Hitler’s Consolidation Of Power March 1933-Aug 1934

Question 1

When was the Reichstag Fire?

Answer 1

February 27th 1933

Question 2

Who was blamed for the Reichstag Fire?

Answer 2

Martin Van Der Lubbe
(A Dutch Communist)

Question 3

What decree was Hindenburg persuaded to issue?

Answer 3

“Decree for the Protection of the People and the state”

Question 4

What did the decree for the protection of the people and the state do?

Answer 4

-Outlawed KPD
-Freedom of speech and assembly suspended
-SA used as special Police to intimidate opponents
-Nazi took control of state radio= increased spread of propaganda

Question 5

What percentage of the vote did the Nazi’s receive in the March 1933 election?

Answer 5

44%

Question 6

What was the percentage of the combined majority of the Nazi’s and nationalist votes in the March 1933 election?

Answer 6

52%
(However KPD not allowed to take seat so effectively 60% however not 2/3 majority)

Question 7

What happened in the 7th and 8th of March?

Answer 7

7th March- new cabinet meets
8th March- Dachau concentration camp open

Question 8

What happened on the 21st March 1933?

Answer 8

Day of Potsdam
(Elaborate ceremony at Potsdam Church with Hitler and Crown Prince Wilhelmina where Hitler pledged to uphold the traditional Germany- “marriage of old grandeur to new power”

Question 9

When was the enabling act voted on?

Answer 9

23rd March 1933

Question 10

What was the result of the vote about the enabling act ?

Answer 10

444 to 94 majority voted in favour in ending democracy ( only a few SPD members opposed)

Question 11

What is the German term for Coordination of all organs of the state and merging German society with party institutions?

Answer 11

Gleichschaltung
(Designed to be a revolution from below by giving freedom to SA to exploit there position of power locally and a revolution from above directed by the Nazi leadership)

Question 12

What was the German term for a National People’s Community?

Answer 12

Volksgemeinschaft

Question 13

When were trade unions disbanded?

Answer 13

May 1933

Question 14

When were the SPD outlawed as a “party hostile to the nation and state”?

Answer 14

June 1933

Question 15

When did the DNVP dissolve themselves?

Answer 15

27th June 1933

Question 16

When did the centre party dissolve themselves?

Answer 16

5th July 1933

Question 17

What law was passed on the 14th July 1933?

Answer 17

Law against the formation of New Parties
(= Nazi party only legal party in the state)

Question 18

What is the other name for the enabling act?

Answer 18

Law to Alleviate the sufferings of the people and the country

Question 19

What law was passed on the 31st March 1933?

Answer 19

First Law for the coordination of the Federal States

Question 20

What did the First Law for the coordination of the Federal States do?

Answer 20

Regional Parliaments dissolved and replaced with Nazi dominated assemblies

Question 21

What law was passed on the 7th April 1933?

Answer 21

The Second Law for the coordination if the Federal States

Question 22

What did the Second Law for the Coordination of the Federal States do?

Answer 22

-New post of Reich Governor to oversee government of each state

Question 23

What law was passed on the 30th January 1934?

Answer 23

The Law for the Reconstruction of the Reich

Question 24

What did the law for the Reconstruction of the Reich do?

Answer 24

State assemblies abolished
Government of the states formally subordinate to government of the Reich

Question 25

When was the Reichsrat abolished?

Answer 25

14th Feb 1934 (Gauleiters now act as a Regional Governor with full powers)

Question 26

How did the Nazis control the civil service?

Answer 26

-Higher ranks recruited from aristocracy -Uncooperative officials (around 5%) forced to resign and replaced by Nazi appointees -Party officials increasingly placed in government offices to ensure the civil servants were following orders

Question 27

How did the Nazifying of Society (Gleichschaltung of state institutions) occur?

Answer 27

-Began to introduce legislation that would remove non-Aryans from public life e.g 25th April 1933 Law against the overcrowding of German schools and univerisites e.g 6th May Implementation of the Law for the restoration of the Professional civil service

Question 28

What meeting took place in October 1933?

Answer 28

League of Disarmament Conference (Hitler instructs von Neurath to withdraw)

Question 29

What was the result of the November 1933 referendum in regards to leaving the League of Nations?

Answer 29

96% turnout 95% approved the withdrawal

Question 30

What was the result of the November 1933 elections?

Answer 30

92% voted for Nazi's HOWEVER 3.3 million people did not (Not a fully free election, but still proof of over-whelming support for Hilter's foreign policy moves and growing popularity)

Question 31

What limited Hitler's consolidation of Power by mid 1934?

Answer 31

Presidency still existed Armed forces still independent of the party Conservative elite

Question 32

When was the Night of the Long Knives?

Answer 32

30th June 1934

Question 33

Why did the Night of the Long Knives occur?

Answer 33

-The ambitions of the SA leader Rohm were regarded as serious threat by the army leaders= Hitler feared a military coup by the army -The pressure increased after Von Papen's speech at Marburg University in which he criticised the Nazi party -So Hitler purged the SA to reassure the army and the elites by the SS, eliminating the leadership of the SA and many other political opponents (at least 84 executed and over 1000 arrested, Rohm and General Schleicher both victims)

Question 34

What did Hindenburg's Death signify?

Answer 34

The Consolidation of the Nazi's power complete

Question 35

When did Hindenburg die?

Answer 35

2nd August 1934 (within the hour Hitler merges Presidency and chancellorship and army takes oath of allegiance to Hitler)

Question 36

When was the referendum held on appointing Hitler as Fuhrer?

Answer 36

19th August 1934

Question 37

What was the result of the 19th August 1934 Referendum ?

Answer 37

89.9% (40.5 million) voters wanted Hitler ad Fuhrer 10.1% (4.5 million) voters did not

Question 38

What is the German name for a referendum on important political or constitutional decisions?

Answer 38

plebiscite

Question 39

State the main factors Hitler used to consolidate his power

Answer 39

-Terror -Legal Powers -Compromises with conversative elite and army