Hitler's Peacetime Regime 1933-39

Front 1

On what date did Hitler become Chancellor?

Back 1

30th January 1933

Front 2

On what date was the Reichstag Fire?

Back 2

27th February 1933

Front 3

When was the Night of the Long Knives?

Back 3

30th June1934

Front 4

What happened on the 10th August 1934?

Back 4

Hitler proclaims himself both Chancellor and President and adopts the title "Fuhrer". This happens after the death of Hindenburg and the army swearing allegiance to Hitler.

Front 5

When were the Nuremberg Laws introduced?

Back 5

September 1935

Front 6

When was the 4 Year Plan introduced?

Back 6

September 1936

Front 7

When was Kristallnacht?

Back 7

November 1938

Front 8

What is the meaning of the word "Autarky"?

Back 8

National economic self-suffiency

Front 9

What is "Gleichshaltung"?

Back 9

Co-ordination; under the Nazi's policy of bringing everything under state control.

Front 10

What was the Reichstag Fire and how did it help Hitler consolidate power?

Back 10

Reichstag was burnt down probably by van der Lubbe, acting alone, no evidence Nazis did it. This gave Hitler an excuse to persuade H'burg to sign the Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of People & State. Led to the arrest of 4,000 Communist and gave gov. the power to arrest people without trial.

Front 11

What happened at the March Elections in 1933?

Back 11

Nazi's gained only 44% of the vote, despite intimidation of communists and social democrats and with DNVP support, they had a majority (52%). Helped Hitler consolidate power as there was widespread violence against anti-Nazi's such as Communists, Social Democrats, anti-Nazi newspapers and Jews, with police either helping to doing nothing. 69 people killed during the election campaign by the Nazis.

Front 12

What was the Enabling Act and how did it help Hitler consolidate power?

Back 12

Gave Hitler the power to pass & enforce legislation without the consent of the Reichstag for 4 years. All communist MP's and enough social democrat MP's were excluded to make the the act passed. It freed Hitler from dependence on presidential decrees & in effect replaced democracy with dictatorship. Compensated for Nazi's not getting the majority in the election. Historian called Bracher called it a "legal revolution."

Front 13

What was Hitler's policy of Gleichschaltung?

Back 13

The Weimar society was plural; meaning a number of different interest groups were allowed within the state, such as trade unions, church, civil service, other political parties, local government. Hitler did not want his power limited by such groups and so Gleichschaltung aimed to eliminate such trouble interest groups. by early 1934, Nazi's had made a centralised one-party Reich.

Front 14

Give 3 reasons for how the Nazi's were successful in their policy of Gleichschaltung?

Back 14

- The Decree of the Reich President... plus their control of the police meant the Nazi's could terrorise/arrest their opponents without legal process.

- The Enabling Act in March 1933 enabled Hitler to pass laws w/o the Reichstag consent, an election in Nov. 1933 gave a 100% Nazi Reichstag.

- All other political parties were banned or forced to dissolve themselves by July 1933, when a law was passed banningnew parties & making Germany a one-party state.

Front 15

Give reasons for how the Nazi's were not successful in their policy of Gleichschaltung?

Back 15

- Hindenburg had the power to remove Hitler and intervened to exempt Jewish WW1 veterans from the Law of the Restoration of the Civil Service.

- Hitler's attempt to take control of the Protestant churches failed & they remained independent from Nazi control.

- The Army had the power to overthrow Hitler & its leadership remained mostly conservative.

Front 16

How did Hitler deal with the Catholic church?

Back 16

- Hitler ‘bought’ the support of the Centre Party for the Enabling Act by promising to protect theCatholic church.

- Concordat (14 July 1933) guaranteed the religious freedom of the Catholic church and its right toappoint its own clergy.

- Hitler signed a Concordat with the Pope in July, exchanged a promise that the Church would be left to run its own affairs but would not interfere in politics.

Front 17

How did Hitler deal with the Protestant church?

Back 17

- Ludwig Muller, a Nazi, was made Reich bishop; but an alternative church (the ‘ConfessingChurch’) was set up in 1934 for opponents of this, led by Martin Niemoller & DietrichBonhoeffer.

- German Protestants remained divided.

Front 18

How did Hitler begin to bring the Army under his control?

Back 18

The army retained its own traditions and indeed General von Blomberg banned army officers from joining the NaziParty. Hitler began to win over the army when he met its senior officers in early February 1933 and promised to respect the army’s traditions and political neutrality, while enthusing them with the prospect of rearmament andre-introduction of conscription.

Front 19

Why, by the end of 1933, was Hitler's power extensive but not total?

Back 19

- He could still theoretically be dismissed by Hindenburg.

- The Army could use its strength to force him out of office.

- The SA could endanger Hitler's relations with the Army by demanding more power for themselves.

Front 20

What were the 3 stages by which Hitler consolidated his power by late 1934?

Back 20

- March 1933 - Hitler gained the power to bypass the Reichstag and enact laws on theauthority of his Cabinet. Civil liberties were suspended to enable him to arrest and imprison political opponents.

- July 1933 - Hitler attempted to bring any potential enemies under control.Organised opposition was now almost impossible.

- August 1934 - Hitler brought the SA firmly under his control and won the support of the army.He became the Führer of Germany after Hindenburg’s death.

Front 21

What was the Night of the Long Knives?

Back 21

On the night of 30 June 1934, Röhm and other leaders of the SA were shot bymembers of the SS. Hitler also eliminated his critics on the Right: two conservative monarchists in Papen’s office,Herbert von Bose and Edgar Jung, were also murdered, as well as other political enemies of Hitler, including Kurtvon Schleicher and Gregor Strasser. SA became less important; itsambition of replacing Army was never fulfilled & increasingly eclipsedby SS, both as instrument of terror &later as military force.

Front 22

When the the German party swear their allegiance to Hitler?

Back 22

2nd August 1934.

Front 23

What happened following the death of Hindenburg?

Back 23

Office ofPresident was abolished as “Führer of the German Nation & People” Hitler was now Chancellor &President rolled into one; he was nowleader of Germany, not just the party.

Front 24

How did Hitler change the system of government he had inherited in 1933?

Back 24

- The power of individual states was removed.

- Collective government ended. Cabinet rarely met, never met after 1938.

- Laws could be issued on the authority of the Cabinet alone (essentially means Hitler).

- Hitler have power to those he trusted and gave him good ideas, created the idea of "working towards the Fuhrer".

- Hitler was the single source of authority for everyone, no matter if you worked in a ministry or an agency.

Front 25

What were some of the problems with Hitler's type of government?

Back 25

The Third Reich was characterised by a lack of a clear command structure, rival hierarchies and threeoverlapping centres of power: the central government together with its ministries and civil service, the Nazi Party and the SS, the charismatic dictatorship of Hitler, intervening at will.