A-Level History - Paper 2: Hitler’s Consolidation of Power
Summary Notes
Timeline
1933 The Legal Revolution-
January- Hitlers consolidation of power was done through both legal and violent
30/01 Hiter became means.
chancellor The Reichstag Fire Decree for the Protection of the People and the State was
issued on 28 February 1933 which gave Hitler ‘emergency powers’ and
February- suspended important civil and political rights which had been granted under
1/02 Hitler dissolved the Weimar constitution. Gave the police increased powers to enter and
Reichstag and called search private premises, arrest and detain without charge people who are
new elections deemed a threat to state security, and the government had power to censor
publications.
5/02 SPD mayor shot
dead by young Nazi These powers were used to arrest communists and socialists to ban their
newspapers, and to disrupt their organisations. Decree also allowed Nazis to
27/02 Reichstag Fire take over state governments if they refused to act against political opponents.
28/02 Reichstag Fire
Decree was used to legalise full scale assault on communists, backed by a
Decree propaganda campaign launched by Nazis claiming Germany was on the
verge of a ‘German Bolshevik Revolution’, and the SA launched a ferocious
SA gained legal authority campaign of violence across Germany. Police arrested 10,000 communists in
March- two weeks, including most of their leaders. Whilst the KPD was not officially
banned, civil servants, judges and police, many of whom were
5/03 Reichstag elections overwhelmingly conservative, gave legal sanction to the Nazis campaign of
terror and many conservatives were given long sentences.
6-7/03 Nazi’s began
taking over state
governments The March 1933 election was conducted against the backdrop of terror and
intimidation. The SA controlled the streets meaning many of the Nazi’s
8/03 Dachau established
opponents were locked up, as well as this the offices of the SPD and KPD
13/03 Ministry for Public were smashed up and their funds confiscated. It was virtually impossible for
Enlightenment and them to organise meetings and any posters were removed immediately. Nazi
Propaganda Established propaganda flooded country with posters, leaflets, radio broadcasts, election
rallies and parades. However they only won 43.9% of the vote, meaning they
24/03 Enabling Act
passed did not have a majority. However with the support of the DNVP they had a
majority.
31/03 1st Law for the
Coordination of the
Federal States
The use of Terror-
Nazi violence against political opponents
April The violence of Nazi Stormtroopers (SA) played a massive role in Hitlers rise
to power. Once he became chancellor in January 1933 he used state
7/04 Law for Restoration
of a Professional Civil resources to solidify his position and expanded the SA as the stormtroopers
Service / 2nd Law for the were vital in eliminating political opponents. The stormtroopers grew from
Coordination of the 500,000 in January 1933 to around 3 million a year later. The SA also gained
Federal States legal authority in late February 1933 and were merged with the Stahlhelm
May and were recognised as ‘auxiliary police’. Normal police forces were ordered
not to interfere with SA activities. Frick and Goering occupied key roles in the
Trade unions were cabinet- Frick as the Minister of the Interior for the whole Reich and Goering
abolished
as Minister of the Interior in Prussia. This enabled the Nazi’s to control police.
Summary Notes
Timeline
1933 The Legal Revolution-
January- Hitlers consolidation of power was done through both legal and violent
30/01 Hiter became means.
chancellor The Reichstag Fire Decree for the Protection of the People and the State was
issued on 28 February 1933 which gave Hitler ‘emergency powers’ and
February- suspended important civil and political rights which had been granted under
1/02 Hitler dissolved the Weimar constitution. Gave the police increased powers to enter and
Reichstag and called search private premises, arrest and detain without charge people who are
new elections deemed a threat to state security, and the government had power to censor
publications.
5/02 SPD mayor shot
dead by young Nazi These powers were used to arrest communists and socialists to ban their
newspapers, and to disrupt their organisations. Decree also allowed Nazis to
27/02 Reichstag Fire take over state governments if they refused to act against political opponents.
28/02 Reichstag Fire
Decree was used to legalise full scale assault on communists, backed by a
Decree propaganda campaign launched by Nazis claiming Germany was on the
verge of a ‘German Bolshevik Revolution’, and the SA launched a ferocious
SA gained legal authority campaign of violence across Germany. Police arrested 10,000 communists in
March- two weeks, including most of their leaders. Whilst the KPD was not officially
banned, civil servants, judges and police, many of whom were
5/03 Reichstag elections overwhelmingly conservative, gave legal sanction to the Nazis campaign of
terror and many conservatives were given long sentences.
6-7/03 Nazi’s began
taking over state
governments The March 1933 election was conducted against the backdrop of terror and
intimidation. The SA controlled the streets meaning many of the Nazi’s
8/03 Dachau established
opponents were locked up, as well as this the offices of the SPD and KPD
13/03 Ministry for Public were smashed up and their funds confiscated. It was virtually impossible for
Enlightenment and them to organise meetings and any posters were removed immediately. Nazi
Propaganda Established propaganda flooded country with posters, leaflets, radio broadcasts, election
rallies and parades. However they only won 43.9% of the vote, meaning they
24/03 Enabling Act
passed did not have a majority. However with the support of the DNVP they had a
majority.
31/03 1st Law for the
Coordination of the
Federal States
The use of Terror-
Nazi violence against political opponents
April The violence of Nazi Stormtroopers (SA) played a massive role in Hitlers rise
to power. Once he became chancellor in January 1933 he used state
7/04 Law for Restoration
of a Professional Civil resources to solidify his position and expanded the SA as the stormtroopers
Service / 2nd Law for the were vital in eliminating political opponents. The stormtroopers grew from
Coordination of the 500,000 in January 1933 to around 3 million a year later. The SA also gained
Federal States legal authority in late February 1933 and were merged with the Stahlhelm
May and were recognised as ‘auxiliary police’. Normal police forces were ordered
not to interfere with SA activities. Frick and Goering occupied key roles in the
Trade unions were cabinet- Frick as the Minister of the Interior for the whole Reich and Goering
abolished
as Minister of the Interior in Prussia. This enabled the Nazi’s to control police.
