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Explain Why the Nazis Were Able to Consolidate Power in the Period 1933‐1934

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Explain Why the Nazis Were Able to Consolidate Power in the Period 1933‐1934 Explain why the Nazis were able to consolidate power in the period 1933‐1934 Through a combination of luck, manipulation of legal procedures and a willingness to resort to brutality, the Nazi’s were able to consolidate power in the period 1933‐1934. Primarily, the Nazi’s fortunate that the events such as the Reichstag Fire gave them the necessary means to ‘change’ the legal structure. Through their prolific propaganda and the relentless nature of their para‐military groups like the SA, the Nazi’s were able to gradually remove power from political opponents infiltrate government operations and the life of the German. Even though the Nazi’s were in a precarious position in early 1933, by 1934, they were able to solidify themselves as the ultimate power. Hitler and the Nazi’s were lucky that they had an opportunity to capitalise on the Reichstag Fire in early 1933. On the 27th of February, they took full advantage by playing on the theme of a ‘communist takeover’. However, in a cunning move, even though over 4000 people were arrested that day, Hitler and the Nazi’s chose not to ban the Communist Party so that they can serve as a scapegoat in their propaganda. Propaganda was not only essential in trying to promote the theme of a ‘national revival’ but was a valuable tool in gathering support for the Nazi’s and their course of action, allowing for the demonization of the opposition. This is significant for the Nazi’s consolidation of power as it paved the way for the gradual removal of other political parties. The political leaders were also incredibly weak and easy to take advantage of, making the Nazi’s consolidation of power all the more easy. Hindenburg was frail and old, vulnerable to Hitler’s cunning nature. Hitler was able to persuade the president that a communist plot to the state was imminent and required immediate treatment. This weakness as a president to recognise that the legalisation of Reichstag Fire Decree would suspend the basic rights and freedoms of the Germans was critical for the Nazi’s consolidation of power. It not only allowed the Nazi’s to preserve their shroud of legality but demonstrated how underestimated they were. The conservative elites and many middle‐class Germans also did not object, swooned by the Nazi’s vicious campaign against the communists. What existed from 1933 was a permanent state of emergency which gave the regime the ‘legal authority’ to carry out acts of terror and persecution against the Germans. The weakness of political leaders would be accentuated again after Hitler’s proposal of the Enabling Act on the 23rd of March 1933. Essentially, this law would provide Hitler and the Nazi’s the necessary power to issue laws for the next four years regardless of the Reichstag and propel the party forward in their quest for consolidation of power. Yet, the political parties were too divided to recognise this. The KPD refused to forgive the SPD for the Spartacist Uprising in 1919 and had acted under orders from Moscow not to collaborate with them. Groups like the Catholics were easily convinced by Hitler’s promises that that the basic institutions of the government were not threatened and the measure was ephemeral. As a result of the passage of the Enabling Act, the Nazi Party were able to ban all political parties on the 14th of July. The KPD had been declared illegal, the SPD was banned and all property was confiscated, the German National People’s Party disbanded and the Centre Party had dissolved themselves. The passing of the Enabling Act also allowed the Nazi’s to sustain their image of legality while they aimed to bring significant agencies and institutions under Nazi control. This marked the advent of Gleichschaltung. After 1933, every aspect of German society had been brought under the authority of Nazi control. The civil service – the government departments that administer day‐to‐day functioning of the state – needed to be fully supportive of the Nazi philosophy if the party were to last: 1.6 million Germans worked for the civil service. The Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service was established in April 1933 and removed civil servants who were either Jewish or who had been involved in previous Anti‐Nazi political activity. It was also indispensable that if the Nazis were to progress further in their journey for the consolidation of power, they needed to win the support of the working class who had traditionally supported the SPD and KPD. After Hitler granted the working class a May day holiday on the 1st of May 1933, he abolished the Free Trade Unions which previously had a membership that approximated near 6 million people. These type of organisations were deemed illegal and were to supplanted by a new organisation: The German Labour Front. Dr Robert Ley, a high ranking Nazi official who led the DAF, summarises the significance of the working class for not only the Gleischaltung but also the consolidation of power: “For we know that without the German worker, there is no German nation.” Thus, with the working class forced into Hitler’s labour front program, it augmented Nazi control and brought them a step closer for the consolidation of power. Even though the Nazis had fought themselves out of their precarious position in early 1933, they still needed to come to terms with Hindenburg and the army. William Shirer states in The Rise and fall of the Third Reich that Hindenburg’s meeting with Hitler on the 20th of June demonstrated how essential it was for the Nazi leader to satisfy these powerful groups if the Party were to consolidate power; Hindenburg threatened to take Hitler and Nazi’s out of government if the SA were still rebellious. The army shared this same concern and were suspicious of Ernest Rohm’s claims that the military should be incorporated into the ranks of the SA. Ian Kershaw states that it was the army, not the SA, which Hitler needed in order to carry out his conquest of Europe. The Night of the Long Knives on the 30th of June 1934 not only eradicated the last of an internal threat but demonstrated the extent that Hitler was willing to go to consolidate power. Over two hundred people were murdered in the purge of the SA, reaffirming the brutality of the regime. Ian Kershaw believed that this bloodbath posed as a warning to the people the measures the regime was willing to take, further reinforcing the climate of fear. This step was necessary for the Nazi’s consolidation of power as it secured the allegiance of the army; a personal oath to Hitler would construct the foundation of his power base. Following Hindenburg’s death, the referendum composed on the 2nd of August 1934 established the supreme power of Hitler – Hitler became the head of state, head of government, and supreme commander of the armed forces. Hitler and the Nazis had finally consolidated power. In conclusion, Hitler and the Nazis were able to capitalise on events that would prove to be crucial in their quest to control Germany. Events like the Reichstag Fire in 1933 gave the party an opportunity to further suppress opposing political parties and also to suspend the basic rights and freedoms of the people through the Emergency decree. The passing of the Enabling Act was indispensable as it allowed the Nazi party to make laws regardless of the Reichstag and also to bring key government agencies like the civil service under control. The Night of the Long Knives ended the last of any opposition of Hitler as it secured the allegiance of the army and vanquished an internal threat. .
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