Next came the March elections. The Nazis made use of propaganda to gain more votes and police, along with unofficial pressure, to intimidate opponents - not necessarily illegal. Again, the Nazi’s were able to play on the fear of communism (Reichstag fire – illegal in itself); their election slogan was ‘The Battle against Marxism’.
On the 13th March 1933, the New Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda was set up to (Goebbels) “achieve a mobilisation of mind and spirit in Germany.” In other words, brainwash the German population into the Nazi way of thinking. Not illegal, but, could be considered immoral.
The beginning of the end for Democracy in Germany came on the 24th March 1933 when the ‘Law for Terminating the Suffering of the People & the Nation’ was passed i.e. the Enabling Act. It was passed by the Reichstag (which had been relocated to the Kroll Opera House after the fire). SA and SS men surrounded the building and intimidated deputies by jeering and hurling abuse. The Nazi’s were able to have the Enabling Act passed by 441 votes to 94, as the KPD had been ‘suppressed’ by the police (completely legal due to the Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of the People and the State). This allowed Hitler to ‘legally’ destroy democracy and set up his dictatorship as he could pass any law he wanted for the next four years!
Over the rest of 1933, Hitler passed many laws in order to consolidate power, for example, the ‘Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service and the ‘Employment Law’ but more notably the ‘Law against the Formation of New Parties’ which effectively made Germany a one party state - all completely legal due to the Enabling Act.
14th October the Reichstag was finally dissolved.
On the 30th of January 1934 the Law for the Reconstruction of the State was passed which saw many state governments overthrown by ‘legal’ SA violence, allowing the Reich government to appoint commissioners.
Next came the most controversial event in the Nazi consolidation of Power – The Night of the Long Knives. Hitler had SA leaders such as Ernst Rohm, as well as any other person he considered a threat to his consolidation of power, murdered. Bizarrely however, this was not deemed illegal. Far from repulsing the German population, the murders brought ‘a great collective sigh of relief’ because people realised that the threat from the SA was at an end. The army approved, and even Hindenburg sent a telegram of congratulations and thanks. The Defence Minister Blomberg praised Hitler’s actions and the cabinet then passed a law confirming that the actions taken had been lawful!
Finally, on the 1st of August 1934, the Law concerning the Head of State of the German Reich merged the offices of the President and chancellor in the new position of Fuhrer and Reich Chancellor. On the 2nd of August 1934, Hindenburg dies and the Army must take a oath of personal loyalty to Hitler.
In conclusion, the Nazi’s did not simply rely on force to overthrow the constitution as the word ‘revolution’ would suggest. They attempted to give the impression that the dictatorship they built rested on a legal foundation. The steps they took did not necessarily break the letter of the ever changing constitution, though they did break its spirit and, cumulatively, changed it beyond recognition. Hitler’s consolidation of power was brought about by a combination of legal measures, terror, manipulation and willing collaboration. Since this was the case and sense the threat of violence was ever present, it could be argued that it would be more accurate to take of a ‘pseudo-legal’ revolution.
Tom Saunderson 13Q AS History
