Housekeeping Collection of essays – Weakness of Weimar Republic or Rise of Hitler CAS and MUN students – submission of Historical Investigations

Discussion Read page 169 You are a political advisor to Hitler in charge helping consolidate Nazi power. Using the list on page 169, make choice recommendations to Hitler – Be prepared to defend your choices.

Consolidation of Power Read page 168. Explain how Hitler tried to win the support of the people Read At the end of this unit you should be able to explain the significance of each of the key events.

Consolidation of Power – Goal # 1 Control the Reichstag Hitler is appointed Chancellor on January 30 th and two days later asks for the Reichstag to be dissolved and elections held Goal: Control the Reichstag with a majority or two-thirds of the seats

Consolidation of Power Currently Chancellor by invitation of Hindenburg Win a majority -Chancellor by right Win 2/3 of seats – Can change the constitution

Consolidation of Power March Elections Article 76 of the Weimar Constitution which provided: "The Constitution may be amended by law. The acts of the Reichstag amending the Constitution can only take effect if two-thirds of the regular number of members are present and at least two- thirds of those present consent."

Consolidation of Power- Strategy Continue to get Hindenburg’s support: Dissolves the Reichstag Presidential Degree using Article 48

Consolidation of Power - Strategy Large number of Communists, including party officials and Reichstag deputies, and a smaller number of Social Democratic officials and deputies to be placed in "protective custody”

Current events Extracts from a typical Robert Mugabe speech; leader of Zimbabwe: “The MDC are British puppets” “Zimbabwe will never be a colony again.” Video clip: orld/ stm

Consolidation of Power- Strategy Reichstag Fire Danger of communist threat So a radical government takes power in your country what do you do? Protest take to the streets – proof of the dangers of civil disobedience and lawlessness. Do nothing and consolidation of power occurs un- challenged

Marinus van der Lubbe – Dutch Communist

Reichstag Fire

Consolidation of Power- Strategy Use the Reichstag Fire Presidential Degree for the Protection of the Nation and State Gives Hitler and the members of his Cabinet plenary powers of legislation. Martial law – mass arrests of Communists – also main opposition in the Reichstag Control of media Result: Control of electoral process

Consolidation of Power - Results Slim majority with Nationalist support 44% for the Nazi Party 8% Nationalist Party Still a coalition government

Results Communist Party (KPD)Communist Party (KPD) 81 Social Democratic Party (SDP)Social Democratic Party (SDP)120 Catholic Centre Party (BVP)Catholic Centre Party (BVP)93 Nationalist Party (DNVP)Nationalist Party (DNVP)52 Nazi Party (NSDAP)Nazi Party (NSDAP)288 Others23

Consolidation of Power Goal #2- Control the President Enabling Law – March 23 Constitutional amendment Limits the power of Hindenburg Cabinet can pass degrees without Presidential approval 4 years of emergency powers

Consolidation of Power Strategy KPD banned and leadership sent to concentration camps Procedural change (Quorum - any deputy who was "absent without excuse“ [determined by President] was to be considered as present) Intimidation of political opposition (SPD) Arrest of leaders Armed men within the discussion chambers Threats (Noakes )

Role of the Centre Catholic Party Joined with Social Democrats from Successful in moderation of policies Heroic but Pointless stand: “We would have made a heroic exit… and would have been beat up and thrown out” No obvious decision Hitler’s speech: Promises to guarantee the rights of the Catholic Church.

The role of Hindenburg Did Hindenburg still have power? Refuse to sign Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service Publicly Hitler deferred to Hindenburg “Prussian sense of duty” “Presiding over the marriage of his world to the new world”

Consolidation of Power Goal #3 Solidify control over Reichstag Law against the Formation of New Parties – July 14 Result is the creation of a single Party state

Assignment Take Home Assignment: Activity 3 on Page 171 Using a triangle diagram, rank the five historical interpretations according to personal preference Select one piece of evidence to support each of the historical interpretations I.E. C – Decree for the Protection of the Nation and the State Write a short explanation on how this evidence supports the theory

Poem Analysis: First They Came for the Jews First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me. By Martin Niemöller

Consolidation of Power Religion Strategy: Control – Weaken – Replace (308) (Chapter ) Protestants – Government historical appoints leaders of the Lutheran Church Adolph Hitler appoints Ludwig Muller, an active member of the Nazi Party and anti-Semitic, as the country's Reich Bishop of the Protestant Church. The Reich Church is set up to create a unified state church

Consolidation of Power Religion German Christians formed in November 1933 Racial based Nazi Church “Swastika on our breasts and the cross in our hearts” German Faith Movement Replace Christianity with a New Nazi religion – Small sect

Consolidation of Power Religion Concordat agreement – Catholic Church Stick: Thousands of Catholics were in concentration camps by the end of June 1933 Threat to claim that the Vatican was anti-Nazi and obstructionist Church to stay out of politics “Separation of Church and State” Government to protect religious freedoms “Without the agreement, Catholics would have been left to the mercy of SA, SS and Gestapo hit squads. With the agreement, they at least had legal grounds on which to protest injustices.” html

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Consolidation of Power Religion Read pages To extent did Hitler control religion in Nazi Germany? – Find evidence for the following statements of conclusion Hitler had a lack of complete control over the Church The Church was under control so far as they did not or could not openly criticize or challenge the Nazi Regime The relationship between the Church and the Nazi state is characterized as one of simmering tensions.

Goal #5 Regional control Law for the Reconstruction of the State Centralization of power

Goal #6 Control of the Nazi Party and the military( ) The Night of the Long Knives Answer the following questions Why were the SA now seen as a political liability to Hitler? Explain the quote “By acting against the SA, Hitler had reassured his conservative supporters but he had also intimidated his conservative critics” How is the military’s reaction to The Night of the Long Knives once again illustrate an underestimation of Hitler (179)

Was Hitler an all Powerful Dictator Reconstructive Essay You have a series of paragraphs from an essay on the extent in which Germany became a totalitarian state under Hitler and the Nazi Party. Re-construction the essay

Was Hitler an all Powerful Dictator? Lawyers You are lawyers at the Nuremberg Trails for a mid-level Nazi officer. His defense against the charge of war crimes is that Hitler had total control over the Nazi party. Therefore, he was simply following orders. Using the information on page to construct an argument for either the defendant or the prosecution.