag elections- felt it would increase Nazi vote/ enhance own status According to Weimar constitution- campaign for final Reichstag elections had little democratic elements- violence and terrow with socialist and communist meetings being broken up by Nazis
Reichstag elections pt 2
Used hate and fear in propaganda- in Hitlers appeal to German people- blamed prevailing economic issues on democratic gov and terrorist activities on communists- showed his gov as a peaceful ‘national uprising’- played to peoples wants but didn’t commit himself to details of a political and economic programme
Reichstag Fire
As Reichstag campaign reached climax Reichstag Fire happened- 27th February Reichstag building was set on fire- Marinus Van der Lubbe arrested for incriminating circumstances- at time many believed it was a Nazi plot to further communist hate- investigation in 1962- concluded der Lubbe had acted alone but he was acquitted 18 years later by Berlin authorities
Reichstag Fire impacts
On 28th Frick drew up and Hindenburg signed ‘Decree for protection of people and state- suspended right to an assembly, freedom of speech, freedom of press and other constitutional protections eg all restraints on police investigations- power of central gov strengthened- justification was communist threat
Election result
Germany went to polls - 5 March election had high turnout- 88%- suggests SA intimidation, corruption by officials and increased gov control of radio Vote only increased from 33.1% to 43.9%- secured 288 seats- could claim majority with 52 seats won by nationalists- political blow- any change in Weimar constitution required 2/3 majority in Reichstag
Enabling law- March 1933
Despite political blow- Hitler proposed an Enabling Law to new Reichstag- take away parliamentary procedure/ legislation- give full power to chancellor for 4 years- needed 2/3 majority to pass law- needed support of other major political parties
Revolution from below
In lower ranks of Nazi party members were taking law into own hands- uprising of SA- unauthorised arrests, insubordination to police/ violence- threatened Hitlers’ image of legality- antagonised conservative vested interests and DNVP coalition partners
Day of Potsdam
21st March- outside Potsdam Garrison church- orchestrated by Goebbels to celebrate opening of Reichstag Hitler symbolically aligned National Socialism with old Germany- was with Hindenburg, Crown prince (son of Kaiser Wilhelm II) and many old army generals
2 days after Potsdam
Reichstag met at Kroll opera house to consider enabling law- Nazis showed different image- communists who werent already in prison refused admittance- those who went were intimidated by ranks of SA surrounding building- needed 2/3- assumed SPD would vote against needed ZP vote promised to uphold catholic church/ values- ended up getting 444 to 94 votes- only social democrats voted against
coordination- Gleichschaltung
Enabling law was constitutional foundation of third reich- purely legal terms of Weimar constitution weren’t dissolved until 1945 but enabling law allowed legal basis for dictatorship- degeneration of Weimar democracy often reffered to as Gleichschaltung/ coordination- specifically establishing dictatorship 1933-34
coordination- Gleichschaltung- more
To some extent- generated by power of revolution from below- SA at local level- as well as Nazi leadership from political centre in Berlin (revolution from above) 2 political forces tried to coordinate as many aspects of German life as possible along Nazi lines but differences over future goals caused future conflicts
coordination- Gleichschaltung- even more
Was viewed as ‘merging’ of German society with party associations/ institutions to Nazify German life- at first many Nazi organizations had to live alongside existing bodies until they replaced them- Germany’s educational/ social life became increasingly controlled- during this time had to deal
Regional states- (Lander)
Regions had very strong traditions in German history- obstructed Nazi wish to create fully unified country- February- March 1933 Nazi activists intimidated opponents/ infiltrated state govs- political success degenerated to terror- Hitler was worried to lose support of conservatives- resolved situation with 3 legal states
3 legal states
31st March 1933- law dissolved regional parliaments (Landtage)- reformed them with acceptable majorities- allowed Nazis to dominate them 7th April 1933- law created Reich governors (Reichstatthalter)- more often was local party of Gauleiters with full powers Jan 1934 regional state parliaments were abolished- governments of all states were subordinated to ministry of interior in Berlin central gov
By early 1934…
Federal principle of gov was dead- even Nazi Reich governors existed to execute will of supreme leadership of Reich
