How important was the Enabling Act to Adolf Hitler?

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HOW IMPORTANT WAS THE ENABLING ACT TO ADOLF HITLER?

The Enabling Act (signed on 24th March 1933) was very important to Hitler because it granted him the authority to pass laws without the consent of the Reichstag. Unprecedentedly, these laws could even deviate (with certain exceptions) from the Weimar Constitution. Although the Reichstag had to be informed of any changes in the law, it could not vote against them, hereby eliminating any political opposition to Hitler’s plans. In theory, laws passed by Hitler under the Enabling Act still required presidential approval, but Hindenburg was very old and stated that he would be withdrawing from the day to day affairs of government due to his deteriorating state of health. As a result, presidential collaboration on the laws decreed under the Enabling Act never happened and Hitler was free to pass any law he wanted, giving him a lot of personal power as well as power of the government, which was important to him because he intended to become the sole ruler of Germany.

In addition to this, the Enabling Act was important to Hitler because it gave the Nazis certainty. Relying on threats and the support of other parties wasn’t ideal because it was unpredictable, but the Enabling Act guaranteed that any law would be passed with nothing more than Hitler’s signature. This also meant that the Nazis could pass laws very quickly, which would prove very beneficial in a time of crisis, when swift action could prevent the collapse of law and order. This was important to Hitler because it made the Nazis look very decisive and in control, subsequently granting them greater popularity among the public. Furthermore, the Enabling Act made the Nazis actions legitimate, which was important to Hitler because it allowed him to do whatever he wanted without having to worry about the legal consequences of his actions.

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However, the Enabling Act wasn’t essential to Hitler because the Nazis already had enough influence over the Reichstag to pass whatever laws they wanted. The Reichstag Fire on 27th February 1933 had heightened fears and tensions among the German public, meaning that more people voted for Hitler in the general election on 5th March 1933 as he promised to act quickly and decisively to control the situation. Nevertheless, Hitler only received 44% of the vote, leaving him over 2 million votes short of an overall majority which he desperately wanted. This would have allowed the Nazis to pass the Enabling Act ...

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