Describe how the Nazis used the Reichstag Fire to increase their power in Germany 1933-1934

On the 27th of February the Reichstag fire happened, the building had been totally destroyed. Communists were supposedly to blame, and a Dutch communist, Marinus Van Der Lubbe was discovered at the scene and accused of arson. He was later executed. People think that Van Der Lubbe was planted there as he was slightly blind and was mentally unstable and would not have been capable of starting the fire.

Hitler used this to move forward to dictatorship, and the following day, 28th February 1933, Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to pass an emergency law; Decree for the protection and the people of the state.

Immediately after the Reichstag fire, like many other people the Nazis blamed the communists. Hitler was right wing and they were left wing, so Hitler was more than likely to blame the communists and the communists were opponents in the election and any way he could, Hitler would eliminate his opponents. Hitler said that the communists were against Germany because the Reichstag stood for Germany and to burn it down would be destroying Germany and democracy. Hitler used the fire as an excuse to arrest 4000 communists on the night of the fire, which was eliminating opponents.

Hitler made sure everyone knew about what the communists had done. He used radio and newspapers but the left wing papers were banned and the communists were blamed entirely, this way everyone knew that the communists had set fire to the Reichstag.

On the 28th of February 1933, an emergency law was passed; Decree for the protection and the people of the state.

This law took away all basic rights from the German people including freedom of speech and assembly. It also authorised phone taps and house searches. The police could arrest people suspected of a crime and imprison them without a trial. The Nazis were clever and tactical as they exploited this new law days before the election, making it almost impossible for their opponents to campaign freely.

On the 5th of March, Election Day, the Nazis won 288 seats, but they did not win majority. It was not what Hitler had hoped for. This showed that Hitler could not bully the Reichstag.

On the 23rd of March 1933 the enabling act was passed. This was an act that gave the Nazis powers to make their own laws without the agreement of parliament. Hitler used this act to dictate Germany and make it a one party state.

Over the following 3 months Germany changed because of the act. On the 7th of April a new law meant that Jews and political opponents were remove from their posts in the civil service. The 2nd of May saw all independent trade unions close down. Nazi storm troopers occupied their offices and their leaders were arrested, many were sent to concentration camps. All the workers now became part of an official trade union called the German Labour front. On the 26th of May the communist party was banned and one month later the social democratic party was banned. On the 14th of July a law was passed against the formation of parties. This meant there were only legal political parties in Germany.

The Reichstag fire in January was to blame for starting what occurred in the following 6 months, but even if the fire had not happened then Hitler would have found another excuse to eliminate his opponents. Hitler had always said that there would be no leader unless it was he and in august 1934 they became true.

The Reichstag fire was a stepping stone to dictatorship of the Nazi party, it eventually gave them the power they wanted.