Hitler’s use of Force in Nazi Germany Use of Force and Legal methods to minimize opposition Sarah MacKenzie

Munich Beer Hall Putsch 1923: Germany was facing severe inflation Earlier this year, the Ruhr crisis occurred -German government had held back on payments September 23: Resumed making payments -Unrest among German people -Nazis planned to kidnap government officials -Plans fell apart- officials accepted Hitler at gunpoint, but Nazi revolution failed -Hitler was arrested soon after

Hitler post-Arrest Released from prison December Focus on legal methods Reorganized Nazi Party, SA Formation of youth divisions Official Storm trooper uniform Creation of SS

Elections Largely successful SA ominous presence- political opposition feared them -Army and Industrialists were wary of them Failed attempt by government to ban them 1933: Hitler becomes Chancellor

Reichstag Fire Goering became new commander of police -SA and SS received much greater power Began to take anti-Communist action Marinus van der Lubbe was their opportunity -Dutch arsonist- set fire to Reichstag -However Nazis suspected of having major role in this SA took extreme action against Communists -Many arrests occurred Nazis began to crack down on political opposition

The Enabling Act Nazis began takeover of state governments after elections Cracked down on political enemies March 15 th - Hitler and Goering planned putting into practice an Enabling Act -Further Hitler’s powers with three decrees March 23 rd - Act put to vote and passed in Reichstag

Nuremburg Laws Anti-Semitic activities began with a boycott of Jewish shops Weeks after Hitler began instating anti-Semitic decrees September 1935: Nazis faced a void in a Nuremberg Rally programme -Used opportunity to introduce new laws -Blood purity, German citizenship

The Gestapo Created in April From Geheime Staats Polizei (Secret State Police) System of intelligence-gathering agents -Used torture during interrogations So successful employed in all countries conquered With introduction of ‘Gestapo Law’ were above the law

Concentration Camps 1933: Intense Nazi crackdown on political opposition required makeshift prisons -Prison at Dachau first of concentration camps -Reform through hardship Harsh discipline, living conditions Such a success that they were employed throughout Germany

The Night of the Long Knives The SA were vital for Hitler’s rise -By 1934 use had ended -Faced opposition from Army, Industrialists, common German people Hitler faced threat of socialist revolution -30 th June 1934: Hitler arrested SA leaders, allowed complete purge of opposition -Ended July 2 nd - all captured were executed -SS were Hitler’s new instrument of terror

Hitler becomes Fuehrer August 2 nd, 1934: Death of Hindenburg Law passed giving Hitler ‘Fuehrer’ status and absolute power New oaths assigned to civil service

The Night of Broken Glass October 27 th 1938: Mass expulsion of Jews from Germany Catalyst that pushed Hermann Grynzspan over the edge -17-year-old Jew in Paris- went to German embassy and killed official vom Rath -November 9 th : vom Rath dies of his injuries -The same day, Hitler permitted the SA to act in response against Jews in Germany -Property destroyed, people terrorized, synagogues burnt and defaced -Resulted in new decrees banning Jews from social and economic life in Germany -Jews had to contribute one billion marks for damage caused “Incidentally I would like to say I would not like to be a Jew in Germany”- Hermann Goering, 10 th November 1938