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Enabling Act: The Law for Removing the Distress of the People and the Reich
Hitler needed two thirds majority to pass this act, which would allow him to make laws without Reichstag approval and without reference to the President, for a period of four years
Extra powers given to Hitler from this act
He could make treaties with foreign states without Reichstga approval
How Hitler secured the needed majority
Promised the Centre Party he wouldn’t use these powers without consulting Hindenburg first
The Enabling Act was the final piece in the legal framework that legitimised the Nazi dictatorship
The state of Germany in March 1933
The KPD was effectively banned and its press silenced
SA and SS could beat up and kill opponents without many consequences
Violent attacks on Jews were increasing
The Decree for the Protection of the People and the State
Suspended important civil and political rights that had been guaranteed under the Weimar Constitution
The police’s additional powers given from the Decree
Were given increased powers to arrest, and detain without charge, those deemed to be a threat to state security
Given increased power to enter and search private premises
This was used to arrest communists and socialists
Decree legalised a full-scale assault on the Communists
The police arrested 10,000 Communists in 2 weeks, including most of the leaders
March 1933 election
Offices of SPD and KPD had been smashed and funds locked up
Left wing posters for meetings removed as soon as put up
Nazis controlled media with posters, radio broadcasts and parades / rallies
With this they still didn’t achieve the level of succes they desired
Nearly 64% of voters had supported non-Nazi parties
Nazi violence against political opponents
The Nazi ‘legal revolution’ and ‘revolution from below’ - the SA unleashed a reign of terror against socialist and communist opponents
Gangs of Stormtroopers broke up SPD and KPD meetings
The SA unleashed an assault on trade union and KPD offices, political prisoners were arrested and imprisoned
The Reichstag Fire
27th February
A young Dutch Communist, Marinus van der Lubbe was arrested and charged with causing it
Has been argued that the Nazis set him up in order to justify introducing repressive measures, but no evidence has emerged to prove this
Concentration camps
Communists, socialists and trade unionists rounded up in makeshift concentration camps
First permanent one was established on 8th March, fitting over 5,000 people
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The fall of Bruning’s Government, May 1932
He aimed to establish a more authoritarian style of government through reducing state expenditure, cutting welfare benefits + wages
This worsened the economic situation and deepened the Depression, unemployment exceeded 6 million
Hindenburg forced Bruning to resign due to governing by decrees too much, replaced by von Papen
Papen’s cabinet of barons
Papen’s coalition that was a non-party basis, only two positions were DNVP
Rest were the landowning, industrial elite, non Reichstag members
Though since this had limited Reichstag support, Papen continued to rule by presidential decree
Papen’s destruction of democratic government in Prussia
Papen lifted SA ban, street violence increased, gave him an excuse to impose authoritarian rule in Prussia
The street violence resulted in 18 deaths, Papen blamed SPD-led Prussia
Appointed himself as in charge of Prussia, went beyond his constitutional powers
The end of Papen’s government
He was considered the biggest loser in the November 1932 election, though not a candidate
Army was now no longer supporting Papen, removing the option of using them to enforce an authoritarian style government
Papen had no alternative but to resign
Hindenburg’s inner circle
Advisers involved in all key decisions
Advised the appointment of Chancellors and signing of presidential decrees
Schleicher was one of these advisors, and deeply involved in Papen’s fall
After Papen’s fall, one of Hindenburg’s only options was to make Hitler or Schleicher Chancellor
Oskar von Hindenburg
Son of President Hindenburg
Became his father’s aide-de-camp, which allowed him to control access to the President.
Dr Otto Meissner
Head of Office of the President
Had considerable influence over Hindenburg
Helped organise the talks between Papen and Hitler which led to Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor
Schleicher’s government (December 1932-January 1933)
Tried to get the Nazis to join a coalition that he led, in order to lead a stable government after falling out with Hindenburg
However this failed
Cancelled Papen’s cuts in wages and benefits, but was too much for industrialists / landowners
Didn’t attract trade unions like he’d hoped
His last resort was asking Hindenburg to dissolve the Reichstag and give him full dictatorial power, Hindenburg refused and Schleicher resigned
What Hitler’s first cabinet contained
Nazi Party Ministers
Minister of the Interior (Wilhelm Frick)
Minister without Portfolio (Hermann Goering)
Defence Minister (General Blomberg)
Minister for Economics (Alfred Hugenberg)
Foreign Minister (Freiherr von Neurath)
Minister of Labour (Franz Seldte)
Hitler’s first cabinet meeting
The first cabinet, in which the Nazi Party held only three posts out of a total of 12 ministers
Reinforcing Papen’s view that no fundamental political change would occur by including the Nazis
Hitler’s underlying aim as President
To establish a Nazi dictatorship as soon as possible
Key chronology after Hitler’s appointment
1st Feb - Hitler dissolved Reichstag, called for new elections
27th Feb - Reichstag Fire
28th Feb - Decree for the Protection of the People and the State
5th March - Reichstag elections, Nazis won but just short of overall majority
6-7th March - Nazis began taking over state governments
8th March - First permanent concentration camp
13th March - Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda established
24th March - Enabling Act Passed
Torchlight procession
Organised by Goebbels
Designed to show Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor was not going to be a normal change or government
Hitler and his Nazi Party were making it clear that their accession to power would mark a historic break with the past and the start of their ‘National Revolution’
Date that Hitler was appointed
January 1933
Events leading to his appointment
1932
April - Hindenburg re-elected as president, Bruning put a ban on the Nazi SA
May - Bruning forced to resign as Chancellor, replaced by Papen
June - Papen lifted SA ban
July - Papen dismissed SPD led gov in Prussia, Nazis became the largest party in Reichstag election
September - Reichstag passed no confidence vote in Papen’s gov
Reichstag election - Nazis lost, still largest party
December - Papen forced to resign, replaced by Schleicher
1933 - January
Hitler + Papen work together in a coalition government
Hitler appointed as Chancellor
Who was Franz von Papen (1879-1969)?
Former aristocratic army officer
Appointed Chancellor in May 1932
Led the ‘Cabinet of Barons’
Brought down by Schleicher’s Dec intrigue
Returned to power in coalition with Hitler
Who was Kurt von Schleicher (1882-1934)?
Chancellor from December 1932 - January 1933, replaced by Hitler
Sought to prevent the Nazi violation of laws
Murdered by Hitler’s SS during the Night of the Long Knives in 1934
The KPD’s increase between 1928 and July 1932
Gained 2 million votes in this period
Membership increased from 117,000 to 360,000
A growing force especially at a street and neighbourhood level in large industrial cities
Policies and ideology
Revolutionary communist ideology
Close collaboration with the USSR
Had an ultimate aim of overthrowing the Weimar Republic
Saw the Depression as the final factor that would lead to a workers’ revolution
Its main priority was to replace the SPD as the leading party on the left
Strengths
Their speeches were effective in attracting membership - emphasis on ‘Bread and Freedom’
Its projected image appealed to those who were ‘desperate’ after the Depression
Perceived a threat of a Communist revolution
Weaknesses
Was never close to launching a successful revolution
Had high membership turnover - 50% of new members left in 1932
Forever short of money, due to most members being unemployed
Their focus on the SPD blinded them to the true threat of the Nazis
Didn’t appeal outside industrial areas, or to women
Nazi Ideology
Originally put forward in their 25 Point Programme of 1920
The power of the will (power + strength, unity persuaded by Hitler)
A racial community (wanted to return to a romanticised race, blue eyes, blonde, that has been ‘polluted’)
A national socialism (loosely used to appeal working-class)
The Fuhrerprinzip (wanted to remove Weimar due to it being ‘alien’ aka parliamentary + democratic, wanted to make Germany strong again)
Aggressive nationalism (reverse Versailles, take over territory to the east)
Anti-Semitism (blamed them for Versailles treaty, growth of Communism and the economic crisis)
The importance of Hitler to Nazi success
Had charisma + effective, long speeches
Had a ‘hypnotic effect’ during speeches, despite most of his words being lies
Was an opportunist who could tailor his message to his audience, vital to the Nazis winning votes
The role of anti-Semitism in Nazi electoral success
Had anti-Semitic propaganda
Shopkeepers and small business owners were receptive to the idea their problems in the Depression were due to ‘Jewish capitalism’
However statistical analysis suggests that a small percentage of voters were influenced by anti-Semitism alone
The role of propaganda in Nazi electoral success
Nazis had newspapers, posters, leaflets, film shows and staged rallies
Rallies were marches + made emphasis on Nazi strength
Propaganda varied to skilfully target different members of the population
Head of propaganda was Joseph Goebbels
Propaganda definition
The systematic spreading of ideas / information in order to influence the thinking / actions of the people whom it is targeted at
Often through the use of media
Unemployed + working classes
Over 6 million unemployed in Germany in 1933
Poverty
The welfare benefit became overwhelmed and the amount of benefits being paid had to be limited
Cases of diseases linked to poor living conditions rose
Shanty towns began to appear on large city edges
Young people
Young received less unemployment / poverty benefits than adults + unemployment schemes for the young were unpopular and unhelpful
The number of 14-25 year olds accused of crime increased
The SA and Hitler Youth offered food and shelter to young men, and gave them the excitement of street fighting to relieve boredom
KPD also had some success in getting youth to join in political demonstrations
Women
Women received less unemployment / poverty benefits than men
A law was passed in 1932, causing the Reich Postal service to unemploy around 1,000 married women
Middle classes
Had their salaries reduced
Landowners and tenant farmers
Farm labourers lost their jobs as unemployment spread to the countryside
Caused the collapse of the Grand Coalition
Rising cost of the unemployment benefits put severe strain on state finances
State budget in serious deficit by end of 1929, Muller resigned, replaced by Bruning in March
Bruning began to impose a more authoritarian style gov
His coalition excluded SPD (largest Reichstag party), meaning no gov had majority support to pass laws - ruling by decree began
Making Weimar democracy effectively dead
What was the Grand Coalition?
Most broad coalition government in the Weimar period, representing 5 political parties, ranging from the SPD on the left and the DVP on the moderate right side
Growth in support for extremist parties (September 1930 Reichstag election results)
Bruning dissolved Reichstag and called for an election
Nazis became second largest party
The extremist parties of the left and right gained the most votes / support
The intensification of political violence
Increased especially in 1930-33
Nazis (SA) took their political struggle to the streets with the Communists (Fighters League)
Full scale riots
In April 1932 Hindenburg signed a decree outlawing the SA - though ineffective in stopping violence
What was the Red-Front Fighters’ League?
Paramilitary group of the KPD
Engaged in street battles with the SA, the police and other right-wing paramilitary groups.
Nazis appeal increased after the Wall Street Crash
Originally just from the lower-middle class (Mittelstand)
After, spread to the broader middle class and farmers
Success with farmers shown when they got 68% of a districts vote in a rural constituency
Why did the Nazis appeal to the middle class
Scared of a Communist revolution
Hitler almost winning the 1932 July presidential election
Won nearly 37% vote in second ballot
Hindenburg won with 53%
Rural areas Hitler received more votes
Showing how Nazis were becoming the most popular party.
Summary of Nazi development from Sept 1930 and July 1932
Nazis more than doubled their electoral support
Communists made gains, didn’t manage to appeal beyond their original voters
The Nazi Party became the main party of protest
Finance
American banks demanded immediate repayment of Germany’s loans (which financed Germany’s 1924-28 economic recovery)
July 1931 - German government closed banks and stock exchange for two days
Outstanding loans weren’t repaid
Industry
Industrial production fell by 58% of 1928 level
Workforces, hours and pay were cut
White-collar workers badly hit
Germany suffered a greater fall in industrial production then other countries
Trade
Germany’s export trade declined by 61%
The Depression drastically reduced demand for imported goods
Farming
Germans had less money to spend = food prices collapsing, food sales fell
Exports of agricultural produce declined
Farmers forced to give up their farms due to repayment of loans being demanded
Farm labourers lost their jobs
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