HSC Core Study: Power and Authority in the Modern World

3.2 The Consolidation of Nazi Power 1933-34

The Nazis never wanted to be part of a democracy. Getting to power through elections was only a pathway to dictatorship for Hitler. It would take a little over a year and a half for Hitler to become dictator and end democracy in Germany.

When Hitler was made Chancellor on January 30, 1933, the Nazis did not have complete control of the government. Only 3 out of 12 ministerial positions were held by Nazis, and any of them, including Hitler, could be sacked at any time by President Hindenburg. The conservative elites certainly did not believe that they had handed total power over to Hitler. Von Papen and other members of the conservative elites boasted at the time: "we have hired him".

A number of legal and semi-legal steps were taken to eliminate all opposition.

Activity

Consolidation Questions

1933: A Big Year for the Nazi's

By August 1934, Hitler's power was absolute; even the army swore allegiance personally to Hitler.

There is no simple explanation for this dramatic turn of events. However, each of the following played some role in the consolidation of Nazi power:

(A) The Nazis' ability to take advantage of fortuitous events, eg the Reichstag Fire of February 1933

(B) Hitler's ability to convince Hindenburg of the real danger of communism

(D) The use of legal procedure to bring about the creation of a Nazi state.

(E) The lack of will on the part of the Nazis' opponents.

(F) Goebbels' skilful use of propaganda.

(G) Hitler's willingness to turn on his trusted colleagues.

The following table illustrates how the Nazis consolidated their power during this period. The bolded letters (see above) refer to the method that the Nazis used to achieve each aspect of the consolidation process. Label each event with the relevant letter/letters.

Consolidation of Power Table

The Reichstag Fire

On February 27 1933, a month after Hitler became chancellor, a fire broke out in the parliament building, the Reichstag, and it was burnt down. Marinus van der Lubbe, a young communist, was arrested on suspicion of starting the fire.

Although there were rumors suggesting that the Nazis might have instigated the fire, they claimed that it was a signal for a Communist uprising.

In response to the Reichstag Fire, the Nazis quickly passed the "Decree for the Protection of the People and the Reich" (also known as the Reichstag Fire Decree).
- - This decree severely limited the civil rights of German citizens, allowing for the suspension of personal freedoms and the suppression of political opposition.

Under the pretext of protecting the nation from a perceived communist threat, Hitler's government initiated a widespread crackdown on political opponents.
Members of the Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party were particularly targeted, leading to their arrest, imprisonment, or execution.

Source 1

Source 2

A police officer’s report on the Reichstag fire, February 1933

Hitler turned to the assembled company. Now I saw that his face was purple with agitation and with the heat gathering in the dome. He shouted uncontrollably, as I had never seen him do before, as if he was going to burst: ‘There will be no mercy now. Anyone who stands in our way will be cut down.

The German people will not tolerate leniency. Every Communist official will be shot where he is found. The Communist deputies must be hanged this very night. Everybody in league with the Communists must be arrested. There will no longer be any leniency for Social Democrats either.’

I reported on the results of the first interrogations of Marinus van der Lubbe – that in my opinion he was a maniac. But with the opinion I had come to the wrong man. Hitler ridiculed my childish view: ‘That is something really cunning, prepared a long time ago. The criminals have thought all this out beautifully; but they’ve miscalculated, haven’t they, Comrades! These gangsters have no idea to what extent the people are on our side. They don’t hear the rejoicing of the crowds in their rat holes, from which they now want to emerge’, and so it went on.

I pulled Göering aside; but he did not let me start. ‘Police on an emergency footing; shoot to kill; and any other emergency regulations which might be appropriate in such a case.’ I said again that apolice radio message would be sent to all police stations in his name, putting the police in a state of alert and ordering the arrest of those Communist officials whose imprisonment had been intended for some time in the event of a ban on the Party. Göering was not listening: ‘No Communist and no Social Democrat traitor must be allowed to escape us’ were his last words.

The Enabling Act

On March 3, 1933, the last free election in Germany was held and the Nazis used their increased vote to pass The Enabling Act (March 23). This law allowed Hitler to run the German government without any influence by the Reichstag. When the Reichstag passed this law, it had voted to give up its power. Democracy and the Weimar Republic was over. On May 2, 1933 Trade unions were abolish. By June concentration camps had been built and held 30,000 mostly communist prisoners. In July 1933 all rival political parties were banned leaving the Nazis as the single political force in Germany aside from the President.

You are talking today about your achievements and your deeds; you are speaking of all the things you intended to do. By your fruits shall ye, too, be known! The fruits testify against you!

If the Germany you created in fourteen years is any reflection of your socialist aims, then all I can say is give us four years’ time, Gentlemen, in order to show you the reflection of our aims.

Adolf Hitler - During the debate of the Enabling Act in the Reichstag

Berlin, March 23, 1933

The Night of the Long Knives

Ernst Rohm (right) pictured with Gustav Lombard (left), commander in the SS and Heinrich Himmler (cente), SS chief and architect of the Final Solution

The "Night of the Long Knives," which occurred in June 1934, was a pivotal event during Adolf Hitler's rule in Nazi Germany.

It involved a purge within the Nazi Party, during which Hitler ordered the arrest and execution of numerous high-ranking members.

The leadership of the Nazi Storm Troopers (SA), whose four million members had helped bring Hitler to power in the early 1930s, was especially targeted including Ernst Röhm, the leader of the SA. The purge aimed to eliminate potential rivals and consolidate Hitler's power. This brutal and violent action solidified Hitler's control over the Nazi Party and demonstrated his willingness to eliminate any internal threats to his leadership.

Hitler feared that some of his followers had taken his early “National Socialism” propaganda too seriously and thus might compromise his plan to suppress workers’ rights in exchange for German industry making the country war-ready

Source 3

The Death of Hindenburg

On August 2 1934 the 86 year old President Hindenburg died.

Shortly after Hindenburg’s death, Hitler decreed the presidency and the chancellorship were to be combined into a new office. The new leader would be titled as the Fuhrer and would act as head of state, head of government and commander of the armed forces.

Hitler convened a plebiscite (vote) to seek public endorsement of this constitutional change. Almost nine-tenths of Germans approved of the measure, though there was some suggestion the plebiscite was rigged.

Before his body had been buried Hitler had declared himself Führer und Reichskanzler, or Supreme Leader and Chancellor.

Hitler had become the undisputed dictator in Germany.

The Army swore an oath of Allegiance to Hitler personally instead of to Germany. In less than 2 years the democratically elected Nazi Party had dismantled the democratic institutions of the Weimar Republic and the totalitarian Nazi State, called the Third Reich has been established.

Source 4

Activity

Create a timeline outlining the events that helped Hitler Consolidate Power. You should include the following events:

Hitler becomes Chancellor
Reichstag Fire
Reichstag Fire Decree
Enabling Act
Night of the Long Knives
Death of Hindenburg
Hitler becomes Fuhrer

Make sure you outline how each event helped the Nazi's consolidate power.

Extension:

Use the information in Sources 1, 2, 3, 4 and your own knowledge to describe how the Nazis consolidated power between 1933 and 1934. Refer to the sources in your answer.

Homework Task

Visit the link below and complete the source questions about the Night of the Long Knives.

https://spartacus-educational.com/ExamRHU14.htm

Answers to the questions can be found here.

https://spartacus-educational.com/ExAnRHU14.htm

How to Revise for this Area

The initial consolidation of Nazi power 1933–1934

As for the Rise of the Nazi’s dot point this one could easily be explored for 10-15 marks so you will need depth in your notes.
Clearly identify how Hitler consolidates control over the aspects of Nazi Germany:

- - Elimination of political opponents (e.g. enabling act, banning Communist Party etc)
  - Increasing control over society (e.g. establishing propaganda/terror apparatus) but also new laws like the Reichstag Fire Decree
  - Appeasing the army/elimination of rivals in the Night of Long Knives
  - Thematically you are trying to account for Hitler’s transition from limited power as Chancellor to complete power as Fuhrer in 1934.
  - Note the substantial overlap between this dot point and the ‘controlling the state’ dot point later.

What sort of questions should you prepare for?

In the previous HSC the question would have looked like “Account for the Nazi consolidation of power 1933-34” so that is a possibility for 10-15 marks.
A lower range question might just ask you to describe aspects of the consolidation.
A broader question might ask you to discuss how the Nazis controlled society from 1933-39 for example connecting multiple dot points.

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