Download Why did the Nazis set fire to the Reichstag?

Why did the Nazis set fire to the Reichstag?
It is clear that the Nazis had set fire to the Reichstag building, and there are
various benefits which had motivated them for this action. Hitler had two aims,
to win an overall majority in the Reichstag and t o eliminate oppositions. The
burning of the Reichstag could obtain both his aims and to act as part of their
terror tactics to warn potential political opponent. The propaganda value
brought by the burning of Reichstag is also beyond measure. It also provi ded
the Nazis with maximum opportunity for media exposure. The Reichstag fire
had also given Hitler a perfect opportunity to outwit Von Papen and other
politician who had misjudge him and though they could easily control him. It
had also provided Hitler an excuse to persuade President Hindenburg to pass
the 'Decree for the Protection of people and state' and the 'Enable Act' which
will both put Hitler and the Nazis in great position to compete in the forth
coming election in March. However, some would argue that it was the
communist who had set fire to the Reichstag since there was much evidence
that shows it was a young communist Van der Lubbe who was the cause of the
whole incidence.
It was the clear that the Nazis themselves had set fire to the Reichstag building
for a number of reasons. The fire not only provided Hitler a chance to get rid of
the communist by blaming the plot on them and had helped to remind the
Germans that he is the one who could stamp out the communist threat
throughout the country. In order to consolidate his power, Hitler persuaded
President Hindenburg to pass an emergency decree , the 'Decree for the
protection of people and State' which suspending all articles in constitution
which guaranteed personal liberty, freedom of speech, press and assembly.
And over the next eighteen months Hitler eliminated all political oppositions
and was on his way to absolute power and Germany soon became a one-party
state. The mean of this is to consolidate their power throughout the
government since t he communist was always their biggest threat. And with the
communist out of the way Hitler can now take control of the government and
have more significant advantages in the forth coming election.
And the first thing the Nazis did was to outlaw the KPD which gave them a
majority without the support of the DNVP. Through gaining power, Nazis now
had the excuse they need to tighten the screw on their oppositions. Nazis could
execute and arrest their political enemies without considering any other
factors. The y can intimidate their votes and control the votersˇ decision by
watching over them as they crossed their ballot papers. Hitler was also fast on
acting against his opposition, the day after the Reichstag fire; truckloads of
storm troopers were sent looking for their opponents throughout Germany
seizing communists and socialists. Officers of the communists and SPD were
wrecked and arrested. Their meeting banned or disrupted. And through all
these, communist was at last swept away from the political stage of Germany.
In essence, the Reichstag fire had also shifted balance of power from the
cabinet and government to the street. It has acted as part of the Nazis terror
tactics, and somehow used Van der Lubbe in order to blame the communist. By
doing so, the Nazis had created sense of crisis by arresting and imprisoning
4000 communistleaders in the night of 27 th February. Police was given
emergency power to search houses, detain people indefinitely without trail and
decreed the death penalty for a wide range of crimes. Political opponents
would be dragged off to the hastily organised concentration camps and
detention centres.
Furthermore, Hitler had also used the Reichstag fire to outwit von Papen and
the other Politian who believed that they could use the Naziˇs organisation to
maintain their power. But unfortunately, they had simply under -estimated
him. In order to seize control immediately, Hitler introduced policies to
consolidate his position with the Reichstag and throughout the country. He had
come to secure a parliamentary majority. Hitler had gained the support of the
centre party, the Catholic group which constituted a significant voting alliance.
He had done so by guaranteeing the Catholic group there interests and was to
be protected. With their support now, the Nazis had the majority within the
Reichstag and was able to pass the 'Enable Act' with 444 votes which gives
them the power to destroy democracy within Germany and to remove the
Reichstag's power and influence. And by out running the communist, the Nazis
had now both the finance and the force to support their upcoming electoral
campaign. These all provides them with great advantages against other parties
in the next election. This all shows that through the Reichstag fire, Hitler had
successfully get rid of their rivalry, the communist and they had effectively
seized power in both the Reichstag and Germany. And the Reichstag fire had
also gave Hitler an opportunity for to be well prepared for the upcoming
election.
Another reason for why the Nazis had set fire to the Reichstag building was that
this can provide them with great opportunity for media exposures and there is a
great value of propaganda in it. After all, propaganda always plays an important
role and had gained most of Hitlerˇs votes and support for the party from
elections. Through the fire, the Nazis can also effectively prove their point that
the communist are the greatest enemy towards the government and even the
country itself. And with the well use of propaganda, the Nazis can provide the
germens a positive image that they can contain the communist threat. What's
more, propaganda can also help the Nazis to send their message to the people
that they are the ones who can control the communist and could stop the
potential commu nist revolution. By burning down the Reichstag building, and
blaming the plot on the communist parties, Hitler can now carry out his plan to
take over the state machinery and use it to make the Nazis ‘revolutionˇ without
any competitors in the way. The fi rst aim, however, is to portray the Nazis party
in to a respectable organisation. On 21 st march 1933, the day of the opening of
the Reichstag in Potsdam, Hitler has successfully turned it into a propaganda
success. And with the great success of propaganda , Nazis are now more
prepared. From January to May, over 1.6 million Germans joined the party.
Most Germans joined for the purpose of securing their career enhancement.
Many joined in the immediate wake of the ‘Law for the Restoration of the
Professional civil serviceˇ. The Reichstag fire decree was also given as a barrage
of propaganda by the Nazis leader painting a drastic picture of a Nazis
Revolution. And the propaganda had its effect. Many ordinary middle class
shuddered to think of the future of Germ any and were impressed by the proofs
of the communist plot that Goring provided. Goebbels propaganda also
contributed to increase the anger of the Nazis against their communist
component.
Unsurprisingly in such an atmosphere, the violence unleashed by Naz i terror
hands against their opponents was uncontrolled. This all shows that by burning
the Reichstag building, Nazis had maximised their propaganda regime and this
had given them with great advantages against other parties in the forth coming
election. Moreover, this also tells us that it is most likely the Nazis had set fire
because of the great propaganda value it is going to bring to the party. In the
end, Hitler was brought to power due to the trust of the politicians and it was all
because of the well use propaganda which made them believed that Hitler
could control the situation.
In addition, by setting the Reichstag building on fire, the Nazis are able to
replace a constitutional government by a permanent state of emergency. Hitler
is also now freed from dependence on his nationalist allies and gave his regime
a legal basis for persecution, terrorism of all resistance and opposition. He is
also able to introduce policies to consolidate his position within the Reichstag
and the country. He aimed not to revolt against the State, but to take over
State machinery and use it to make the Nazis 'revolution'. And by burning the
Reichstag he could draw more support towards himself and the Nazis and
hence takeover the Reichstag more easily.
In conclusion, the Nazis set fire to the Reichstag building on the 27 th February
due to the wide variety of advantages it would gain from it . The fire not only
acted as one of Hitlerˇs stepping stones toward power, it also put Hitler in a
good position to outrun other politicians and to show Hindenburg he is the one
who should be trusted with the power. It was the illusion of the burning down
of the Reichstag building, which gave the Nazis the support to crush their rival
party, the KPD and create a one party dictatorship in the cabinet. The
Propaganda gained from the fire had greatly benefited the Nazis reach for
power. Hence the Nazis had set fire to the Reichstag building.