Weimar, establishing the Nazi Dictatorship

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Feb 1933 Reichstag Fire

Gave Hitler an excuse to national emergency, crack down on communists, hold new elections and pass Enabling Act

Mar 1933 Enabling Act

Gave Hitler the ability to pass laws without the approval of the Reichstag

May/Jul 1934 removing opposition

Using new powers, Hitler banned trade unions May 1933 and made strikes illegal

Trade union officials were arrested, May 1933 Stormtroopers destroyed offices and newspapers of SPD and communists, confiscated all their funds.

Jul 1933 all parties other than NSDAP became illegal.

Jan 1934 Lander (regional parliaments) replaced by governors appointed by Hitler

Jun 1934 Night of Long Knives: Hitler had around 400 political opponents (mainly Nazis) murdered which included von Schleicher and Rohm since the SA wanted to enact more socialist ideas and take over German army.

Aug 1934 death of Hindenburg: Hitler added powers of President along with Chancellor now, called himself Fuhrer, every soldier in army had to swear oath of loyalty, put to public in plebiscite, backed by 90%

Reichstag fire more info

27th Feb 1933, Reichstag building set on fire by Dutch Communist named Marius caught at scene. He confessed and was found guilty. Hitler claimed it part of a communist plot. 4000 communists arrested that night. Hitler pressured Hindenburg to declare state of emergency, also convinced him to call an election for 5th Mar 1933.

Before election: Hitler issued Decree for the Protection of the People and the State allowing the imprisoning of opponents and banning of communist newspapers. Allowed SA to violently attack opposition. Convinced Krupp and other industrialists to back the Nazis.

Violent clashes in election campaign - 70 deaths, Nazi members of Reichstag increased to 288, communists gained 81 seats but were banned from taking them by Hitler, Nazis now had working majority in Reichstag, with support from other nationalist parties.

Enabling Act more info

Allowed cabinet to pass new laws, laws could alter/overrule the Weimar constitution, laws proposed solely by Hitler, during the debate on the law many SPD members didn’t turn up from intimidation and SS men patrolling corridors in their uniform.

24th Mar 1933 Enabling Act was passed 444-94. Later renewed 1937

Night of Long Knives

Causes: SA grew unhappy, 3 million members by 1934 with 60% being unemployed, resented Hitler for this, SA had personal loyalty to Rohm. Rohm wanted more socialist policies. Army leaders feared SA since they massively outnumbered them and thought Rohm wanted to replace the army with them. Himmler and the SS wanted to limit their power. SS and Army told Hitler that Rohm was plotting to seize power.

Events: 30th Jun 1934, Hitler arranged meeting for Rohm and 100 SA leaders at hotel. When arriving they were arrested, imprisoned and shot. 1st Jul, Rohm given bullet in prison to kill himself but after he didn’t the SS shot him. 400 people murdered over 4 day period. Vice chancellor Von Papen’s home surrounded and telephone cut off.

SS info

Led by Himmler and Heydrich. Set up in 1925 as group of 240 bodyguards to Hitler. 1932 given black uniforms to differentiate between SA “brownshirts”. During 1930’s expanded to 240,000, in charge of all police and security. Had to be perfect Aryans and marry “racially pure” wives.

SD info

Kept detailed card index of anyone suspected of opposing the Nazis. Kept at Brown House, Munich, Nazi HQ - not a government building.

Gestapo info

Non-uniformed secret police, tapped phones, used network of informers, 1936, 160,000 people arrested for political offences, took suspects away early in the morning, often took people without trial to concentration camps where their families would later be informed that they died. Some historians argue fear of the Gestapo was more powerful than them - 30,000 officers to 80 million population

Concentration camps info

First opened at Dachau 1933

First camp for women opened at Moringen 1933

Prisoners would include “undesirables” - prostitutes, homosexuals, Jews, other minorities, political prisoners (communists, intellectuals, etc)

By 1939 had over 150,000 prisoners, termed “under protective arrest”

Legal system

All judges to be members of the National Socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law. Judges told that the interests of the Nazi Party take priority in the event of a conflict between them and law. Trial by jury abolished. Hitler set up a People’s Court for hearing cases of treason against the state. No right to appeal sentences, between 1934-39, 534 people sentenced to death. Freisler was a well known judge in the People’s Court. 90% of the defendant whose cases he heard were sentenced to death.

Catholic Church info

1/3 of German Christians were Catholic

Jul 1933 Hitler reached concordat with Pope, Hitler agreed to allow freedom of worship for Catholics and to leave Catholic schools alone and the Church agreed that priests would not interfere in politics and bishops would swear loyalty to Nazi regime.

Hitler didn’t stick to the agreement, many Catholic priests were sent to concentration camps, Catholic schools closed or brought into line with others and other Catholic youth activities were banned.

1937 Pope Pius XI realised concordat didn’t work, issued criticism of the Nazi Regime in ‘With Burning Concern’

Protestant Church info

1936, Reich Church established with Ludwig Muller made the Reich Bishop of Germany, Protestant pastors who supported Hitler were allowed to keep providing services, Swastikas displayed in some churches, Jews not allowed to be baptised and Old testament excluded from teachings.

1933 Martin Niemoller set up the Pastors’ Emergency League to campaign against Nazi actions.

Propaganda info

Joseph Goebbels - Minister of People’s Enlightenment and Propaganda

“Disagreement” in attitudes to propaganda between Hitler and Goebbels.

Hitler - constant repetition of messages

Goebbels - invisible, subtle propaganda woven into different aspects of life

Press - censored by Nazis, journalists told what they could/couldn’t write. 1,600 newspapers closed down in 1935.

Radio - all radio stations under Nazi control, regular propaganda broadcasts which workplaces were forced to play to their workers, cheap radios made available and by 1939, 70% of homes had a radio. All radios short wave so they could not pick up foreign stations.

Sport - stadiums decked with swastikas, visiting teams made to give Nazi salute before matches, liking sport success with Nazi ideals

1936 Berlin Olympics - build 110,000 capacity stadium, largest in the world. Germany won 33 gold medals and topped the table. Two films made and released in 1938. Some elements of anti-Semitism were hidden during the games.

Propaganda (culture and arts)

Nazis favoured art that highlighted romantic ideas about Germany’s past and Nazi ideas like loyalty and discipline. They liked arts that linked to classical ideas like ancient Greece/Rome.

They disliked modern art and culture from the Weimar years.

Reich Chamber of Culture set up in 1933, overseen by Goebbels, sought to have consistency in art/culture called Gleichshaltung.

Art: All artists had to be part of the Reich Chamber of Visual Arts with 42,000 accepted. Non members were banned from doing anything art related.

Music: Jazz music banned, German folk music encouraged

Literature: 2,500 books banned

Films: Goebbels had to approve the plot of any new movies in advance. Films in cinemas always begun with 45 min advertisement on Nazi achievements

Opposition (Churches)

1933 PEL was set up, opposing creation of one German Christian church and banning of teaching Jewish ideas or baptising Jews.

1934 PEL set up Confessing Church, opposed Nazi interference, 6000 pastors joined, 2000 stayed in official church, 800 arrested and sent to concentration camps.

Around 400 Catholic priests imprisoned, Church attendances suggest many Christians defied Nazis.

Pastor Martin Niemoller: opposed Weimar Republic and voted Hitler believing Germany needed a strong leader. Opposed Nazi interference in church and set up the PEL but didn’t oppose restrictions on Jews imposed by the Nazis (other than them becoming Christians). He was put in a concentration camp and offered to fight for Germany in WW2 if he was released.

Opposition (young people)

Edelweiss Pirates: working class youth, mainly men, resented military discipline and lack of freedom, wore American-style clothes, mocked Nazis, sometimes beat up Hitler Youth

Swing Youth: mainly middle class teenagers, admired American culture and swing/jazz music, drank alcohol, danced, organised illegal dances, actions limited to graffiti, jokes, not conforming, no direct action against Nazis until later in WW2. Weren’t aiming for political change.