6 The growth in support for the Nazis, 1 929-33

The tactics used by Hitler and Goebbels were paying off

and there was greater success in the Reichstag elections in
July 1932 (see page 49) . Goebbels ensured that the German
people were given positive images of Hitler and the Nazis.
He also continued to play on their fears, particularly the
fear of communism.

ACTIVITIES
In what ways do Source G and Source H support each
other about the reasons why people voted for Hitler?
2 Read pages 42-45, then look at the table below.
Complete the boxes, giving at least one reason to show
how the Nazis cou ld appeal to different groups of society
at the same time.

Social group How Nazis cou l d appeal to them

Working classes
Farmers
Middle classes
Upper classes
I n d u stria l ists
.t.
Source H A Nazi poster of 1932 . It says 'We farmers are
getting rid of the dung' and 'We are voting Nazi'. The dung
Fina ncia l suppo rt fo r the Nazis represents Jews and Socialists
Hitler and the Nazis could not have conducted their
campaigns without financial backers. One example of how
funds were crucial came in 1932, when 600,000 copies of the
Nazi economic programme were produced and distributed
in the July Reichstag election. The Nazi Party received funds
from leading industrialists such as Thyssen, Krupp and
Bosch. These industrialists were terrified of the communist
DER SINN DES
threat and also concerned at the growth of trade union
power. They knew that Hitler hated communism and that H IT L E R G R U S S E S
he would reduce the influence of the unions.
By 1932, the Nazis began to develop close links with
the National Party (DNVP) . The DNVP leader, Alfred
Hugenberg, was a newspaper tycoon, and permitted the
Nazis to publish articles which attacked Bruning. Hence,
Goebbels continued the nationwide campaign against
Weimar and keep the Nazis in the forefront of people's
minds.

Practice q u estio n
G ive two things you c a n infer from Source I about su pport
for H itler in the 1 930s. (For guidance, see page 78.)

Source I An anti-Hitler poster by a communist, John ...

Heartfield. Born Helmut Herzfeld, he changed his name
as a protest against the Nazis. He fled Germany in 1933.
The caption reads ' The meaning of the Hitler salute. Motto:
millions stand behind me! Little man asks for big gifts'
Key topic 2 Hitler's rise to power, 1919-33

... The SA a n d the Com m u n ists

ACTIVITIES ,;jl
• In his speeches, Hitler claimed that parliamentary democracy did not work and said that
Look at Source J .
Explain w h y i t was
im portant for Hitler to
have the SA involved
in battles with the
com m u n ists.
2 What can you learn
from Source K
about the German
Com m u nist Party at
this time?
only he and the NSDAP could provide the strong government that Germany needed. The
Nazis used the Sturmabteilung (SA) (see page 32) not only to provide protection for their
meetings but also to disrupt the meetings of their opponents, especially the Communist
Party. Hitler reappointed Ernst Rohm as leader of the SA in January 1931 and within a year
its membership had increased by 100,000 to 170,000.
The Communists had their own private militia, the Rater Frontkampferbttnd (Red Front
Fighters, RFB), and there were countless fights between them and the SA. On many
occasions there were fatalities. Hitler sought to show the German people that he could
stamp out the Bolshevik violence and their threat of revolution. The SA also attacked and
intimidated any overt opponents of the Nazis.

- ·- ·-·-·

Source J A battle between �

SA members and communist
RFB members in 1932 .
The signs read: ' Up the
Revolution' and ' Free the
political prisoners'

Source K Ernst Thalmann, �

leader of the German
Communist Party, speaking
at an open-air meeting in
Berlin, 1932
 6 The growth in support for the N azis, 1 929-33

ACTIVITY
?, The ro le of H itler in increasi ng s u p po rt fo r the Nazis
• Hitler had developed the art of public speaking in the early days of the NSDAP and his
What message is H itler speeches always attracted many people and helped increase the membership of the Nazi
giving i n Source M? Party. He helped to draw up the Twenty-Five Point Programme (see page 31) and he was
fully aware that after the Putsch he had to present himself and his party as law-abiding and
democratic. He also knew that he had to be able to offer something to all groups in German
society if he was to be successful in any elections. He never lost sight of these points during
the two years before he became leader of Germany.

Source L From Inside the Third Reich by Albert S p e e r, 1 9 70. S p e e r was reca l l i n g a m e e t i n g
i n B e r l i n i n 1 9 30 at w h i c h H i tler s p o ke . S p e e r was a u n iversity l e c t u r e r a n d b e c a m e
M i n ister of A r m a m e n t s i n N a z i Ge rm a n y
I was carried away o n a wave of enthusiasm [by t h e speech] . . . t h e speech swe pt away any
scepti c i s m , a ny reserva t i o n s . O p p o n e nts were g iven n o c h a n ce to s p e a k ... H e re , it s e e m e d
to m e , was h o p e . H e re we re new i d e a l s , a new u n d e rsta n d i n g , new tasks. T h e p eril of
c o m m u n i s m , which seemed i n evitably o n its way, could be sto p p e d . H itter persu a d e d us that.
i nstead of h o peless u n e m p loyment, G e r m a ny could m ove to economic recove ry.

A Source M This a colourised photo of Hitler attending the Third Annual Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg, 1927
Key topic 2 Hitler's rise to power, 1919-33

H itler's charisma Source N Adapted from the d i a ry of Luise Solmitz, 23 M a rch

Hitler could be all things to all people. He was the war
hero, the saviour and the ordinary man in the street. The
image created was that his whole existence was given over
co Germany and there were no distractions to prevent him
achieving his goals. He had created a philosophy which all
could comprehend and furthermore his vision of the future
revolved around making Germany the strongest nation in
the world. Hitler had the one characteristic which most
other politicians lacked - charisma.
1 932. A schooltea cher, Solmitz was writ i n g about atte n d i n g
a m e e t i n g i n H a m b u rg at w h i c h H itler s p o ke
T h e re stood H itler in a s i m ple black coat, looking over t h e
c rowd of 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 p e o p le of all c l a s s e s a n d a g e s . . . a forest
of swastika flags u nf u r l e d , t h e joy of this m o m e n t s h owed
itself in a ro a r in g s a lute ... The crowd looked u p to H itler
with t o u c h i n g faith, a s their h e l p e r. their savi o u r. t h e i r
d e liverer f r o m u n bearable d i stress . . . H e is t h e rescu e r of
t h e s c h o l a r. t h e farmer, t h e worker and t h e u n e m p loye d .

Practice q u estions
H ow usefu l a re Sources N and 0 for a n e n q u i ry into
the role of Hitler in increasing support for the Nazis in
the years 1 929-32? Explain you r answer using Sources
N and 0 and you r knowledge of the h istorica l c o ntext .

(For guidance, see pages 62-64.)

2 Explain why there was in creased su pport for the Nazis
in the yea rs 1 929-32.

Y o u may u s e the following i n your answer:

• Unemployment
• Goeb bels

You must also use information of your own.

(For guidance, see pages 94-95.)

ACTIVITIES
Study Sources L, M (on page 47) and N. What do these
sources show you about Hitler and the Nazi Party?
2 Study Source 0. Why would the Nazi Party want this
image to be shown all over Germany?

Source 0 A portrait of
Hitler painted in 1933 by
B . von Jacobs
 6 The growth in support for the Nazis, 1 929-33

6.3 Po l itica l deve l o p m e nts i n 1932

Political instability and the eventual, reluctant support "' Table 6 . 4 November 1932 election results
of President Hindenburg brought Hitler to power as
Political pa rty Reichstag seats % of vote
Chancellor in January 1933.
Nazis (NSDAP) 1 96 33.1
You have already seen that Hitler was quite successful in
the presidential elections in March and April 1932. He Social Democrats (SPD) 121 20.4
was by now the leader of the second largest party in the Com m u n ist Pa rty (KPD) 1 00 1 6 .9
Reich stag and was well known across Germany. When a Centre Pa rty (ZP) 70 1 1 .9
general election was called for 31 July 1932, the Nazis were
National Party (DNVP) 52 8.8
optimistic about improving on the number of votes they
had won in the previous election of September 1930. People's Party (DVP) 11 1 .9
Democratic Pa rty (DDP) 2 1 .0
Bruning had been Chancellor since March 1930 but had
little support in the Reichstag and was dependent on rule by
presidential decree. His dependence on Hindenburg seriously I nterpretation 1 From Adolf Hitler by I. Ke rs haw, in 1 9 9 8
weakened the Weimar Republic. By May 1932, he had lost the
A t t h e m e e t i n g i n A u g u s t , H i n d e n b u rg refused H itler t h e
support of the President because of his failure to improve the C h a n cellors h i p . H e could not a nswer, h e s a i d , before G o d ,
economy. Hindenburg also opposed Bruning's scheme to give h i s conscience a n d t h e Fat h e rland if h e h a n d e d over t h e
away bankrupt farms in Prussia to the unemployed. e n t i re powe r of t h e g ove r n m e n t to a s i n g le pa rty a n d o n e
w h i c h w a s so intolerant towa rds t h o s e w i t h d ifferent views.
There was much violence in the run up to the election. About
100 people were killed and more than 1,125 wounded in
clashes between the political parties. On 17 July there were at FRANZ VO N PAP E N 1 879-1 969
least 19 people killed in Hamburg during a party rally.
More people voted in July than in any previous Weimar 1 879 Born in Werl, Westphalia
election. The Nazis won 230 seats and were now the largest 1 9 1 3 Entered the diplomatic
party in the Reichstag (see Table 6.3). However, Franz von service as a m i l itary
Papen of the Centre Party, despite not having the most attache to the German
seats, did not relinquish his post as Chancellor and began a m bassador in
to scheme with President Hindenburg. Hitler demanded the Washington DC
post of Chancellor and at a meeting in August, Hindenburg 1 91 7 German army adviser to
refused to contemplate Hitler for the role even if he did lead Tu rkey and a lso served
the largest party in the Reich stag. as a major i n the Tu rkish
army in Palesti ne
It was not possible for any party to command a majority
in the Reichstag and it was impossible to maintain a 1918 Left the German army
coalition. Papen dissolved the Reichstag in September and in 1 9 1 8 . Entered politics
new elections were set for early November. Papen held the and j o i ned the Catholic
Centre Party
opinion that the Nazis were losing momentum and if he
held on they would slowly disappear from the scene. He was 1 922 El ected to the Reichstag
correct about them losing momentum as the results of the 1 932 Appoi nted Chancellor, schemed with Hindenburg
election showed (see Table 6.4) . thinking H itler and the Nazis cou l d be manipu lated
"' Table 6 . 3 Results of the July 1 932 general election 1 933 Appoi nted Vice-Chancellor under Hitler. Assumed
H itler cou l d be dominated
Political pa rty No. Reichstag seats % of vote
Nazis (NSDAP) 230 37.4
Social Dem ocrats (SPD) 133 21 .6
ACTIVITIES �
•
Commun ist Pa rty (KPD) 89 14.3
Study Ta ble 6.2 (page 43) and Tables 6.3 and 6.4. What
Centre Party (ZP) 75 1 2. 5 were the main voting trends over the three general
Nationa l Party (D NVP) 37 5.9 elections?
Peopl e's Party (DVP) 7 1 .2 2 What does I nterpretation 1 tell us about Hindenburg's
attitude to the Nazi Party?
Dem ocratic Party (DDP) 4 1 .0
Key topic 2 Hitler's rise to power, 1919-33

Pol itica l intrig u e

However, Papen could not secure a majority i n the Reichstag
and, at the same time, Hitler continued to demand the
post of Chancellor. Papen suggested abolishing the Weimar
constitution and at this, Kurt von Schleicher, the Minister of
Defence, persuaded Hindenburg that if this happened there
might be civil war. Papen lost Hindenburg's confidence and
resigned. He was succeeded by Schleicher (translated, his
name means 'sneaky', 'furtive' or 'intriguer'), who hoped to
attain a majority in the Reichstag by forming a Querfront,
meaning 'cross-front', whereby he would bring together
different strands from left and right parties.
Papen was determined to regain power and to this end he
met Hitler in early January 1933 and they agreed that Hitler
should lead a Nazi- Nation a l ist g overnment with Papen as
the Vice-Chancellor. Intrigue and trickery now took the
place of considered, open political debate. The army, major
landowners and leaders of industry were convinced that
Papen and Hitler were saving Germany from Schleicher's
plans and a possible communist takeover. Papen was
able to convince President Hindenburg that a coalition
government with Hitler as Chancellor would save Germany
and bring stability to the country. Papen said that he would
be able to control Hitler - he would 'make Hitler squeak'.
On 30 January 1933, Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of
Germany. He was the leader of the largest party and he
had been invited to be leader by the President. He had 1.'HE TEMPO RAllY TRlANGLE.
achieved his aim of becoming Chancellor by legal and Vo• t-lmDt:fBOIWI (Jo,eJ/!rr)-
"-Nil \'oN l'•rcN
" FOR m'! '8 A JOU...Y c;ooo tJ<;u.ow.
democratic means. FC'm. nr. 11 " .ror.tY oooo nr.ww.
JII•III.-1/'IW,
N,lll n& '• 4 JOLLY 000 1.'
(A61U'Il;
" Conloortdhlrnl "l
A N O 1J0 8AY IJOTII 011 U H
I �

KU RT VO N SCH LEICH E R 1 8 82-1 934 A Sourc:e P Cartoon from the British magazine Punch,
January 1933
1 882 Born in Brandenburg,
Germany, the son of a
Pruss ian army officer ACTIVITIES •
1 900 Joined the German
Construct a timeline or flowchart to show the events for
army
1 932 to January 1 933.
1 9 1 4-1 8 Worked as a 2 Look at Source P. What do you think is meant by the
general under term 'tem porary triangle'?
the overa l l
3 Why do you think Papen thought he could control H itler?
commander, Pau l
von Hindenburg 4 Reread pages 49-50, looking carefu lly at Source P and
I nterpretation 1. Copy the ta ble below. I n each cel l write
1 925 Hindenburg elected the main actions of the individual from mid-1 932 to 1 933.
president and
Schleicher became his
political adviser
1 930 Persuaded Hindenburg to appoint BrUning as
Chancellor
1 932 Played a leading ro le in the remova l of Papen and, in
December, became Chancellor
1 933 J a n u a ry Forced to resign as Chancellor

1 934 J u n e M u rdered on the N i g ht of the Long Kn ives

 6 The growth in support for the Nazis, 1 929-33

6.4 How far do you ag ree with one of the interpretations?

T h i s s e c t i o n p rovi d e s g u i d a n ce on h ow to a nswer t h e q u e s t i o n ' H ow f a r do you a g re e w i t h o n e
of t h e i n t e r p retations?' L o o k at t h e q u e s t i o n b e low:

Qu estion
H ow far do y o u agree w i t h Interpretation 2 about the extent of G e r m a n recovery i n t h e
years 1 924-29? E x p l a i n y o u r answer, using b o t h interpretations a n d you r knowledge of t h e
historical context.
I nterpretation 2 Fro m Weimar and Nazi Germany,
E . W i m lott, p u blished i n 1 9 9 7
I nterpretation 1 From Weimar a n d Nazi Germany, G e r m a n prosperity was b u i lt o n q u icksand f o u n d a t i o n s .
F. Rey n o l d s o n , p u b lished i n 1 9 96 The We i m a r economy w a s d e p e n d e nt u p o n h i g h - i nterest
From 1924 to 1929 the We i m a r R e p u b l i c was much stro n g e r American loans, which u s u a l ly h a d to be re p a i d or
t h a n it had been j u st a f t e r t h e war. Led by Stres e m a n n i n t h e ren ewed wit h i n t h re e months. I n times of d e p ress i o n . U S
Reichsta g , t h e d ifferent p a rties m a n a g e d to w o r k together. m o neyle n d e rs c o u l d d e m a n d ra p i d repaym e n t . M o reover,
T h e extre m e parties s u c h as the N azis g a i n e d fewer seats i n u n e m ployment never fell b e low 1 . 3 m i l l i o n . Alt h o u g h b i g
t h e elections. T h e G e r m a n p e o p le we re better o f f a n d m o re b u s i n ess g rew i n the 192 0s, small firm s strugg led a n d m a n y
contente d . T h e We i m a r R e p u b l i c looked safe. w e n t b a n krupt.

H ow to answe r
Yo u n e e d to g ive a b a l a n c e d a n swe r w h i c h a g rees a n d d i s a g re e s with t h e i n t e r p retat i o n u s i n g
evi d e n c e f r o m both i n t e r p retat i o n s a s w e l l a s yo u r o w n knowle d g e . An exa m p le is g iven b e low:

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on. � to�iOII.S bt.ea.llSt- it l� au� too �t on. t� VSA
tor loa.I\S ll.l\l.(, WWkf>lo�t r�II.Ut hi�.

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1'1).. '1, � hDA. A4sil&trOilS � tor a�. Not e.vu� sho..r d ill. �
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.(;� t�r in.tu� ���«£ �� i�d bot the- 'N�IIW' Rt.pll!7lie .

.:P'n.��Moion. 1 ehiJ,il� � vi� t� t� rt-eovuot of 1 '1)..4-J.. 'I 111M �'\.(;

on. � �ion.s l>t.et:U/.St- it �ts t� t� a� pup11- ���e.r"
�u off ll.l\l.(, c-eon.olll.le rtMV«ot ld to pol�ie<LI stoho1�'t·

'Ni4lh 10\.0� .flowi� in. .fro"'- AM!'it"A- t� � s� to prospe-r. I'!Mie

Disagree with the view given in
I nterpretation 2 using your own
knowledge. See if you can add to the
example given with more evidence from
your own knowledge.
ouorts provid.d 1\.UJ s.f.a.d.iwo.s, t1faxtl0\.t-ll.t bloets ll.l\l.(, opua.. hOilSed. Bi,.-
1>/J.SiM&S hoA. �� .frOIIL h�in.f'\Mion. ll.l\l.(, hoA. � a.btt- to p� off
� of i4ls d.Wts 11M �� .froto\. a.. pulod. of i�ia.l ,.,-ow.f.h.
'Nortus Ill«£ �a.llot �u o.f.f d.w-i� thiS puiod. M � ir\erw.sd
llf1.d. t� /l.llu� wor�i� � r�II.Ut aA. � hoi/.Ys.
Key topic 2 Hitler's rise to power, 1919-33
6.5 Fu rther exa m i nation practice o n i nterpretations
H e re i s a n o p p o rt u n ity t o practise a nswe r i n g s o m e m o re i nt e r p retation q u es t i o n s .
I nterpretation 1 F r o m a h i story text b o o k , GCSE Modern
World History, B. Wa lsh, p u b lished in 1 9 96
The Nazis won i n creased s u p p o rt after 1929 due to H itler.
He was t h e i r g reatest c a m p a i g n i n g asset. He was a
powe rful speaker a n d was yea rs a h e a d of h i s t i m e as a
co m m u n i cator. He t rave lled by p l a n e on a hectic t o u r of
rallies all over G e r m a ny. He a p p e a red as a d y n a m i c m a n
of t h e m o m e nt , t h e lea d e r of a m o d e r n pa rty w i t h m o d e r n
i d e a s . A t t h e s a m e t i m e , h e w a s a b le to a p p e a r to be the
m a n of t h e people, s o m e o n e who knew a n d u n d e rstood t h e
p e o p le a n d t h e i r p r o b l e m s . N a z i s u p p o rted rocketed .
I nterpretation 2 Fro m a h i story textbook, Modern World
History, T. H ewitt, J. M c C a b e a n d A. M e n d u m , p u b lished
i n 1 9 99
T h e D e p ression was t h e m a i n reason for i n creased s u p port
for t h e Nazis. The gove r n m e n t was taken by s u rprise at the
speed a n d extent of t h e D e p ress i o n . I t a l s o had very few
a nswers a s to how to d e a l with it. T h e D e p ression brought
out all t h e weaknesses of t h e We i m a r R e p u b l i c , w h i c h
s e e m e d to b e i n c a p a b le of d o i n g a ny t h i n g to e n d i t . I t is n o t
s u rprising that t h e G e r m a n p e o p le b e g a n to l i s t e n to p a r t i e s
p ro m i s i n g to d o someth i n g . I n p a r t i c u l a r, t h ey b e g a n to look
to a n d s u p p o rt the Nazis.
Source A From 'A f a i rytale of C h ristmas', a s h o rt story
written in 1 9 3 1 , by Rud olf L e o n h a r d , a m e m b e r of t h e
C o m m u n ist Pa rty ( K P D I . Leo n h a rd was writ i n g a b o u t t h e
u n e m p loyed i n Germany
N o o n e k n ew how many of t h e m t h e re were. They
c o m p letely fi lled t h e streets . . . They stood or lay a b o u t i n
t h e streets as if t h e y h a d t a k e n root there. T h e streets were
g rey, t h e i r faces were g rey, and even the h a i r o n t h e i r he ads
a n d the stu b b le o n t h e c h e e ks of t h e yo u n gest t h e re was
g rey with d ust and t h e i r a dversity.
Source B Adapted from the d i a ry of L u i s e S o l m i t z , 23
M a rch 1 93 2 . A schoolteacher, Solmitz was writing a b o u t
atte n d i n g a m e e t i n g i n H a m b u rg at w h i c h H itler s p o ke
T h e re stood H itler in a s i m p le b l a c k coat, looking over t h e
crowd of 1 2 0 , 0 0 0 p e o p le of a l l classes a n d a g e s . . . a forest
of swastika flags u nfurled, t h e joy of this m o m e n t s h owed
itself i n a roa r i n g sa lute ... The crowd looked u p to H itler with
t o u c h i n g f a i t h , a s t h e i r h e l p e r, their savi o u r, t h e i r d e l iverer
from u n bearable d i stress ... H e is t h e res c u e r of t h e s c h o l a r,
t h e farmer, t h e worker a n d t h e u n e m p loye d .
Qu estio n 1
Study I nterp reta t i o n s 1 a n d 2. T h ey g ive two vi ews a b o u t t h e
reas o n s f o r i n c reased s u p p o rt for t h e N a z i s i n t h e yea rs
1929- 3 2 . What is t h e m a i n d i ffere n c e betwe e n t h e v i ews?
E x p l a i n yo u r a n swer, u s i n g d e t a i l s from both i nt e r p retat i o n s .
• You n e e d t o g ive the views o f e a c h interpretation
and back these u p with evidence from each one.
Qu estio n 2
S u g gest one reas o n why I nt e r p retat i o n s 1 a n d 2 g ive d ifferent
views about t h e reas o n s for i n c re a s e d s u p p o rt f o r t h e N a z i s
i n t h e years 1929- 3 2 . Yo u may use S o u rces A a n d B to h e l p
expla i n y o u r a n swer.
The i nterpretations may d iffer because:
• they have g iven weight to two d ifferent sources.
You can use evidence from Sources A and 8 for this
answer. M atch the sou rces to the interpretations
• they a re partial extracts and i n this case they do not
actually contradict one another
• the authors have a d ifferent em phasis.
Qu estio n 3
H ow fa r do you a g ree with I nt e r p re t a t i o n 2 a b o u t t h e reas o n s
for i n c reased s u p port f o r t h e N a z i s i n t h e yea rs 1929-3 2 ?
E x p l a i n yo u r a n swer, u s i n g both i n t e r p retat i o n s a n d yo u r
k no wle d g e of t h e h i s t o r i c a l c o ntext.
You need to g ive a balanced answer which agrees and
disagrees with the interpretation using evidence from
the two interpretations as we l l as your own knowledge.
• State the view g iven in I nterpretation 2 using
evidence from the I nterpretation itself.
• Agree with the view g iven in Interpretation 2 using
you r own knowledge.
• Disagree with the view g iven in Interpretation 2
using evidence from I nterpretation 1 .
• Disagree with the view g iven i n Interpretation 2
using your own knowledge.
• M a ke a final j u d g e m e n t o n t h e v i ew g iven in
I nt e r p retat i o n 2 .
Nazi control and dictatorship,
1933-39

This key topic examines the period from Hitler's appointment as Chancellor to his creation
of the position ofFlihrer in August 1934. It analyses how Hitler established the legal
foundations of his dictatorship, removed any potential threats to his position, even from
within the Nazi Party, and put in place methods of propaganda and censorship to persuade
and encourage all German people to support Nazi ideals.
Each chapter within this key topic explains a key issue and examines important lines of
enquiry as outlined in the boxes below.
There will also be guidance on how co answer the utility question (pages 62-64) and the
inference question (page 78) .

CHAPT E R 7 T H E CREATION O F A CHAPTER 9 OPPOSITION, RESISTANCE

D I CTATO RSH I P A N D T H E POLICE STATE,
1 933-34
• The Reichstag Fire, the Enabling Act and the banning
of other parties and trade u n ions.
• The th reat from Rohm a n d the SA, the Night of the
Long Kn ives and the death of H i ndenburg . H itler
becomes Fuh rer, the a rmy and the oath of a l legiance.
A N D CO N FORM ITY I N NAZI G E RMANY
• The extent of support for the Nazi regime.
• Opposition from the Churches including the ro le of
Pastor Niemoller.
• Opposition from the you n g including the Swing Youth
and the Edelweiss Pirates.

CHAPT E R 8 CONTROLLI N G AND

I N FLU E N C I N G ATTITU DES

• The ro le of the Gestapo, the SS, the SD and

concentration camps.
• Nazi control of the legal system, judges and law courts.
• Goebbels and the M i n istry of Propaganda: censorship,
Nazi use of media, ra l l ies and sport, including the Berlin
Olympics of 1 936.
• Nazi control of the a rts, including art, a rch itecture,
l iteratu re and fi l m .
• Nazi pol icies towards t h e Catholic and Protesta nt
Churches, including the Reich Church and Concordat.

TIMELINE
1 933 J a n u a ry H i tler b e c o m e s C h a ncellor 1 934 June N i g h t of the Long Kn ives
1 933 February Reich sta g f i re 1 934 Aug ust Presi d e n t H i n d e n b u rg d i es
1 933 March N a z i Pa rty w i n s 288 seats in t h e g e n e ra l 1 934 Aug ust H itler c o m b i n e s posts of C h a n ce l l o r a n d
election Presi d e n t , a n d a s s u m e s t h e t i t l e of F u h re r
1 933 M a rch E n a b l i n g Act passed 1 934 Aug ust G e r m a n a rmy swea rs a ll e g i a n c e to H i t l e r
1 933 May Tra d e unions b a n n e d 1 938 Over t h e c o u rs e of t h e yea r, H itler rem oves
1 933 J u ly N a z i s b e c o m e t h e o n ly l e g a l p a rty i n 16 a rmy g e n e ra l s from t h e i r p o s i t i o n s
Germany
 In the period from January 1933 to August 1934 , Hitler and the Nazis secured control
of all aspects of the German state. By August 1934 , Hitler had combined the posts of
Chancellor and President and was safe in the knowledge that the army supported him.
Moreover, the banning of political parties, the control of the media, trade unions and
police ensured that there was little or no opposition to the Nazi regime. Hitler pointed
out that his actions were always within the legal framework of the time .

7.1 The i m po rta n ce of the Reichstag fi re

ACTIVITY
Work in pairs. Source A
shows the Reichstag on
fire. What do you think
the reactions wou l d be if
the Houses of Pa rliament
in London bu rnt down?
Explain you r answer
careful ly. (Think about who
people might blame and
what people might want
the govern ment to do.)
When Hitler became Chancellor, there were only two other Nazis in the Cabinet of twelve ­
Wilhelm Frick and Hermann Goering. Frick was appointed Reich Minister for the Interior,
which gave him power over government ministries and officials. Goering was Minister
without Portfolio and also Minister for Prussia, and the latter post gave him control of
nearly two-thirds of Germany. Hitler's position as Chancellor was not strong because
the Nazis and his allies, the National ist Pa rty, did not have a majority in the Reichstag.
Furthermore, President Hindenburg detested him. However, it was soon clear that Papen's
claim that he would be able to control Hitler (see page 50) was utterly wrong.
Hitler immediately called a general election for 5 March, hoping it would give him a clear
majority in the Reichstag. If he controlled parliament then he would be able to make the
laws that would be needed to tighten his grip on the nation. It would all be done by the rule
oflaw - Nazi law. Violence and terror were again seen in this election campaign and there
were about 70 deaths in the weeks leading up to voting day. Once again, Hitler received
large amounts of money from leading industrialists to assist with his campaign, and
with access to the media, he knew that Goebbels would be able to put the Nazi message
over unceasingly. One week before the election, on 27 February, the Reichstag building was
set on fire.

Source A The Reichstag �

(parliament) building on
fire, 27 February 1933
 7 The creation of a dictatorship, 1 933-34

It is not known who started the fire, but Marinus van der Lubbe, a Dutch Communist,
was found at the scene of the fire and arrested. This was an ideal opportunity for Hitler
and Goebbels to exploit. They claimed that van der Lubbe had started the fire and that the
Communists were about to stage a takeover.
On the day following the fire, Hitler persuaded President Hindenburg to sign the 'Decree
for the Protection of People and State'. The decree replaced the constitutional government
by a permanent state of emergency and suspended basic civi l rig hts. It allowed the Nazis
to imprison large numbers of their political opponents. In the week after the fire, 4,000
Communist Party members were arrested including the leader, Ernst Thalmann. In
addition, the SA killed 51 Nazi opponents and injured several hundred. The police did
nothing. Communist and socialist newspapers were banned.

Source B From the m e m o i rs of R u d o lf D i e l s , head of the Prussian police in 1 9 3 3 . He was

writing a b o u t H i tle r's reaction to the Reichstag fire. D i e l s was wri t i n g in 1 9 50
H itler was sta n d i n g o n a balcony g a z i n g at the red ocean of f i re . H e swung ro u n d towa rds us
... h i s face had t u r n e d q u ite sca rlet with t h e excitement . . . S u d d e n ly h e started screa m i n g at
the top of his vo i c e : ' N ow we'Ll s h ow t h e m ! Anyo n e who sta n d s i n our way will b e mown down.
T h e G e r m a n p e o p le have b e e n too soft for too L o n g . Every c o m m u n ist off i c i a l m ust b e shot.
All friends of t h e C o m m u n ists must b e locked u p . And that goes for t h e S o c i a l D e m o c rats too:

r�
ACTIVITIES
•
1 Study Source B. What does this source tel l you about H itler's thoug hts about the fire?
2 Study Source C. What impression of van der Lubbe do you gain from the ph oto g ra ph?
3 Devise a caption for Source C for publ ication in a Nazi newspaper.
4 Find out more about the backg round and trial of M a rinus van der Lubbe.
5 What does Source D show about the role of the pol ice in Berlin in March 1 933?

.A Source C Photograph of the trial of Marinus van der .A Source D Berlin police burn red flags after raiding the
Lubbe. Van der Lubbe is wearing a striped jacket homes of Communists , 26 March 1933
Key topic 3 Nazi control and dictatorship, 1 933-39

7.2 The i m porta nce of the Ena b l i n g Act

In the election in March 1933 the Nazis won 288 seats (see Table 7. 1). Despite the
imprisoning of many of the Socialists and Communists and having all the advantages
of media control, the Nazis did not win a majority of votes, even though they increased
their vote by 5.5 million on the November election. Therefore, a coa lition g overnment
was formed with the National Party (DNVP), ensuring a majority (51.9 per cent) in the
Reich stag. Even having a majority, Hitler was disappointed because he needed two-thirds
of the seats in order to be able to change the constitution.
'f' Table 7. 1 Election results, March 1933

Politica l party Reichstag seats % of vote

Nazi Pa rty (NSDAP) 288 43.9
National Pa rty (DNVP) 52 8.0
People's Party (DVP) 2 1 .1
Centre Pa rty (ZP) 92 1 3 .9
Dem ocratic Pa rty (DDP) 5 0.9
Social Democratic Party (SPD) 1 20 1 8.3
Com m u n ist Party (KPD) 81 1 2.3
Others 7 1 .6

Hitler's next step was to pass the Enabling Act. This would give him and his government full
powers for the next four years and would mean char the Reichscag would become a rubber stamp
for Nazi activities. As Chancellor, Hider would have greater powers chan the President. The
Enabling Ace was passed bur by devious means (see Figure 7.1). The Communise Parry could nor
prevent the passing of the Ace because irs members were in jail and the Centre Parry decided co
support the Act because Hitler promised to respect the rights of the Catholic Church.
The Enabling Act became law on
Absentees counted
24 March and chis signalled the
as present
end of the Weimar constitution
and democracy. Hitler could now
move to secure closer control
SA intimidated Communist
of the nation by means of this
mem bers as mem bers not new law. It was renewed in 1937
they entered allowed to vote and 1941.
the chamber in the chamber

Com m unist Party not Promises to the Catholic

counted, thus reducing Centre Party won their
the overall total and vote(e.g. no interference
number of votes needed 1n Catholic schools)
by the Nazis
<4 Figure 7 .I Summary of the
passing of the Enabling Act

ACTIVITIES ?.
•
Work in pairs. You are investigative journal ists in Germany in 1 933. Write an article
exposing the links between the Reichstag fire (pages 54-55) and how the Enabling Act
was passed.
2 G ive two things you can learn from Table 7.1 about the election resu lts of March 1 933.
 7 The creation of a dictatorship, 1 933-34

7.3 The rem ova l of opposition

With the new Enabling Act, Hitler was i n a position to bring
German society into line with Nazi philosophy. This policy
was called Gleichschaltung. It would create a truly national
socialist state and would mean that every aspect of the
social, political and economic life of German citizens was
controlled and monitored by the Nazis.
The end of trade u n ions
On 2 May 1 933, all trade unions were banned. The Nazis
said that a national community had been created and
therefore such organisations were no longer needed. The
Nazi German Labour Front (OAF) was set up to replace not
only trade unions but also employers' groups. Wages were
decided by the DAF and workers received workbooks, which
recorded the record of employment. Employment depended
on the ownership of a workbook. Strikes were outlawed
and any dissenters would be sent to the new prisons -
concentration camps - for political re-education. The first
concentration camp opened at Dachau in March 1933.
There could be no challenge to the Nazi state.
The banning of politica l pa rties
On 14 July 1933, the Law against the Formation of Parties
was passed, which made the Nazi Party the sole legal
political party in Germany. However, before this law
was passed, the existing parties had experienced severe
restrictions. The Communist Party members had not been
allowed to take their seats in the Reichstag and property
had been confiscated. On 10 May, the Socialist Party had
its headquarters and other property seized. In June, the
Socialists gave up their seats in the Reichstag and by the
end of]une, all the other parties had dissolved themselves.
Germany was now a one-party state.
In the November 1933 general election, 95.2 per cent of the
electorate voted and the Nazis won 39,638,000 votes. (There
was some protest against the Nazis - about three million
ballot papers were spoilt.)
The a bolition of the Lander
Hitler also broke down the federal structure of Germany.
There were eighteen Lander (districts), and each had its own
parliamenc. On occasions in the Weimar period, some of
the Lander had caused problems for the President because
their political make-up differed and they refused to accept
decisions made in the Reichstag. President Ebert had issued
more than 130 emergency decrees to overrule some of the
Lander. Hitler decided that the Lander were to be run by
Reich governors and their parliaments were abolished in
January 1934. Thus he centralised Germany for the first
time since its creation in 1871.
ACTIVITIES ?, •
What is meant by the term Gleichschaltung?
2 Explain why Gleichschaltung was im portant for the Nazis.
3 Why was it im portant that Hitler banned trade unions and
political parties?

A Source E SA members seizing trade union offices in Berlin, 2 May 1933