Growth of the Nazi Party: How Hitler became Dictator

Local Government - January 1934

The next step was to strenngthen the central government in Berlin that Hitler controlled, and weaken local governments.
Under the Weimar constitution, all regions (Länder) of Germany had their own parliament, which ran the local government in the region.
Hitler had control of the Reichstag by 1934, but he couldn't control all 18 Länder parliaments.
Therefore, they were banned in January 1934.

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This law gave Hitler the right to pass laws without Reichstag consent for four years.
It was forced through the Reichstag- it was legally passed, but Reichstag member were intimidated by the SA- blocked from exits and threatened.
He renewed the law in 1937.
It marked the end of democratic rule and of theWeimar Republic, changing the constitution.
There were nearly 300 Nazi deputies, around 50 Nationlists, no Communists and few Social Democrats- some in hospital due to electoral violence, and some fled to other countries.

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Trade unions were potential sources if opposition.
Hitler believed that if Communists amongst workers could control their trade unions, then they could organise strikes to undermine the government,
May 1933, Hitler used new powers to ban trade unions and make stirkes illegal.

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Following the trade union ban, all political parties in Germany was made illegal apart from the NSDAP (Nazi) Party.
"Article I: NSDAP constitutes the only political party in Germany."
"Article II: Whoever undertakes to maintain organisation of another party or form a new one shall be punished with penal servitude up to 3 years or prison between 6 months and 3 years."

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