Flashcards
Nazi Consolidation of power
Cards in this deck (30)
- 1As soon as Hitler was appointed ChancellorDid not have dictatorial powers at first
but by 1934 Germany was a one party state under Hitler - 2Hitler- Key dates1933 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 - 3Hitlers limited power at beginning- Hindenburg/ PapenHindenburg 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'. - 4Hitler 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 - 5Hitler's strengths- early days- pt 1Within 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 - 6Hitler's strengths- early days- pt 2Nazi 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' - 7Hitler's strengths- early days- pt 3Hitler was a political tactician- in contrast papen= politically naive- Hitler couldn't be tamed
- 8Hermann GoringBorn 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 - 9Hermann Goring pt 21935- 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 - 10Reichstag election 5th March 1933Within 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 - 11Reichstag elections pt 2Used 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
- 12Reichstag FireAs 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
- 13Reichstag Fire impactsOn 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
- 14Election resultGermany 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 - 15Enabling law- March 1933Despite 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
- 16Revolution from belowIn 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
- 17Day of Potsdam21st 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
- 182 days after PotsdamReichstag 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
- 19coordination- GleichschaltungEnabling 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
- 20coordination- Gleichschaltung- moreTo 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
- 21coordination- Gleichschaltung- even moreWas 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
- 22Regional 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
- 233 legal states31st 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 - 24By early 1934...Federal principle of gov was dead- even Nazi Reich governors existed to execute will of supreme leadership of Reich
- 25Trade unions-an organized association of workers in a trade, group of trades, or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests.Trade union movement was powerful- mass membership and strong connections with socialism and Catholicism- had been enough to take down Kapp Putsch in 1920s-German organised labour was hostile to Nazis- but by May 1933 depression had severely weakened it- trade union leaders deluded themselves they could work with Nazis- have a bit of independence and keep structure of trade unionism
- 26Trade unions aftermathShort term- continued to serve social role to help members
Long term- provided framework for developing industrial relations in post Nazi era - 27German LabourNazis declared 1 May (traditional day for socialist labour) a national holiday- gave trade unions impression there was some hope for co operation- brief illusion- following day trade union premises were occupied by SA and SS, union funds were confiscated and many leaders were arrested- sent to concentration camps eg Dachau
- 28German Labour pt 2Independent trade unions were banned- in their place organisations were absorbed into German worker front (DAF) led by Robert Ley- became largest organisation in Germany with 22 million members- acted for instrument of control not representitive of workers interests and concerns - lacked right to negotiate wages and work conditions by end of 1933
- 29Political partiesGleichschaltung process couldn't allow other political parties to exist- to achieve this- Communists were soon outlawed after Reichstag Fire, soon after destruction of trade unions assets of social democrats were seized- they were officially banned on 22 June- most remaining major parties voluntarily dissolved themselves by end of June 1933- even nationalists in coalition obliged- Catholic centre followed on July 5
- 30Success of GleichschaltungBy end of 1933 Gleichschaltung was well established in many aspects of life but far from complete- didn't have much impression on army, big businesses and churches- civil service and education had only been partially coordinated- due to Hitlers' determination to shape events through revelution from above and not antagonise powerful vested interests but revolution from below wanted to extend Gleichschaltung process- problem- part of reason for Night of long knives