DS3 - The Third Reich

when was the reichstag fire

27 february 1933

events of the reichstag fire

van de Lubbe was arrested for starting a fire which burned down the reichstag

framed as a communist by the nazi party - nazi courts set up for the trial

Hitler used this to persuade Hindenburg to enact article 48

the fire gave Hitler the excuse to imprison 25,000 communists

Nazis first to arrive at the Reichstag after the fire was set

consequences of the reichstag fire

Reichstag Fire Decrees - gave Hitler complete article 48 powers

Hindenburg suspended free speech and gave police emergency powers

4000 communist activists imprisoned by police

march 1933 nazis gained 288 seats (44% of the vote)

what was the enabling act

an act that proposed that Hitler would have  complete authority over the reichstag for the next four years to pass laws and enact legislation 

it was believed that after these four years hitler would restore political and civil rights after this time

how was hitler able to pass the enabling act

KPD were unable to vote as they had either been put in concentration camps or fled the country

SPD were shouted over by nazi members every time they spoke 

the centre party were afraid of the political consequences if they did not support the nazis and believed that after 4 years hitler would give this power up 

how many votes was the enabling act passed by

444 to 94

what was kopenik blood week

21-26 june

spd faced violence from from the SS SA and Gestapo

500 spd members and political opponents tortured and at least 23 died

on 22 june spd was dissolved

when was the night of the long knives

29 june 1934

volksgemeinshaft social policies

reinforced idea that women were first and foremost mothers

‘The honour cross of german motherhood’

‘law for the reduction of unemployment’ gave allowances to women who gave up work

propaganda used to show the women role in the home

volksgemeinshaft policies towards workers

may 1933 creation of the DAF to replace all trade unions

May Day became a national day of labour

‘strength through joy’ scheme to organise workers leisure time

july 1935 ‘reich labour service act’ forced men aged 18-25 to spend 6 months training in a camp and only accept a basic allowance

volksgemeinshaft and the church

protestant reich church established may 1933 with muller as reichbishop

muller led a group called ‘german christians’ who embraced nazism 

july 1933 concordat

martin niemoller started the confessional church with a group of 100 pastors and 4000 clergy who refused to acknowledge the church

volksgemeinshaft policies towards young people

reich education ministry ensured schools followed a nazi curriculum

hitler youth

league of german maidens

boys were taught military games while girls learnt housework

key volksgemeinshaft legal policies

law for the reconstruction of the state

law for the reduction of unemployment

concordat

law for the restoration of the professional civil service

law against the formation of parties

what is cumulative radicalisation

governmental departments would present progressively more radical legislation in order to gain the favour of hitler

what was the reich press law oct 1933

banned all jewish or liberal editors and journalists

newspapers had to print views that the ministry agreed with 

examples of nazi newspapers

Racial Observers - primary newspaper of the nazi party

The Assault - founded by Goebbels in 1927

role of film and cinema in propoganda

in 1933 german cinema had an audience of over 250 mil

films were shown alongside 45 min gov newsreels

all films were used to spread the nazi message

from 1934 directors had to send the plot of every new film to goebbels for approval

importance of radio in propaganda

all radio stations were placed under nazi control

speakers placed in the streets

‘people’s receivers’ in every home

examples of cultural propaganda

reich chamber of culture was created by Goebbels to control the arts

may 10 1933 nazi book burning

1936 olympic stadium which seated 110,000

authors could only write about four topics: front experience, world view, regional novels, racial doctrine

what was potsdam day 21 march 1933

the opening of a new reichstag at Potsdam

aimed to ingratiate the nazis with hindenburg

event orchestrated by goebbels to show hitlers ‘deference’ to hindenburg

showed the powerful conservative forces that hitler respected their position

wore black suit rather than military uniform

what was gleichshaltung

the coordination of the state

gleichshaltung - trade unions

popular christian trade union was dissolved due to the concordat

2 may 1933 the sa raided all trade union offices, destroyed their organisations and arrested leaders

trade unions were replaced with the DAF which became the only legal trade union

workers had to accept new contracts which included increased hours and wage freezes

there was now no way for workers to voice their opposition 

gleichshaltung - political parties

communists had been outlawed since the reichstag fire

22 june 1933 spd dissolved

june-july all other parties dissolved

14 july 1933 all political opposition to nsdap declared illegal

gleichshaltung - lander

the lander were reformed in three stages:

31 march 1933 - regional parliaments dissolved

7 april 1933 - reich governors created

jan 1934 ‘law for the reconstruction of the reich - state parliaments and reichsrat abolished

gleichshaltung - army 

retained autonomy and had littler political interference

1934- soldiers required to take an oath to hitler

gleichshaltung - church

20 july 1933 concordat

church agreed to remain outside of politics in order for its rights to be upheld

gleichshaltung - press

socialist and communist newspapers banned

propaganda ministry controlled what was published

gauleiters

nazi governors who had control over individual states

causes of the night of the long knives

the violence of the sa was unpopular with the middle classes who supported hitler

the military despised the sa as they saw them as violent and undisciplined thugs who threatened the army’s position

the sa believed it should take control of the military - sa had 2 mil in numbers compared to the militaries 100,000

hitler wanted to assure hindenburg and the junkers that he respected their position

when was the night of the long knives

30 june 1934

hitler order key sa members and political opponents to be murdered

around 400 deaths

impact of the night of the long knives

won the support of the military

destroyed all political threat

showed the people hitler was a decisive leader

solidified his dictatorship - took the role of furrier

when was the role of furrier passed by plebiscite 

19 august 1934

gave a democratic appearance 

what was the fuhrers will

due to the loyalty to hitler all legislation made was committed to the idea of hitler

legislation would be designed to fufill his aims

why was there a decline in cabinet meetings

cabinet was progressively weakened in power

only met 12 times in 1935

hitler didn’t want to use the cabinet

who was lammers

head of the reich chancellery who controlled who had access to hitler 

legislation had to get his approval before he would present it to hitler

when was conscription introduced

march 1935

prussian values within the army became diluted with nsdap ideology

what is dualism

government and party organisations operated in competition with each other without it being clear who was in charge

military dualism

building of the Luftwaffe was placed under the control of the Reich Aviation Ministry rather than the Ministry of Defence (military) 

creation of separate ss divisions challenged the dominance of the military

dualism - police

1933 the ss sa and stahlhem were inducted into the prussian police force

1936 ss were placed in control of the police rather than the state

dualism - economy

Minister of economics (state) was placed in control of the economy which also assured influential industrialists that radical changes to the economy would not be made

when were the reichstag fire decrees

28 feb 1933

when was the enabling act

23 march 1933

when was the law for the coordination of the lander

31 march 1933

when were trade unions abolished

2 may 1933

when was the spd dissolved

22 june 1933

when was the concordat signed

20 july 1933

when was the law for the reconstruction of the reich

30 january 1934

when did hindenburg die

1 august 1934

when was the army oath implemented

20 august 1934

when was military conscription introduced

march 1935