Nazi Consolidation of Power

Enabling Act

23 March 1933 (Machtergreifung) - allowed Hitler to enact laws without the consent of the Reichstag

Law against the Establishment of Political Parties

14 July 1933 - led to the November election where the Nazis won all 661 seats

Dissolution of trade unions

2 May 1933 - unions dissolved into the German Labour Front, which banned strikes

Day of Potsdam

21 March 1933 - the reopening of the Reichstag where Hitler and Hindenburg shook hands, at the church where Frederick the Great (reorganiser of the Prussian army) was buried

Book Burning

10 May 1933 - 40,000 university students burned 25,000 books; Goebbels gave his "no to decadence and moral corruption" speech

Law on the Head of State of the German Reich

1 August 1934 - passed as a referendum with 90% popular support; 'Today, Hitler is the whole of Germany'; the military swore an oath to Hitler

Reichstag Fire Decree

28 February 1933 - 4,000 KPD deputies were arrested

Concentration camps

By June 1933, camps in Prussia - Dachau (opened March), Oranienburg and Lichtenburg - held 25,000 political prisoners; 60,000 KPD and SPD deputies were arrested

Night of the Long Knives

30 June - 2 July 1934: the assassination of Ernst Rohm (who was calling for a Second Revolution) and 84 other deputies - the number could be as high as 200 - by the SS or Gestapo; SA leaders were targeted to fulfil the Army's demands in exchange for supporting Hitler

Compromise with industry

20 February 1933: a secret meeting by Goering with firms Farben and Krupp (Krupp later 'Fuhrer of Industry') - Hitler eliminated unions in favour of raising 3 million Reichsmarks

Reichskonkordat

20 July 1933 - agreement with the Papacy that the church would not interfere with politics, leading to the dissolution of the Centre Party (das Zentrum) and removing Catholic opposition; there were 20 million Catholics