LUNR topic 1 -dictatorship 1933-34

• Adolf Hitler

• Joseph Goebbels

• Wilhelm Frick

• Ernst Rohm

• Hermann Goring

• Rudolph Hess

• Heinrich Himmler

• Party leader from 1921

• Charismatic speaker

• Mein Kampf – bestseller – nazi ideology

• In charge of propaganda

• Made a point – simple bold messages

• His propaganda emphasised the power of Hitler (‘god-like’)

• One of few Nazis with a role in Cabinet

• ‘Minister of the Interior’ responsibility for most aspects of German life

• Helped spread Nazi ideas in schools

• Leader of the SA (brownshirts)

• Greatly increased SA’s strength

• Helped the party run smoothly

• Had a role in Cabinet (only Frick, him, and Hitler)

• Formed the Gestapo (secret police)

• Deputy Leader of the party

• Ensured that legislation (acts of parliament) followed Nazi ideology

• Made sure everyone was following the same goals

• Leader of the SS

• Developed methods of surveillance and terror

• Lebensraum

• anti semitism

• anti marxism

• Fuhrerprinzip

• aryan strength

• strong central government

• arbeit und brot

(living space) - the Nazis wanted to take large parts of Eastern Europe by force, believing that it was ‘wasted’ on the people that lived there. They needed that land to grow the food that the German people needed.

Jewish people were seen as Untermenschen (sub-humans)

Marxism is a type of communism. The Nazi beliefs did not align with those of communists, which was seen as a threat to the Nazi party.

‘leader’s principle’ - the idea that the party's leader was in absolute control and all members must follow his directions.

The ideal Aryan had blond hair and blue eyes. The Nazis believed that northern Europeans were Ubermenschen (super humans).

In Germany local governments generally had lots of power to make decisions, but the Nazis believed that that power should be removed and used to strengthen central government.

‘work and bread’ the bare necessities were promised to all unemployed Germans so that their needs would be met, and the German people would be more united.

1. Reichstag fire and subsequent decree

2. enabling act

3. gleichschaltung

4. removing trade unions

5. banning other political parties

• In February 1933, the Reichstag government building was engulfed in fire.

• The building was completely ruined, but a culprit had been arrested: Marianus Van der Lubbe, a young Dutch Communist.

• Van der Lubbe claimed that he started the fire in protest at the condition of the German working class.

• The Nazis used this too sow seeds of doubt in the public’s mind, suggesting that this had been a wider communist plot.

• Immediately after the fire, Hitler contacted President Hindenburg and persuaded him to use his power (to pass laws without consent from the Reichstag) to pass the Reichstag Fire Decree

• Restricted civil liberties such as freedom of expression, the right to public assembly and the secrecy of the post and telephone

• increased the power of the central government.

• established very harsh punishments

• Stated that the decree took effect on the day it was announced

gave the cabinet and office of the chancellor the power to pass any law without consent from the Reichstag.

‘co-ordination’ or ‘bringing into line’

and it created a culture of fear and repression

• book burning

• civil service act

• jewish boycott

• opening of Dachau

• Not only did the Nazis want to control political opinions and race, but also ideas.

• As encouraged by Goebbels’ Propaganda Ministry, Nazi students were urged to take part in removal of ‘un-German spirit.’

• They began by burning books written by Jewish and communist authors, as well as anyone else deemed to be un-German.

• Not partaking in the book burning was seen as opposition and punished.

• many high-ranking civil servants were removed from their posts.

• The act for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service we passed. It meant that any opponent or anyone who was non-Aryan was fired.

• Jewish people and political opponents could no longer serve as teachers, judges, or university lecturers, as all of these professions were part of civil service.

in April 1933, the Nazis organised a day-long boycott of all Jewish businesses. Antisemitic posters were put up outside shops and SA guards were positioned outside, to discourage people from going inside.

Dachau was the first concentration camp. Nazis described the camp as "the first concentration camp for political prisoners."

why-

trade unions are set up to protect the rights of workers, and fight for better pay and conditions. In February 1933, fearing that trade unions would organise a strike, the Nazis arrested the main union leaders.

how-

Hitler left the remaining trade union leaders no choice other than to co-operate.

Although the Enabling act made it so that the other parties had no say in the Reichstag, they had begun to complain about Nazi changes. In June 1933, Frick used an emergency decree to ban the Social Democrats (SD). Once the other parties in the Reichstag saw this, they all shut down to avoid being arrested, imprisoned, and tortured.

July 1933 to August 1934

• controlling local government

• people’s courts

• night of the long knives

• death of hindenburg

Local government in Germany was organised into regions called ‘Lander’ where each region could elect its own assembly to manage local affairs. This was not ok with the nazis, since this was a part of government out of their control, so they slowly removed certain elements of power until January 1934, where the removed all of the power altogether.

A separate court system outside of the normal justice system to deal with ‘political offences’ and ensured rapid decisions.

the purge of the SA leadership, Ernst Rohm, and other political opponents from 30 June 1934 to 2 July 1934. Carried out primarily by the SS and the Gestapo, over 150 people were murdered and hundreds more were arrested.

The only thing stopping Hitler from achieving total power was President Hindenburg, but he was 87 years old and dying. At the moment of Hindenburg’s death, Hitler passed the Act concerning the Head of State. The office and power of the President would be merged with that of the Chancellor, into a new role called ‘Fuhrer.’

1. jan 1933

2. feb 1933

3. mar 1933

4. mar 1933

5. mar 1933

6. may 1933

7. jul 1933

8. jun-jul 1934

9. aug 1934

10. aug 1934