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CAMBRIDGE A2 HISTORY: HITLER AND THE CONSOLIDATION OF POWER 1933-1934
The document outlines the key events and actions that enabled Adolf Hitler to consolidate power in Germany between 1933 and 1934, starting from his appointment as chancellor to his declaration as führer. Significant events discussed include the Reichstag fire, the enabling act, the banning of political parties, and the Night of the Long Knives, each contributing to the establishment of a one-party state and the dismantling of democracy. It emphasizes the importance of understanding not only the events themselves but their effects on Hitler's consolidation of authority.
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CAMBRIDGE A2 HISTORY: HITLER AND THE CONSOLIDATION OF POWER 1933-1934
- 1. HISTORY CAMBRIDGE A2(PAPER 4) PRESENTATION 4 (HOMEWORK) HITLER MODULE 1. WHY DID HITLER GAIN POWER IN 1933? HITLER AND THE CONSOLIDATION OF POWER 1933-1934
- 2. OVERVIEW In January 1933Hitler became chancellor of Germany and by August 1934, he had declared himself Führer - the leader of Germany. What happened during this time that allowed Hitler to take the ultimate position of authority?
- 3. 27 FEBRUARY 1933 ReichstagFire - the Reichstag building is set on fire. A Dutch Communist, van der Lubbe, is caught red-handed in the burning building.
- 4. REICHSTAG FIRE -RESULTS Hitler used the fire to his advantage in two ways: 1. It gave him an opportunity to imprison many communist leaders, which stopped them campaigning during the election. 2. It allowed the Nazis to say that the country was in danger from the communists during its election campaign. Both these actions helped the Nazis to win more seats in the election. When the courts convicted Dutch Communist van der Lubbe, but did not convict other Communist leaders, Hitler was furious and replaced the courts with the Nazi People's Courts.
- 5. 5 MARCH 1933 GeneralElection - only 44 per cent of the population vote for the Nazis, who win 288 seats in the Reichstag.
- 6. GENERAL ELECTIONS -RESULTS Although it did not give the Nazis the majority that Hitler had hoped for in the Reichstag, it gave them enough seats - after Hitler had arrested all the communist deputies and the other parties had been intimidated by the SA - to get the Enabling Act passed, which is all Hitler needed to do.
- 7. 23 MARCH 1933 EnablingAct - the SA intimidates all the remaining non-Nazi deputies. The Reichstag votes to give Hitler the right to make his own laws.
- 8. ENABLING ACT -RESULTS Arguably the critical event - it gave Hitler absolute power to make his laws.
- 9. 26 APRIL 1933 Localgovernment is reorganised - the country is carved up into 42 Gaus, which are run by a Gauleiter. These Gaus are separated into areas, localities and blocks of flats run by a Blockleiter. Hitler sets up the Gestapo.
- 10. GESTAPO - RESULTS Thisput the Nazis in control of local government, and allowed the Gestapo to rule by terror.
- 11. 2 may 1933 Tradeunions are abolished and their leaders arrested.
- 12. ABOLISHING TRADING UNIONS- RESULTS Abolishing the trade unions allowed Hitler to destroy a group that might have opposed him. It also gave Hitler the opportunity to set up the German Labour Front, which gave him control over German workers.
- 13. 20 JUNE 1933 Concordat- Hitler makes an agreement with the Pope who sees him as someone who can destroy communism. This agreement allows Hitler to take over political power in Germany as long as he leaves the Catholic Church alone.
- 14. THE CONCORDAT -RESULTS Hitler's agreement with the Pope was a temporary truce that allowed Hitler to ban the Catholic Zentrum party without opposition from the Catholic Church.
- 15. 14 JULY 1933 Politicalparties are banned - only the Nazi party is allowed to exist.
- 16. BANNING POLITICAL PARTIES- RESULTS Banning political parties made Germany a one-party state and destroyed democracy in the country. After this action, Germans could no longer get rid of Hitler in an election.
- 17. 24 APRIL 1934 People'sCourts - Hitler sets up the Nazi people's courts where judges have to swear an oath of loyalty to the Nazis.
- 18. PEOPLE’S COURTS -RESULTS These were set up to give Hitler greater control over the judgements made in courts. Hitler was furious because the courts did not sentence the communists to death for starting the Reichstag fire.
- 19. 30 JUNE 1934 Nightof the Long Knives - some SA leaders are demanding that the Nazi party carry out its socialist agenda, and that the SA take over the army. Hitler cannot afford to annoy the businessmen or the army, so the SS murders perhaps 400 of the SA members, including its leader Röhm, along with a number of Hitler's other opponents.
- 20. NIGHT OF THELONG KNIVES - RESULTS This destroyed all opposition within the Nazi Party. It gave power to the brutal SS. It also showed the rest of the world what a tyrant Hitler was.
- 21. 19 AUGUST 1934 Führer- when Hindenburg dies, Hitler declares himself jointly president, chancellor and head of the army.
- 22. FUHRER - RESULTS Thisformally made Hitler the absolute ruler of Germany.
- 23. THE EVENTS If youare asked about how Hitler consolidated his power, remember that the question is not just about describing what happened and what Hitler did. You should explain how Hitler's actions helped him to consolidate his power - it is more about the effects of what he did. Let’s describe how certain events happened between 1933 and 1934 gave Hitler the opportunity to consolidate power.
- 24. NAZI GOVERNMENT Many historiansbelieve that Nazi Germany only appeared to be a dictatorship. In fact, officials were left to make most of the decisions themselves, and the Nazi government was badly-organised, and chaotic.
- 25. HITLER AND THEARMY It is important to note that in 1934, the army was not subject to Hitler's authority. At this point, he still needed the army's support, which is why he destroyed the SA in the Night of the Long Knives. In 1938, army leaders hoped Hitler's plan to conquer the Sudetenland would fail and give them an opportunity to depose him. When he succeeded, their attempt to get rid of him fell apart, and Hitler dismissed the chief of staff and 60 other generals. Thereafter, the army was also subservient to Hitler.
- 26. HOMEWORK 1. How Hitlerconsolidated his power, 1933-1934? 2. How Hitler changed Germany from a democracy to a dictatorship? 3. Which event marked the end of the Weimar Republic - the Enabling Act or the banning of political parties? The question 'Why Hitler came to power' (how he became chancellor in January 1933) is completely different to 'How did Hitler consolidated his power' (how he took absolute power in 1933-1934). Make sure you do not misinterpret questions, which may not be worded so clearly. The key is to look carefully at the dates in the question.