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Summary Hitler's Germany: Consolidating and Maintaining Power
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Expansive Notes on how Hitler consolidated and maintained his power.
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3.6 How did Hitler consolidate his power to create anauthoritarian regime?
The KPD (German Communist Party) had been banned under the presidential
decree of February shortly after Hitler became chancellor.
Extreme socialists had also been imprisoned, although the SPD was not
officially banned until June.
Similarly, the DNVP (the right-wing nationalist party) lost its role once it
became part of the Nazi coalition.
The Law Against the Establishment of Parties of 14 July 1933 made it a
criminal offence to organize any party outside the NSDAP.
Consequently, although there was an election in Nov. 1933, only the
Nazis were able to stand and so took all of the Reichstag seats.
The Nazis had begun to infiltrate state (Länder) governments from early
1933, seizing public buildings and newspaper offices, and from March many
Länder: this is
state governments had been forced to resign since they had proved unable to
the name for the
separate states control SA violence.
within Germany. The old provincial assemblies of the Lander Germany were abolished
and all areas were placed under the control of Nazi governors.
By the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service of April
1933, non-Aryans were forced to retire and Jews and other opponents
described as ‘alien elements’ were purged from positions in the
administration, courts, schools and universities.
New academies also controlled the professions, and teachers were, for
example, required to join the National Socialist Teacher’s League (NSLB),
while in Nov. 1933 university lecturers were required to sign a declaration in
support of Hitler and join the Nazi Lecturers’ Association.
Hitler’s authoritarian state was legally established by the ‘Law to Ensure the
Unity of Party and State’ (Dec. 1933).
However, Hitler allowed parallel institutions to develop rather than creating
undiluted party rule, so there was competition with the state.
For example, in local government the minister-presidents of each
Land were retained alongside the new Reich governors.
Some intentionalist historians, such as Karl Bracher and Klaus
Hildebrand, believe Hitler did this on purpose so that he could
retain ultimate control.
Structuralist historians such as Martin Boszat and Hans
Mommsen believe that this situation was unintentional and
resulted from Hitler’s disinterest and neglect.
By the end of July 1933, a one-party/authoritarian state had been created.
, Night of the Long Knives
Hitler had been content to use the paramilitary SA to destroy the communist
movement when seeking power. However, he was concerned about the SA’s
violent and sometimes uncontrollable behavior and about the demands of its
leader, Ernst Rohm.
Rohm openly condemned Hitler’s compliance with the élite in 1933 and
called for a second revolution to complete the ‘Nazi uprising’.
Hitler could not upset the army, who loyalty he needed. Since the army was
hostile to the SA, he increasingly took the view that the SA has served its
purpose and was expandable.
When Heinrich Himmler (head of the SS) and Hermann Goering
spread rumours of a planned coup by the SA, Hitler decided that it
was time to take action.
Rohm and 85 others were killed by SS men in the Night of the Long Knives on
30 June 1934 in order to forestall a revolt.
The Nazi Gregor Strasser (who had attempted to split the party in
1932) was shot, as was Kurt von Schleicher (the former chancellor).
Von Papen was put under house arrest and was lucky to escape with
his life.
The Night of the Long Knives helped to confirm Hitler’s authority. He justified
his actions to the Reichstag by saying that he alone had acted on behalf of
the German people at a time of emergency and he thus gained credit for a
‘heroic’ action.
Hitler gained the support of the army commanders.
Goebbels was able to portray Hitler as a man who had personally saved the
country.
When Hindenburg (commander in chief of Germany’s forces in 1914, but
returned as in 1925 to stand as president) died, all members of the armed
forces swore a personal oath of loyalty to Hitler.
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