What
problems
do I still
face in
1933?
January 1933!
How strong are you?
Page 46 GERMANY 1918-1945
Strengths
Weaknesses
Getting rid of the Opposition
Hitler’s consolidation of power
http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=9CF
WH4Fhkak
Lesson Objectives
• To explain how Hitler overcame the
opposition facing him in order to
consolidate his position of power within
Nazi Germany
• To evaluate the most important event
leading to Hitler’s consolidation of power
Problems still facing Hitler in 1933
• Political opposition
Although Chancellor, Hitler and the Nazi Party still faced political
opposition in the Reichstag and did not hold a majority
• The SA
By 1933/34, the SA was a huge organisation with over 2 million
members. Although they had been instrumental in helping the Nazi’s
rise to power, the SA was becoming very powerful and it’s leader
Ernst Rohm was a possible threat to Hitler’s authority
• Hindenburg
Although Hitler had been made Chancellor in 1933, President
Hindenburg was still suspicious of Hitler and did not trust him
The SA (Sturm Abteilung Storm Section)
Ernst Rohm
• In 1921 Adolf Hitler formed his
own private army. The SA
(also known as stormtroopers
or brownshirts) were instructed
to disrupt the meetings of
political opponents and to
protect Hitler from revenge
attacks. Captain Ernst Rohm of
the Bavarian Army played an
important role in recruiting
these men, and became the
SA's first leader with a great
deal of power.
What was the SS?
• Private bodyguards for
Hitler & NSDAP leaders
• Expanded from 50050,000
• Elite squadron – Aryan
‘supermen’
• After June 1934, Night of
Long Knives became
main instrument of terror
once SA had been taken
care of
What was the Gestapo?
Goering
Himmler
• Originally Prussian
secret police, run by
Goering
• June 1936, became
branch of SS run by
Himmler
• Tapped phones,
intercepted mail,
received
denunciations from
informers
Power graph!
POWER
Hitler
chancellor
Answerable
to
Hindenburg
Jan 1933
Appointment as
Chancellor
Reichstag fire
March elections
Enabling Act
DATE
Aug 1934
Reichstag fire, 27th Feb 1933
•
On the evening of Feb 27th 1933, an event took place that was to shape
Germany’s political structure for the next 12 years and ultimately hand Hitler
the control he needed to become the Dictator of Germany
•
That night, Dutch Communist Van Der Lubbe was caught outside the
Reichstag building and arrested and charged with arson
•
In the aftermath of the fire, Hitler was able to convince Hindenburg to pass
the Reichstag Fire Decree which was designed to temporarily suspend civil
liberties and allow greater control against enemies of the state. (That night
alone over 4000 Communist leaders were arrested and imprisoned). Hitler
was also able to use his new powers to have greater control over political
opposition in the forthcoming March elections
•
The Reichstag fire certainly proved very advantageous for the Nazis but
Historians still disagree over who was really responsible for the Reichstag
fire – was it a cleverly masterminded Nazi plot to tighten political control or
did Hitler and the Nazis simply manipulate this event to suit their needs?
Problems and Solutions
• Problem - Political opposition
Although Chancellor, Hitler and the Nazi Party still faced political
opposition in the Reichstag and did not hold a majority
• Solution – Enabling Act
• Following elections in March 1933 the Nazis enjoyed their best ever
result however this was still not enough to give them a majority vote.
Hitler wanted to introduce an Enabling Law which would place all
power in his hands and allow him to pass laws without having to
consult the Reichstag effectively allowing him to create a
dictatorship. However, passing this Law through the Reichstag
(without a majority) was going to be tough.
5th March Election
Problems and Solutions
• Without a majority, Hitler had to find a way of ensuring that the
Reichstag passed the Enabling Act. He therefore did the following:
• 1. Banned the Communists – under his new emergency powers this
was quite simple as many communists had already been imprisoned
or intimidated following the Reichstag fire
• 2. Intimidate the Social Democrats – many SDs and other parties
were intimidated by the SA and many were scared into voting for the
Enabling Act.
• >> As a result, on the 23rd March 1933 the Reichstag PASSED the
ENABLING ACT by 444 votes to 94 thus marking the start of the
Nazi revolution
Problems still facing Hitler in 1933
• Political opposition
Although Chancellor, Hitler and the Nazi Party still faced political
opposition in the Reichstag and did not hold a majority
• The SA
By 1933/34, the SA was a huge organisation with over 2 million
members. Although they had been instrumental in helping the Nazi’s
rise to power, the SA was becoming very powerful and it’s leader
Ernst Rohm was a possible threat to Hitler’s authority
• Hindenburg
Although Hitler had been made Chancellor in 1933, President
Hindenburg was still suspicious of Hitler and did not trust him
Problems and Solutions
•
Problem – The power of the SA
Under the leadership of Ernst Rohm, the SA had become an incredibly
powerful force by 1934 with over 2.5million members. Rohm wanted to
replace the German army with the SA. Hitler knew that in doing this, Rohm
would have complete military control of Germany and would pose a huge
threat to Hitler’s power
•
•
•
Solution – The Night of the Long Knives
In June 1934, Hitler ordered the SA to go on leave for the entire month.
On 29th June Hitler called a meeting of SA leaders in Wiesee, Bavaria for the
following day.
Hitler then ordered Himmler and Goering to eliminate the threat posed by the leaders
of the SA.
On 30th June, between 150-200 SA leaders including Rohm and former Chancellor
Von Schleicher were either arrested or executed at the Hotel Hanselbauer. Rohm
was executed in prison 2 days later after refusing to commit suicide. Kurt von
Schleicher, who had preceded Hitler as chancellor, was also shot.
Altogether, it’s thought that as many as 400 people were killed in the Night of the
Long Knives.
•
•
•
Problems still facing Hitler in 1933
• Political opposition
Although Chancellor, Hitler and the Nazi Party still faced political
opposition in the Reichstag and did not hold a majority
• The SA
By 1933/34, the SA was a huge organisation with over 2 million
members. Although they had been instrumental in helping the Nazi’s
rise to power, the SA was becoming very powerful and it’s leader
Ernst Rohm was a possible threat to Hitler’s authority
• Hindenburg
Although Hitler had been made Chancellor in 1933, President
Hindenburg was still suspicious of Hitler and did not trust him
Problems and Solutions
• Problem – Opposition of Hindenburg
• Solution – On 2nd August 1934 President Hindenburg
died. Within hours, Hitler had declared himself President
and was now Commander in Chief of the German Armed
Forces as well as Chancellor of the Reichstag. He
combined the offices of President and Chancellor and
declared himself ‘Führer’ (leader) of the new Third Reich
making the whole of the army swear an oath of loyalty to
him personally.
• With this final step, Hitler’s power was unquestionable
and his consolidation of power complete
Problems still facing Hitler in 1933
• Political opposition
Although Chancellor, Hitler and the Nazi Party still faced political
opposition in the Reichstag and did not hold a majority
• The SA
By 1933/34, the SA was a huge organisation with over 2 million
members. Although they had been instrumental in helping the Nazi’s
rise to power, the SA was becoming very powerful and it’s leader
Ernst Rohm was a possible threat to Hitler’s authority
• Hindenburg
Although Hitler had been made Chancellor in 1933, President
Hindenburg was still suspicious of Hitler and did not trust him
Plenary
• Explain how the words below relate to the Nazi
consolidation of power (using a full sentence)
• Van der lubbe
• enabling act
• emergency decree
• Rohm
• Hindenburg
• Majority
• Threat
• Fuhrer
• Opposition
• SS