The Coming to Power of the National Socialists, 1933-34 (SQA National 5 History): Revision Note

Summary 

The Nazis gained more support during the Great Depression because they promised jobs and strong leadership. Conservative leaders who feared communism backed Hitler, and President Hindenburg made Hitler the Chancellor of Germany on 30 January 1933. 

After the Reichstag Fire in February, Hitler and Hindenburg used Article 48 (an emergency decree) to end many personal freedoms and allow mass arrests of opponents. The police locked up rivals of the Nazi Party and shut down their meetings. This meant that the Nazi Party faced less competition in the March election. 

In March 1933, the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act, which allowed Hitler to make laws without its approval. Hitler’s Nazi government quickly broke up trade unions, banned other parties, and took over local government, the police, and the courts. 

In June–July 1934, Hitler ordered the Night of the Long Knives, removing rivals and reassuring the army. When Hindenburg died in August 1934, Hitler merged the roles of President and Chancellor and made the army swear an oath to him; by the end of 1934, he held total power.

Hitler becomes Chancellor

• The Great Depression gave the Nazis a chance to grow and gain popularity

  • Millions lost jobs after 1929, and the Nazis promised “Work and Bread,” strong leadership, and an end to the chaos

• In the July 1932 election, the NSDAP (Nazi Party) was the biggest party in the Reichstag

  • The Nazi Party received 38% of the vote

    • This was not the 50% needed to have a majority in the Reichstag

    • The NSDAP’s share of the votes had increased from 18% in 1930

• Conservative leaders like Franz von Papen thought they could control Hitler

• President Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Chancellor on 30 January 1933

  • Hitler still did not have complete control of Germany

    • The Nazi Party only controlled one-third of the Reichstag

    • Hindenburg was the President of Germany

    • The Weimar Constitution limited the power of the chancellor

The Reichstag Fire

• On 27 February 1933, the Reichstag (German parliament) building caught fire

• Police arrested Marinus van der Lubbe, a Dutch communist, inside the building

  • It was believed that van der Lubbe started the fire

  • He was later tried and executed

• Hitler called it proof of a communist plot

• Overnight, he pushed President Hindenburg to issue the Reichstag Fire Decree (28 Feb 1933)

  • This suspended people's basic rights to:

    • Free speech

    • Free press

    • Freedom of assembly

  • It allowed police to:

    • Search homes

    • Read mail

    • Jail people without trial

• Using these powers, the authorities:

  • Shut opposition newspapers

  • Banned meetings

  • Arrested thousands of communists and socialists (including many KPD MPs)

• This weakened the Nazi's rival parties just before the March 1933 elections

• With opponents jailed or scared, the Nazis and their allies had the votes to pass the Enabling Act (23 March 1933)

The Enabling Act

• Thousands of Communists and many Social Democrats were jailed or silenced before the March election

• On 23 March 1933, the Reichstag held a vote:

  • The SA lined the chamber and corridors, adding intimidation

  • The KPD (Communist Party) could not vote

• The Enabling Act was passed and allowed Hitler’s cabinet to make laws without parliament

  • Only the SDP opposed the vote

• This law meant Hitler could change Germany step by step without debate or votes

  • The Enabling Act allowed Hitler’s cabinet to make laws, even change the constitution, without Reichstag approval

  • From this point, the Reichstag had little real power, and Germany moved rapidly from democracy to a dictatorship

Removing opposition to the Nazi Party

• After 1933, the Nazi Party “co-ordinated” the state and removed rivals

  • They broke up trade unions on 2 May 1933 and replaced them with the German Labour Front

  • Other parties were pushed out or banned; by 14 July 1933, Germany was a one-party state

  • Nazis took over local government, the police, the courts, and the civil service; teachers’ and youth groups were also brought under their control

The Night of the Long Knives

• Violence and power deals finished the takeover in 1934

• Hitler was concerned about internal opposition, especially from the head of the SA, Ernst Röhm

  • Röhm led around three million SA members, around 60% of whom were unemployed by 1933

  • Röhm wanted a greater focus on supporting the working class, which contrasted with Hitler’s desire to help the rich

  • Röhm’s SA clashed with the SS, led by Heinrich Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich

  Hitler arranged a meeting with Röhm and other SA leaders on 30th June 1934:

  • Röhm and around 400 SA members were arrested and later shot

  • Other opponents, such as von Schleicher, Gregor Strasser and von Kahr, were also arrested and killed

  • The public was informed that Röhm had been planning to replace Hitler, and therefore, his death served the interests of the country

• These killings from 30 June to 2 July 1934 became known as the Night of the Long Knives

• This removed rivals, won the army’s support, and tightened Hitler’s control

  • The killings were then legalised by a special law.

• When President Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934, Hitler combined the jobs of President and Chancellor and took the title Führer

• The army swore a personal oath to him

• By late 1934, he held total power.