Hitler’s Consolidation of Power

Hitler was made Chancellor on January 30 1933.

What had President Hindenburg been using frequently before he appointed Hitler as Chancellor?

In one respect Hitler’s appointment was a surprise- why was this?

On appointment, who was made Hitler’s Vice Chancellor?

After the November 1932 elections which saw electoral support fell from 230 to 196 seats, Hitler contemplated suicide.

Which of the following was NOT a limitation or weakness after Hitler was appointed Chancellor?

What happened on 27 February 1933 that was a turning point in Hitler's political fortunes?

Which of the following was not a consequence of the Reichstag Fire?

A few days after the fire, in the election on 5 [blank_start]March[blank_end] 1933, [blank_start]44[blank_end] per cent of the German people voted for the Nazis, who won [blank_start]288[blank_end] seats in the Reichstag. This was still not the [blank_start]two-thirds[blank_end] majority Hitler needed, but this did not stop him. When the Reichstag met on 23 March 1933 Hitler was able to secure the passing of an important law, the [blank_start]Enabling Act[blank_end] by: using the decree for the Protection of People and State to ban the [blank_start]Communist[blank_end] Party (KPD); [blank_start]arresting[blank_end] some non-Nazi deputies; persuading the [blank_start]Nationalist[blank_end] Party to support him; obtaining the [blank_start]Centre Party’s[blank_end] cooperation and obedience by promising to protect the rights of [blank_start]Catholics[blank_end] and cancelling the Law for the Protection of People and State; arranging for the SA to [blank_start]intimidate[blank_end] other parties.

Which of the following is not true of the Enabling Act?

How did Hitler consolidate his position by creating a One Party State? Within [blank_start]months[blank_end] of the passing of the Enabling Act, Hitler removed most sources of [blank_start]political[blank_end] opposition. He [blank_start]merged[blank_end] the Nazi and the Nationalist Parties. The Centre Party (Catholic Party) [blank_start]disbanded[blank_end] voluntarily in return for Hitler agreeing not to interfere in [blank_start]Catholic[blank_end] schools and youth movements. Socialists and [blank_start]communists[blank_end], who had not already fled, were put in [blank_start]prison[blank_end]. In March, local [blank_start]parliaments[blank_end] were closed and then re-established with [blank_start]Nazi[blank_end] majorities. In April, Nazis took over key posts in [blank_start]local[blank_end] governments. Jews and other political enemies were removed from the [blank_start]civil service.[blank_end] In July 1933, other political parties were [blank_start]banned[blank_end]. The Law Against the [blank_start]Formation[blank_end] of New Parties meant only the Nazi Party was allowed to exist. Therefore, when the Reichstag and local governments met, which was infrequently, all the deputies were Nazis. In January 1934, the Law for the Reconstruction of the State [blank_start]abolished[blank_end] Germany’s [blank_start]state[blank_end] governments, apart from Prussia. These changes made Germany a [blank_start]one-party state[blank_end] and destroyed [blank_start]democracy[blank_end] in the country. When a new Reichstag election was held in December 1933, the Nazis won 92 per cent of the vote.

What was the term given to Hitler's taking control of all aspects of German politics, society, economy and cultural life?

Which of the following was NOT a reason why Hitler felt threatened by the SA?

The Night of the Long Knives On 30 June [blank_start]1934[blank_end], Hitler ordered the SS (i.e. the [blank_start]Schutzstaffel[blank_end] who were Hitler's personal body guards) to murder approximately [blank_start]400[blank_end] people, including [blank_start]Röhm[blank_end]. They were mostly [blank_start]SA leaders[blank_end] but also included were a number of other [blank_start]opponents[blank_end] that Hitler wanted to eliminate, like the previous Chancellor, [blank_start]Kurt von Schleicher[blank_end]. In [blank_start]public[blank_end], Hitler justified the slaughter by accusing the SA of being [blank_start]homosexuals[blank_end] and [blank_start]plotting[blank_end] against Germany. On 3 July 1934, the Reichstag passed a law [blank_start]retrospectively[blank_end] [blank_start]legalising[blank_end] the Night of the Long Knives. The Night of the Long Knives was very significant because: it [blank_start]destroyed[blank_end] all opposition to Hitler [blank_start]within[blank_end] the Nazi Party; it gave more power to the brutal [blank_start]SS[blank_end], which became more important than the Nazi Party in running the [blank_start]dictatorship[blank_end]; it [blank_start]discouraged[blank_end] potential opponents because they knew they would be dealt with [blank_start]ruthlessly[blank_end].

What was a Gauleiter?

When President Hindenburg died on 2 August, Hitler did not hold an election to replace him. Instead, he declared himself jointly President, Chancellor and Head of the Army and he became known as the Führer (leader).

Ensuring the loyalty of the army. During the previous regime, the [blank_start]Weimar Republic[blank_end], the army had helped to undermine the government. Hitler was determined this would not happen to him. Hitler gained control of the army in a number of ways: Firstly, he increased his popularity with them by [blank_start]eliminating[blank_end] the SA in the [blank_start]Night of the Long Knives[blank_end]. The army had disliked the SA because it was setting itself up as a [blank_start]rival[blank_end] to it. Secondly, after the death of [blank_start]Hindenburg[blank_end], members of the army had to [blank_start]swear[blank_end] a personal [blank_start]Oath of Allegiance[blank_end] (i.e. unconditional [blank_start]obedience[blank_end]) to Hitler, not [blank_start]Germany[blank_end]. Lastly, Hitler kept the army out of politics by keeping it busy with [blank_start]conscription[blank_end] and later rearmament. These actions put down any sources of opposition to Hitler within the army.

Which of the following are examples of 'Gleischaltung' (Coordination) which helped Hitler create a totalitarian state after 1933? (More than one answer)

Hitler held a plebiscite (referendum) on 19 August 1934 in which 90 per cent of Germans voted that they approved of Hitler becoming Führer.

On what 'principle' was Germany run under Hitler after 1934?