Rudolph Diels was the Chief Police Officer at the time of the Fire. In his account below, given after World War Two, Diels describes Hitler’s reaction to the Fire and also passes comment on his experiences when talking to Van der Lubbe.
In this account, Diels makes it clear that he is in no doubt about Van der Lubbe’s guilt. In his opinion, Van der Lubbe came across so much like a ‘maniac’ that it seemed as if he could have carried out the fire on his own. Hitler ‘ridiculed’ his ‘childish view’ that Van der Lubbe may be mentally unstable – this would of course be Hitler’s reaction as he wants so much for the Fire to be blamed on the Communists, as seen in his ‘uncontrollable’ shouting. The way in which Hitler calls Diels view ‘childish’ shows how much power he has over others, and also how he can easily treat people with disdain. Hitler says he will ensure all Communists are arrested and their leaders shot, showing his utter hatred for them. However, he also says that Social Democrats will be punished, even though they have not been associated with the Fire – this is a sign of Hitler’s hatred of other parties, and the lengths he is willing to go to in order to eliminate all competition. This source also gives us details of exactly how the building was set on fire, as described by Van der Lubbe, the apparent arsonist. Also, Diels was clearly familiar with Hitler as he says ‘as I had never seen him do’.
Diels was made first commander of the Gestapo (secret police) after the Fire, but only held this position until April 1934, when he was replaced by Heinrich Himmler. He was then appointed as head of government in Cologne. Diels also gave evidence against Nazi leaders at the Nuremberg Trials after World War Two, showing that he did not agree with Hitler’s government.
Below is an account from a leading British historian. He gives his own interpretation of who he thought started the fire and how.
This extract is taken from modern historian Alan Bullock’s biography of Hitler. Bullock was a very highly respected historian and many people refer to this biography as one ‘not surpassed’ by any other since it was written soon after the end of World War Two. Bullock believed that Hitler acted as he did because he was highly motivated by his career, and that he possessed no principles or beliefs of any kind.
There was actually an underground tunnel leading to the Reichstag building, and so Bullock’s interpretation is plausible. The SA also would have had the keys to the building. Van der Lubbe has been described as a man who sought fame and so would probably be willing to assist in setting fire to the building, and agree to take the blame for it. An ex-Communist like Van der Lubbe would be easy to frame, as the German people would then believe Hitler’s insistence that the Communists would not make a suitable government. It would also give Hitler a good excuse to arrest the Communists, paving the way for a Nazi landslide in the upcoming elections.
Bullock is suggesting that Goering and Goebbels worked together to stage the fire, without the knowledge of Hitler, in order to ‘smash the Communist Party’. The Fire was used as an excuse to eradicate all opposition to Hitler.
Goering was Head of the SA at the time, and so he indeed had the manpower to get the job done. Goebbels, as head of propaganda, had to ensure that Hitler won, as he would shoulder a lot of the blame if the Communists won the elections.
Bullock also comments on the way in which he thinks the fire was started: by the use of a chemical preparation. The SA had been known to set fire to election posters used by other parties, and so it is possible they would have had the equipment, such as chemicals, to start the Fire.
This source is very useful, as it suggests an alternative to the general idea that Hitler had knowledge of the Fire.
Van der Lubbe admitted from the beginning that he was solely responsible for the burning of the Reichstag building. He never wavered in his story and was eventually executed for his crime. Below is his police statement.
Van der Lubbe was an ex-Communist and a Dutchman, who had not been in the country very long. He had a history of lying and attempting to become famous, such as trying to swim the English Channel but backing out at the last minute, and also of making elaborate claims. This history made it easy for people to believe that he set fire to the building.
He is adamant that he alone started the Fire. Although it would have been possible for him to have carried out the fire unaided, it is a fairly dubious claim. He says that he did not meet a ‘single person in the Reichstag’. As the Reichstag is a very important building, it is highly unlikely that it was not guarded at the time. There is also the question of how Van der Lubbe walked into the building with no disturbance. The only possibility is that the guards were aware of what was happening and were paid off by somebody. The SA would have had the keys, and unless the doors were left conveniently unopened, then it is highly unlikely that Van der Lubbe could have carried out the fire with no assistance.
His reasons for wanting to start the Fire are believable but he could have been told to say this by an outside party, such as Goering and Goebbels, as suggested in my previous source.
Hitler had called for a general election to be taken in March 1933, on his appointment as Chancellor. Below are the results. The left-hand column shows votes in millions and the right hand column shows the number of seats won by the party.
In the above table, the NSDAP is the National Socialist, or Nazi, Party, and the KPD is the Communist Party. This table shows that Hitler had a motive for the Fire – winning seats in the upcoming election, called for by Hitler himself in fact. Between July and November of 1932, the Nazis lost 34 seats and so it would make sense for them to be looking for a tactic to steal votes from Communist sympathisers. This tactic was the Fire. The Communists had gained 11 seats between July and November. After the Fire, the Communist Party lost almost 20 seats where most of the other parties only lost a few. This was because most Communists had been arrested at the time of the elections. The Nazi Party gained 92 seats between November and March – an unbelievable increase during such a short period of time. As well as the effect of the Fire, the votes were increased through Goebbels’ propaganda campaign and intimidation by the SA.
The cartoon below was first published almost two weeks after the Reichstag Fire, in a British magazine. It shows Hindenburg talking to Hitler. The caption reads, ‘The old Consul (to Hitler): This is a heaven sent opportunity, my lad. If you can't be a dictator now, you never will be.’
The above cartoon was printed not long after the Fire took place. In the background of the picture, the Reichstag is on Fire. In the foreground Hindenburg is talking to Hitler. Both of them are wearing grand Roman robes – reminiscent of Julius Caesar, who took emergency powers due to a civil war in Rome. Hitler is also holding a staff with a swastika on top of it in one hand, showing how he will rule, and a decree in the other.
The caption shows that the Fire was just what Hitler needed to walk into his dictatorship; it implies that Hindenburg handed Germany over to Hitler. It also says ‘The Red Peril’ underneath. This is how the Nazis would refer to the Communist threat.
The cartoon was published in a British magazine. This shows that even people outside of Germany could see that Hitler was given power too easily. Most people suspected Hitler of causing the Fire.
In conclusion, there are many possibilities as to who started the Reichstag Fire, some more likely than others. To this day, there is still no definite conclusion.
The most popular theory is that Hitler planned the Fire and had Van der Lubbe planted in the building, as the blame could then be placed upon the Communists. Hitler wanted to show the German people that a vote for the Communists was not a good idea. He needed to earn more seats in the upcoming election. It is possible, as Hitler would have been able to gain entry into the building, as the SA had the keys. My statistical source, showing the number of seats for each party, gives Hitler a motive. The cartoon from Punch magazine shows that even people outside of Germany suspected Hitler of foul play. However, the account by Diels suggests that Hitler was taken aback by the Fire, and was indeed surprised.
As Van der Lubbe did indeed admit full responsibility, some people believe that he carried out the Fire alone. Although his motive is conceivable, it is highly unlikely that he acted alone. It would have been incredibly difficult for Van der Lubbe to get into the building, unless doors to such an important place were left open.
In my opinion, I do not believe that the Fire was the fault of the Communists, but neither was it Hitler’s doing. I agree with Alan Bullock that Goering and Goebbels, or possibly other leading Nazi members, planned the Fire without the prior knowledge of Hitler. Both men had motives. They wanted to see the Nazi party win the election to avoid blame from Hitler if the Communists gained more seats.
I think that they captured Van der Lubbe, informed him of their plan and sent him and the SA into the building, via the underground tunnel. The SA had the keys as they were involved in guarding the Reichstag. Bundles of material were set on fire all over the building. When Hitler was informed of the Fire he was genuinely surprised, and saw a way to eliminate the ‘Red Peril’. The Fire achieved its aim – the Nazis won more seats and Hitler eventually became the ‘Fuhrer’ of Germany.
