13 - Hitler's Consolidation of Power, March 1933 - Aug 1934

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  • Hitler's consolidation of power, March 1933 - Aug 1934
    • Government and Administrative Changes
      • A national socialist revolution meant to Hitler the conquest of political power
        • The SA had a different view of what this revolution would mean - caused tensions
      • For Hitler the Nazi revolution began with dictatorial power then the elimination of other parties
        • Nazi control over institutions of the state at central and local government level
      • The Creation of One Party State
        • Hitler claimed that the Nazi party was the 'racial core' of Germany + saw other parties as having no national interest
          • Hitler believed the Nazi membership was made up of superior Germans
        • Volksgemeinschaft meant that there couldn't be other political parties
        • Getting rid of other parties:
          • After the Reichstag fire the KPD were effectively banned
            • Communists not arrested or exiled fled Germany
          • SPD continued to voice its opposition after standing up to Hitler at the Reichstag debate for the Enabling Act
            • SPD were outlawed as a 'party hostile to the nation and the state' June 1933
          • DNVP + Centre Party dissolved themselves
          • July 1933 the Law against the formation of New Parties outlawed all non-Nazi political parties
      • Centralisation of Power and Control over Local Government
        • The Weimar Republic was a federal state (small provinces control their internal affairs)
          • Each state controlled its own police force
        • Prussia was 60% of the country's territory + 50% of its population
          • So large it operated  independently of the central government
        • July 1932 Papen dismissed the Prussian government + appointed a minister to run it
          • Goering held this position in Hitler's cabinet
        • Laws passed to centralise power 1933-34
          • March 1933 - 'First Law for the Coordination of the Federal States'
            • Dissolved existing state assemblies + replaced them with Nazi dominated ones
          • April 1933 - 'The Second Law for the Coordination of the Federal States'
            • Created new post of Reich Governor to oversee each state's governor
              • Responsible for ensuring the states upheld the central government's policies
          • Jan 1934 - 'The Law for the Reconstruction of the Reich'
            • State assemblies were ebolished + state governments were subordinated to the Reich government
              • Rech Governors posts were now redundant but Hutler didn't destroy them
          • Feb 1934 - The Reichsrat (the parliamentary assembly that state assemblies sent their delegates to) was abolished
        • Nazi Leaders known as Gauleiters took over the role of Recih Governors at state level to control local government
        • Nazis started violent campaigns to get rid of political opponents from important local government positions
        • The precise relationship between local and central government was never defined
      • Control over the Civil Service
        • Civil servants had a status close to that of soldiers under the Kaiser
        • Higher civil service raks were recruited from the aristocracy + they identified with  authoritarian values
          • However they believed that the conservative ministers in Hitler's cabinet would restrain him + allow the Civil Service to serve the State
        • The Nazis regarded the Civil Service as an obstacle in the way of dictatorial power
          • Many local officials were forced to resign + replaced by nazis with no experience in government
        • SA placefd Party Officials in government offices to ensure civil servants were carrying out their orders
    • The Night of the Long Knives
      • The SA's position before June 1934
        • Jan 1933 the SA was the Nazi's main terror instrument
          • After Hitler came to power the SA rapidly expanded
          • Membership of 500,000 in 1933 grew to 3 million a year later
          • SA's activities gained legality when in Feb 1933 the SA and Stahlhelm merged into the 'auxiliary police'
            • The police were ordered not to interfere with the SA
        • A lot of the SA's violence was uncoordinated
          • From Feb to June 1933 Hitler went along with the violence as it helped him consolidate his power
        • Assaults on the police + army were avoided - not alienating them
        • Hitler warned that in the future the SA might become the target for Nazi violence
          • July 1933 The Law against Formation of New Parties ended the Nazi Revolution
            • But Ernst Rohm (SA leader) wanted to continue the revolution + Nazi violence
        • Rohm wanted the SA to become the nucleus of a new national militia to absorb + replace the army
          • ** + Stahlhelm membership was 4.5 million in Jan 1934 - outnumbered the army
            • Since 1933 summer the SA importance had declined
        • Aug 1933 they lost their auxiliary police title + had stricter regulations on arrests
          • Election campaign of 1933 there was only 1 party so no need for SA violence to scare others
            • Lacking importance the SA members became disollusioned + restless
              • Drunken brawls became common + the police became targets when they intervened
      • The Night of the Long Knives June 1934
        • Only the army retained the power to remove Hitler from power + was loyal to Hindenburg not Hitler
          • The army wasn't nazified + kept independence
        • SA ambitions + Rohm were seen as a threat t the army
          • 1934 Summer the SA began stopping army convoys + confiscating weapons - increasing anger
        • June Papen criticized nazi excess in a speech
          • Papen called for an end to terror + for Hitler to clamp down on the SA
        • Blomberg with Hindenburg's support threatened to declare martial law + give the army the power to deal with the SA
        • Night of the Long Knives was a brutal purge of the SA 30 June 1934
          • ** eliminated the SA leadership + other Nazi political opponents
          • 84 were executed + another 1000 arrested
            • Schleicher, Strasser + Von Kahr were executed
        • Hitler addressed the Reichstag and accepted responsibility for the executions
          • He saved Germany from the SA coup and secured the army's support
        • Oct 1935 SA membership was only 1.6 million + without Rohm its political power was destroyed
        • ** now controlled the terror machine and used it in an organised manner
    • The Impact of President Hindenburg's Death Aug 1934
      • 1934 Summer Hindenburg was dying + his succession was in question
      • Immediately after Hindenburg died Hitler attempted to merge the Presidency and the Chancellorship
        • The army owed allegiance to the President not the Chancellor - why it was important to Hitler
      • Hindenburg considered handing power to the army and dismissing Hitler
        • Supported by the army and Papen
          • If Hitler didn't control the SA he couldn't count on the army's support after Hindenburg's death
      • After the Night of the Long Knives Blomberg + the army didn't mind Hitler taking the Presidency
      • 2 Aug 1934 Hindenburg died
        • An hour after his death Hitler announced the Chancellorship + Presidency would be merged
          • Officers + soldiers in the army took an oath of allegiance to Hitler
      • A vote was held to get the people's approval of this change - nearly 90% agreed
      • Final act of consolidation of power

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