Download Chap 10 Part I : Hitler in Power

You will learn……..
• How Hitler strengthened his power
in 1933-1934
• How he influenced the lives of
Germans between 1933 and 1939
• How and why the Jewish people in
Germany suffered under his rule
• “Totalitarian Dictatorship”
Introduction
 A “thousand year Reich”
 But Hitler’s Third Reich
only lasted 12 years
 Ended with Germany’s
defeat and Hitler’s
suicide amidst the ruins
of Berlin
 This chapter looks at
what happened inside
Germany in the years
before WWII broke out
The Reichstag Fire
 Hitler : Chancellor in Jan
1933
 Supported by President,
German army and many
politicians
 Hoped for a strong govt
and a solution to
Germany’s economic
problems
 Then they will get rid of
Hitler
The Reichstag Fire
 Hitler, however, was
determined to stay
 Went about making sure
he had complete power
 How?
The Reichstag Fire
 First step : Called for
new elections for the
Reichstag (parliament)
 Although the Nazi Party
was the single largest
party in the Reichstag,
Hitler wanted an overall
majority
The Reichstag Fire
 Stopped newspapers
from criticizing the Nazis
 Dismissed officials who
opposed him
 Use his unformed
followers to break up
meetings of other parties
and beat up his
opponents (SA & SS)
 Extreme Nazi violence
throughout the election
campaign, especially
against the communists
The Reichstag Fire
 A week before the
elections, the
Reichstag building in
Berlin went up in
flames
 Hitler blamed the fire
on the communists
 Used this as an
excuse to issue an
emergency law
The Reichstag Fire
 This law removed
freedoms promised
by the Weimar
Republic
 Right to a fair trial
 Free press
 The fire was almost
certainly started by
the Nazis though the
Germans did not
know this then
The Reichstag Fire
 Results of election
 Nazis obtained 43%
 With the help of the
Nationalist party,
managed to scrap
through an overall
majority of 51%
The Enabling Act, 1933
 Hitler now schemed to
have the Reichstag give
up its powers and rule as
a dictator
 To do this, the Reichstag
had to pass an “Enabling
Act” which required 2/3
majority
 Hitler achieved this.
 How do you think he did
it?
The Enabling Act, 1933
3 WAYS
1.
2.
3.
Banned communist
deputies from coming to
the Reichstag so they
could not use their votes
Persuaded the Centre
Party to vote for the Act
by giving vague promises
Using the votes of his
allies, the Nationalist Party
The End of Democracy in Germany




Because of the Enabling
Act, democracy died in
Germany
Other political parties were
banned
Trade Unions taken over
by the Nazis
Press, radio and cinema
placed under total Nazi
control
The End of Democracy in Germany




Opponents arrested,
imprisoned or killed
Concentration camps and
forced labour camps
SS and Gestapo struck
terror into many Nazi
opponents
Many fled the country eg
Albert Einstein and the
writer Thomas Mann
The Night of the Long Knives 1934
• Hitler wanted to have complete power
within his own party
• Ernst Rohm, leader of the SA, was
disappointed
– Not given a more important role in the new
government
– Started to create trouble for Hitler
• Hitler decide to get rid of him and many
of his followers
• How would you do that if you were
Hitler?
The Night of the Long Knives 1934
• Hitler called the leaders of the SA to a
special conference
• During the night, he had them dragged
out of bed and shot
• On the same night, many other
opponents all over Germany suffered
the same fate
• No public protests – demonstrated
Hitler’s power and the people’s fear
• This became known as the Night of the
Long Knives
The Night of the Long Knives 1934
• 2 months later, President
Hindenberg died
• Hitler combined the jobs of
Chancellor and President
• He also became commander in
chief of the armed forces
• He was now the supreme dictator
of Germany