CONSOLIDATION OF POWER

Question 1

Law for restoration of Professional Civil Service

Answer 1

• Under Kaiser- civil servants had status on par with soldiers; recruited from aristocracy
• Nazis regarded them as an obstacle to dictatorial power- many forced to resign and replaced with Nazis
• April 1933- Jews and political opponents excluded from civil service

Question 2

Law on admissions to legal profession

Answer 2

• April 1933
• Excludes Jews and political opponents from the bar
• ensures lack of legal opposition

Question 3

LAWS THAT CENTRALISED POWER

Answer 3

• March 1933: first law for coordination of federal states (dissolved existing state assemblies and replaced them with Nazi ones)
• April 1933: second law for coordination of federal states (created Reich Governor to oversee government of each state- accountable to minister of interior and ensured government policies were carried out)
• January 1934: Law for reconstruction of Reich (state assemblies abolished, governments of states subordinated to government of Reich- RG became redundant, rivalry and tension between state governments and RGs continued)
• February 1934: Reichsrat abolished (parliamentary assembly where state assemblies sent delegates)

Question 4

SPD outlawed

Answer 4

• 22 June 1933
• KPD effectively banned after Reichstag fire- many communists not imprisoned fled into exile

Question 5

DNVP disbanded

Answer 5

• 27 June 1933

Question 6

Centre Party disbanded

Answer 6

• 5 July 1933, voluntarily

Question 7

Law against Formation of New Parties

Answer 7

• 14 July 1933- One party state

Question 8

Reichstag Election 12 November 1933

Answer 8

• Nazis had 92% of Vote

Question 9

Reichsrat abolished

Answer 9

• 14 February 1934

Question 10

Night of the Long Knives

Answer 10

• 30 June 1934
  > Röhm executed by SS officers after being arrested and refusing to shoot himself
• Purge of SA- outlived usefulness, became embarrassment and threat
• 84 killed, 1000+ arrested; Schleicher, Strasser, von Kahr killed; Papen placed in house arrest
• Hitler believed the revolution and process of Gleichschaltung was over after banning all parties- but Röhm did not, wanted the SA to absorb and replace the army-
• SA and Stahlhem 3.4 million by January 1945
  > power gradually declining- lost auxiliary police status and arresting powers in 1933; became drunkards that caused unneeded violence
• Papen called out this violence in June 1934, approved by Hindenburg- Goebbels was unable to censor it and it spread in the media; then Blomberg, with Hindenburg’s approval, threatened to call martial law to deal with SA
• Led to support for Hitler- took full responsibility for actions
• SS took over Terror machine thereafter; used more systematically

Question 11

Hindenburg dies

Answer 11

• 2 August 1934
• Hindenburg was extremely concerned with SA- purging them allowed Hitler to reassure army and him
• Hitler became President and Chancellor- army swore oath of allegiance
• 19 August- Plebiscite allowed Hitler to become Führer- 89.9%; final act of consolidation