Path to Dictatorship Despite Hitler being Chancellor the Nazis still did not control the Reichstag or the German Government The German Communist Party were Hitlers biggest threat as they were still attracting voters Hitler knew his party had to perform well in the forthcoming March election ID: 1043936
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1. Adolf Hitler: Chancellor of Germany
2. Path to DictatorshipDespite Hitler being Chancellor, the Nazis still did not control the Reichstag or the German Government. The German Communist Party were Hitler’s biggest threat as they were still attracting voters. Hitler knew his party had to perform well in the forthcoming March elections of 1933…… he needed some way to attract more supporters…….
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4. “There will be no mercy now! Every Communist official will be shot where he is found. Everybody supporting the Communists must be arrested.”
5. Protection of the People?Marinus van der Lubbe – 24 year old Dutch Communist is arrested for starting the Reichstag Fire – put on trial, found guilty and beheaded on 10 January 19344,000 communists were arrested and many hundreds go ‘missing’Hitler convinced President Hindenburg to use Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution to declare a state of emergency and pass the ‘Decree for the Protection of the People and State’Many civil rights were withdrawn such as privacy laws protecting letters and phone calls and newspapers closed downNot surprisingly the Nazis recorded their best ever performance of 288 seats in the March election.
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9. Enabling ActAfter taking control of the Reichstag Hitler proposed an Enabling Act that would give him dictatorial powers for 4 yearsNazi stormtroopers lined the Kroll Opera House theatre intimidating everyone to pass the actHitler gave a speech promising to use the act in emergencies onlyBecause this was an important change to the Weimar Constitution it needed a 2/3 majority to pass.Hitler achieved the 2/3 majority he needed by making false promises to the Centre Party. The vote passed by 441 votes to 84 votes.Hitler could now pass any laws without the permission of the Reichstagor President Hindenburg.Hitler immediately bans all other political parties.He takes over the trade unions, renaming them the ‘Labour Front’ and imprisons all the former leaders.150,000 political prisoners are imprisoned in newly built concentration campsBeggars, prostitutes, homosexuals, alcoholics and the mentally insane were all sent to concentration camps.The Weimar Constitution was finished, democracy was crushed – Germany was now a dictatorship.
10. However Hitler still had opposition within his own Nazi Party……
11. The Night of the Long KnivesOpposition from outside the Nazi party was being strangled – Communists and other political parties were banned and concentration camps set up.BUT – some within the Nazi Party (particularly the SA) opposed Hitler and he knew he had to wipe out this threat.
12. Who were disloyal?Ernst RohmLeader of the SAGregor StrasserLeader of the Political Nazi Party
13. I am a man marked by death. Whatever happens, mark what I say: From now on Germany is in the hands of an Austrian who is a congenital liar, a former officer who is a pervert, and a clubfoot. And I tell you the last is the worst of them all. This is Satan in human formGregor Strasser
14. Ernst RohmAdolf is a swine. He will give us all way. He only associates with reactionaries now. Adolf knows exactly what I want. Not a second edition of the old imperial army. Are we revolutionaries or aren't we? We've got to produce something new, don't you see? A new discipline. A new principle of organization. The generals are a lot of old fogies.
15. Ernst RohmHitler can't walk over me as he might have done a year ago; I've seen to that. Don't forget that I have nearly three million men, with every key position in the hands of my own people…If Hitler is reasonable I shall settle the matter quietly; if he isn't I must be prepared to use force - not for my sake but for the sake of our revolution.
16. What did Hitler do?He got his inner circle to compile hit-lists of disloyal SA men.Heinrich Himmler in particular was keen to do this as he wanted control of the police and the concentration campsOn 30th June 1934 dozens of SA leadersand Nazi party officials were arrestedMany are shot dead in their homes, others are taken to prison camps and executed
17. VictimsErnst Gregor Kurt von Gustav vonRohm Strasser Schleicher KahrDEADDEADDEADDEAD
18. Hitler’s Response"In this hour I was responsible for the fate of the German people, and thereby I became the supreme judge of the German people. I gave the order to shoot the ringleaders in this treason."
19. British cartoon by David Low, 1934They salute with both hands, now!
20. Results of the Night of the Long KnivesOfficially 85 recorded deaths but number anywhere between 400 and 1,000President Hindenburg died in August 1934Hitler made himself head of the armed forces, who had to swear an oath of loyalty to him.He named himself President as well as Chancellor, a new role called ‘Der Fuhrer’.Adolf Hitler now had full and total control of Nazi Germany