The Nazi Consolidation
of Power
1933-1934
Lesson objectives
By the end of this lesson you should:
• Understand the strengths and weaknesses of
Hitler’s position in 1933
• Have begun to think about how Hitler
consolidated his position as Fuhrer by 1934
January 1933
• Hitler’s first cabinet
Only included 3 Nazis (in a cabinet of 12)
• Hitler as Chancellor
• Wilhelm Frick as Minister for the Interior
• Herman Goring as Minister without Portfolio
• Right wing coalition with Hugenburg of the DNVP (German
National Peoples Party) in charge of the economics ministry and
Franz Seldte as Minister of Labour
• Hitler’s coalition government did not have a majority in the
Reichstag
• The post of chancellor was dependent on President Hindenburg
who openly resented Hitler
• How would you describe Hitler’s position?
List the strengths and weaknesses
weaknesses
• Only 3 Nazis in a cabinet of 12 (outnumbered)
• Most important man in Germany openly distrusted and disliked
Hitler
• Hindenburg and Von Papen wanted to use Hitler for his
popularity then push him aside once WR had recovered
• No majority
• Had to work with a coalition
strengths
• Leader of the largest political party in Germany, Nazis most
popular party in the Reichstag
• Holds second most important position in government
• Did the conservative elites need him more than he needed
them? Conservative cabinet will be open to some of his beliefs
• The Nazi Party had now gained direct access to the resources of
the state
• Goring was also Minister of the Interior in Prussia with
responsibility for the police
• Hitler had the drive and also the tactical knowledge to exploit
the inadequate Von Papen and the ageing conservatives
• Hindenburg was an old man
Von Papen
• ‘In two months
we’ll have pushed
Hitler into a
corner so hard
that he’ll be
squeaking.’
• BUT…
Führer (2nd August
1934)
• Hitler took over the office of President
and leader of the army (the soldiers
had to swear to die for Adolf Hitler
personally)
• The army agreed to stay out of politics
and serve the Fuhrer
• Germany was now a one party state
• 19th August – vote held on whether the
German public approved of Hitler
becoming Fuhrer – 43 million voted –
89.93% voted in favour
• How then did we get to this situation?
The events
• Prepare a timeline of the key
events between January 1933 and
August 1934
• Write a short description of what
happened and its significance
• Comment on the nature of each
event – was it legal (L)? Was
force required (F)? Was there a
compromise (C)?
• SHP p.170-1 as main source,
Layton p.8 onwards to add detail
Step 1 – The Reichstag Fire (27th
Feb 1933)
• The Reichstag (the German
Parliament) burned down. A
Dutch Communist named
van der Lubbe was caught
red-handed with matches and
fire-lighting materials.
• Decree for the
Protection of People
and the State.
• Allowed for
imprisonment without
trial.
• Ending of a number of
freedoms.
Step 2 – The General
Election March 1933
• Hitler held a general election.
• Only 44% of the people voted Nazi, which did
not give him a majority in the Reichstag, so
Hitler arrested the 81 Communist deputies
(which did give him a majority).
Step 3 – The Enabling Act
(23rd March 1933)
• With his majority he intimidated the Reichstag into
voting on an Enabling Act.
• This would give him the power to make laws without
consulting the Reichstag.
• Nazi stormtroopers stopped opposition deputies going
in, and beat up anyone who dared to speak against it.
• The communists had been banned.
• The Catholic Centre Party decided to co-operate if they
retained control of Catholic schools.
• Only the Social Democrats (SPD) voted against him and
the Enabling Act was passed.
Step 4 - Local government
(26 April 1933)
• The Nazis took over local government and the
police.
• The Nazis started to replace anti-Nazi teachers and
University professors.
• Hitler set up the Gestapo (the secret police) and
encouraged Germans to report opponents and
'grumblers'.
• Tens of thousands of Jews, Communists, Protestants,
Jehovah's Witnesses, gypsies, homosexuals, alcoholics
and prostitutes were arrested and sent to concentration
camps for 'crimes' as small as writing anti-Nazi graffiti,
possessing a banned book, or saying that business was
bad.
Step 5 - Trade Unions
banned (2 May 1933)
• The Trade Unions offices were
closed, their money confiscated, and
their leaders put in prison.
• In their place, Hitler put the German
Labour Front (DAF). He also set up
a public works programme (road
building – autobahn) to create jobs.
Step 6 - Political Parties
banned (14 July 1933)
• The Law against the
Formation of Parties
declared the Nazi Party
the only political party in
Germany.
• All other parties were
banned, and their leaders
were put in prison.
Step 7- Night of the
Long Knives (30 June 1934)
• The SA were the thugs who Hitler had used to help
him come to power. They had defended his
meetings, and attacked opponents. By 1934 there
were more than a million of them.
• Historians have often wondered why Hitler turned on
the SA. But Hitler was in power in 1934, and there
was no opposition left - the SA were an
embarrassment, not an advantage. Also, Rohm, the
leader of the SA, was talking about a Socialist
revolution and about taking over the army.
• On the night of 30 June 1934 - codeword
'Hummingbird - Hitler ordered the SS to kill more
than 400 SA men.
• Why do you think Hitler turned on the SA?