1. The Reichstag Fire Lesson starter:
Explain three reasons why the Nazis had become the biggest party in the Reichstag by 1933.

2. Today we will… Describe the events of the Reichstag Fire
Explain why it allowed the Nazis to seize power

3. Hitler had been appointed Chancellor in January 1933
By 1933 the Nazis had a lot of votes but not enough to control The Reichstag (196 of 584 seats)
Hitler had been appointed Chancellor in January 1933
President Hindenburg had been convinced to give Hitler the job by other right wing politicians and by his son
Hitler called a new election for March 1933 – he wanted to get more than 50% of the votes to be able to make his own laws in the Reichstag
President Hindenburg

4. On 27 February, just before the elections The Reichstag was set on fire
A young Dutch Communist Van der Lubbe was arrested
Burning down the Reichstag was a serious crime
Hitler and The Nazis blamed it on The Communists

5. German Parliament building

8. Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to declare a State of Emergency (article 48)
That meant normal rules & rights did not apply
The SA and police rounded up Communists and imprisoned them
4000 Communist leaders were arrested
Communists were banned The Reichstag
Hitler persuaded the other members of The Reichstag to give him extra powers

9. Article 48 Cancelled freedom of speech, press and assembly
Gave police power to search homes & arrest people
Gave the police power to close newspapers & send opponents to camps
Basically turns Germany into a dictatorship!

10. Reichstag Fire a conspiracy?
It emerged there was an underground passage linking the Reichstag with offices used by Nazi members
Some who gave evidence against Van der Lubbe were Nazis

11. Van der Lubbe on trial

12. It is not the actual fire that is important, but the fact that Hitler took advantage of the event and used it to give him more power

13. 5 March 1933 Election called
27 February 1933 Reichstag Fire
Hitler blames it on The Communists
Hitler persuades Hindenburg to declare a state of emergency (Article 48)
Communists arrested and banned from Reichstag
Hitler persuades other members of Reichstag to give him more powers

14. Video

15. Reichstag Fire number 2?

16. Source B is about the Reichstag Fire of February 27th 1933. Source B
Goebbels informed Hitler that the Reichstag was in flames.
The whole building was destroyed.
Hitler blamed the Communists for starting the fire.
He said that it was a signal
from God.
Hitler used that as an excuse to crush them with an iron fist.
The burning Reichstag building
1. Describe the results of the Reichstag Fire. (3 marks)

17. Optional Task
Design a newspaper front page reporting about the Reichstag Fire the previous night
You will need to decide whether to give your views from a pro-Hitler or anti-Hitler stance
You should create a newspaper name, headline, etc as well as text and pictures.

18. Today we will… Understand the events of the Reichstag Fire
Explain why it allowed the Nazis to seize power