Setting up the Nazi dictatorship through the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, Night of the Long Knives, the police state, censorship and propaganda

Setting up the Nazi dictatorship through the Reichstag Fire, Enabling Act, Night of the Long Knives, the police state, censorship and propaganda.

The Schutzstaffel (SS)

• The Nazis began to gain many votes, but they used cunning tactics to get them.

1. In 1933, a fire broke out in the Reichstag building. Hitler blamed it on the Communists, claiming they had started it. Many people believed him, and mass arrests of Communists started, starting a huge opposition to the German Communist Party.
2. The Nazis won 288 seats in 1933. This wasn't a majority, though, and the Communists still won 81 - so, as Hitler was Chancellor, he was able to declare the Communist Party illegal. Hitler was then able to get enough support to pass the Enabling Act from this, in March 1933. This bill allowed him to govern for four years without parliament and made all other parties illegal - giving him almost full control.
3. Although he had a lot of power, Hitler still had a lot of opposition, and was worried about rivals within the Nazi party - the biggest threat being Ernst Röhm, the controller of the SA (including over 400,000 men). On 29th-30th of June 1934, Hitler sent his men to arrest Röhm and others. The night became known as the "Night of the Long Knives". Röhm, along with several hundred other people and oppositions such as Strasser and von Schleicher, were killed, stamping out any remaining opposition. President Hindenburg died a month later. This gave Hitler the combination of Chancellor and President posts, and he made himself Commander-in-Cheif of the army - from then on called Der Führer (the leader). It was the beginning of dictatorship.
4. Germany became a police state. The SS (Schutzstaffel) expanded hugely under Himmler in the 1930s, working as a bodyguard for Hitler. Its members were feared by the public for their cruelty and were completely loyal to Hitler. Himmler was also in charge of the secret police - the Gestapo. After 1933, concentration camps spread across Germany to hold political prisoners and anybody else considered dangerous to the Nazis, with some later turning into death camps. People were encouraged to report disloyalty to the Nazi party, and local wardens were employed to make sure that Germans were loyal. Many were arrested by the Gestapo as a result.
5. Books, newspapers and other materials were censored by the Nazis, and those who published anti-Nazi material risked execution. The Nazis used censorship to encourage nationalism and anti-Semitism, praising the work of patriotic composers such as Wagner, while banning the work of Jewish composers like Mendelssohn.
6. Propaganda took over the media, with the Nazis blaming Jews and communists for most of Germany's problems in an attempt to control how people think. They controlled radio broadcasts and used films and posters to spread their message. Dr Joseph Goebbels founded the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda in 1933, making all artists, writers, journalists and musicians having to register to get their work approved. The Nazis also organised huge rallies to present an image of power and popularity to the public - the 1936 Olympics were used as an opportunity for global publicity too.

Events of 1932 to January 1933 including the role of von Papen, von Schleicher and von Hindenburg

Events of 1932 to January 1933 including the role of von Papen, von Schleicher and von Hindenburg.

• Hindenburg refused to give the Nazis power.

Paul von Hindenburg

1. Hindenburg couldn't find a Chancellor who had support in the Reichstag.
2. He ended up appointing the inexperienced Franz von Papen, refusing to give the Nazis power.
3. In the July 1932 Reichstag elections, the Nazis won 230 seats - they were the largest party but didn't have a majority in the Reichstag. Hitler demanded to be made Chancellor.
4. Hindenburg didn't trust Hitler. He refused to make him Chancellor and kept Papen.
5. The Nazis lost 34 seats in the November 1932 election. They seemed to be losing popularity.
6. Hindenburg got rid of Papen, replaced by Kurt von Schleicher as Chancellor. Schleicher tried to cause divisions in the Nazi party by asking another leading Nazi to be Vice-Chancellor: Gregor Strasser. But Hitler stopped Strasser from accepting.
7. Papen knew that Hindenburg would get rid Schleicher if he didn't get a majority in parliament, so he made a deal with Hitler. They agreed that if Papen persuaded Hindenburg to make Hitler Chancellor, Hitler would make Papen Vice-Chancellor.
8. In January 1933, Papen persuaded Hindenburg to make Hitler Chancellor. Papen argued that they could control Hitler and use him as a puppet. He was wrong.

Goebbels and propaganda and the work of the SA

Goebbels and propaganda and the work of the SA.

• The Nazis used many methods to control the German people - from persuasion to violence.

"Work Means Bread"

1. The Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (founded in 1933) was led by Dr Joseph Goebbels. All writers, journalists and musicians had to work to get their work approved.
2. The Nazis took control of the media - controlling radio broadcasts, and also used films and posters to spread their messages.
3. The Nazis organised huge rallies of party members to present an image of power and popularity. They also used the 1936 Berlin Olympics as an opportunity for international publicity.
4. Nazis censored books, newspapers and other material.
5. Those that published anti-Nazi material were put at risk of execution.
6. They used censorship to encourage nationalism and anti-Semitism. E.g. they praised the work of German patriots such as Wagner, but banned the work of Jewish composers such as Mendelssohn.
7. Bright and fierce posters were used repeat Hitler's ideas and attract people's attention.
8. The impressive power of the SA and SS led more people towards the Nazi's side.
9. The radio and newspapers began to cover all the same news in the same way, featuring all the same opinions. It was hard for the population to not start thinking this way after a while.

Nazi methods to win support

Nazi methods to win support.

1. Nazi policies were deliberately vague in order to attract as many people as possible, including both left and right-wing Germans. They promised different things to different groups of people: Industrialists: Crush the Communists; Working class: Food and jobs; Everybody: Restore German greatness, mainly by overthrowing and humiliating the Treaty of Versailles.
2. The Nazis used propaganda. They used leaflets, posters, SA parades, Nazi newspapers etc. All this served to effectively spread Nazi ideas and weaken support for their rivals.
3. Hitler's powerful speeches exploited people's fears of Communism, unemployment and prejudice (Jews). In his speeches, Hitler promised the German people a new beginning, and to make Germany great again.
4. The Nazis were able to make themselves look more efficient and put-together than other parties, mainly due to the strong impression of the SA (uniforms, throwing big parades in which leader delivered powerful speeches), impressive poster portrayals of the party, and generally fewer impressive democratic competitors.
5. The SA terrorised their opponents, and would break up opposition party meetings during elections, destroy printing presses and spread Nazi propaganda.
6. A large number of the German people were scared of Communism and were persuaded by the Nazi's promises to crush the German Communist Party.

Impact of Wall Street Crash

Impact of Wall Street Crash.

• Nazi popularity soared as a result of the great depression (stemming from the Wall Street Crash).

1. The Depression caused mass unemployment, with over 6 million Germans unemployed by the year 1933.
2. In 1931, Germany's biggest bank collapsed - which made reparations even more difficult to pay.
3. The Weimar governments kept trying to change during this time in order to solve the economic problems, but none ever succeeded.
4. The Depression contributed to the collapse of the Weimar Republic in 1933. The German public hoped for a new government that could sort out these problems.
5. Extremist groups like the Nazis became more popular - they promised strong leadership.
6. There was huge outrage towards the Weimar Republic; working class were angry with their low wages and long hours; general population angry at low employment and families were desperate, many living in tents.
7. The Nazis increased in popularity during the Depression. They promised prosperity and to make Germany great again. They appealed to many Germans, including the unemployed, as well as businessmen and young people.
8. Some people supported the Nazis' anti-communist and anti-Jewish views - and by 1930, the Nazis grew to a membership of 300,000.

Reorganisation of the Party 1924-28

Reorganisation of the Party 1924-28.

1. The Nazi Party was banned after the Munich Putsch. Hitler re-established the party after he was released from prison, and made himself the supreme leader.
2. By the 1920s, the German economy was beginning to stabilise and recover thanks to the work of Stresemann. As a result, support for the Nazi party declined and overturning the government through a coup no longer seem realistic. 
3. Hitler began to change tactics - he now tried to gain control through the democratic system. The Nazi party network began to extend nationwide, instead of being a regional party. Propaganda was used to promote the party's beliefs.
4. The party was relaunched in 1925, with improved finances by befriending wealthy businessmen.
5. Even with this, the Nazis still didn't have many supporters at this stage. There were fewer than 30,000 members by 1925, and the Nazis had 12 seats in the 1928 elections, compared to the 54 communists and 153 social democrats. This was soon to change, though.

Causes, events and results of Munich Putsch, 1923

Causes, events and results of Munich Putsch, 1923.

1. Things weren't looking good for the Weimar Republic in 1923 - it seemed weak.
2. Hitler and the Nazis planned to overthrow the Weimar Republic, beginning with taking over taking control of a southern region of Germany called Bavaria.
3. On the 8th November 1923, Hitlers stormtroopers occupied the beer hall in Munich in which government leaders were meeting. He announced that the revolution had begun.
4. On the next day, Hitler, supported by thousands of armed men marched into Munich. The revolt quickly collapsed, though, when police fired on the rebels.
5. The number of people involved, including the famous general Ludendorff, made it seem like a big threat to Weimar, but the Nazis actually had very little public support and it was all over very quickly.
6. Hitler was then imprisoned for his role in the Munich Putsch (aka Beer Hall Putsch). In prison, he wrote a book called "Mein Kampf" ("My Struggle"), in which Hitler described his beliefs and ambitions.