Dictatorship in Germany
- Created by: Kitty
- Created on: 29-04-13 12:38
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- Germany in a Dictatorship
- Before Hitler came to power in 1933, Germany was a democracy.
- Germany had fair elections.
- Nobody had their right to vote abused.
- There were numerous political parties you could vote for.
- Within the Reichstag of January 1933, over 50% of those who held seats were against the Nazis.
- Hitler had promised a general election for March 1933.
- One week before the election, the Reichstag burned down.
- Hitler immediately declared that it was the signal for a communist takeover of the nation.
- Hitler knew that if he was to convince President Hindenburg to give him emergency powers he had to play on the old President's fear of communism.
- Using the Weimar Constitution, Hindenburg agreed to pass the Law for the protection of the People and the State.
- This law gave Hitler what he wanted - emergency powers and a ban on the Communists and Socialists taking part in an election campaign.
- The leaders from both parties were arrested and their newspapers were shut down.
- To 'keep the peace' and maintain law and order, the SA (brown shirts) roamed the streets beating up those who openly opposed Hitler.
- Hitler did not get the number of votes he wanted but he did get enough to get over a 50% majority in the Reichstag.
- Communists - 4.8 million votes.
- Social Democrats - 7.2 million votes.
- Centre Party - 5.5 million votes.
- Nationalists - 3.1 million votes
- Other Parties - 1.4 million votes.
- Nazis - 17.3 million votes.
- After the Reichstag had burned down, politicians met in the Kroll Opera House in Berlin
- On March 23rd, elected officials were due to meet to discuss and vote on Hitler's Enabling Law.
- As Politicians neared the building, they found it surrounded by SA and ** thugs who tried to ensure that only Nazis or Nationalist politicians got into the building.
- The law basically stated that any bill only needed Hitler's signiture and within 24 hours that bill would become law in Germany.
- April 7th 1933 - Nazi officials were put in charge of all local government in the provinces.
- May 2nd 1933 - Trade Unions abolished, their funds were taken and their leaders put in prison.
- July 14th 1933 - a law was passed makling it illegal to form a new political party.
- It also made the Nazi party the only legal political party in Germany.
- People were employes in each street, in each building complex etc. with the sole purpose of keeping an eye on others in the area.
- If they believed something was amiss, they would report them to the authorities.
- The reputation of the Nazi police and the secret police led by Himmler was such that no-one whished to cause offence.
- People kept their thoughts to themselves unless they wished to invite trouble.
- In this sense, Nazi Germany was a nation run on fear of the government.
- Before Hitler came to power in 1933, Germany was a democracy.
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