1. Nazi Consolidation of Power 1933-34

2. Methods of Consolidating power
Air of respectability
Concessions
Gleichschaltung (Co-ordination)
Propaganda
Terror, intimidation
Use of law
Wide appeal
Success of policies

3. How did the Nazi’s transform Germany from a Liberal Democracy to a Dictatorship?
There never really was any ‘real’ Liberal Democracy in Germany during the period In 1933 it was more a ‘quasi-Democracy, which had established into a complete dictatorship by The Nazi’s achieved this in a number of ways:
No parliament - Riechstag was dissolved in Oct. 1933
The Emergency decrees issued by Hindenburg in Feb abolished all civil rights
Germany had become a one party state - law formed in Jul. 1933, which banned all opposition parties.
Increasing violence and intimidation.
Power of the President - could appoint the Chancellor.

4. Who supported the Nazi’s?
Civil servants, including teachers.
Elites, Army and Junker-class - protection against Marxism.
Working Class - “sought the fastest possible escape from their misery”. Blue collar workers were attracted to the Nazi’s interventionist economic policies.
Peasants.
Petty bourgeoisie - felt alienated in Germany. They also felt threatened by big businesses and the powerful working class as they feared the domination of a modern industrial state.
Protestants.
Self-employed, including artisans.
Youths.
Essentially all of these groups were equally affected by propaganda, and to some extent Hitler’s anti-Semitic policies as well.

5. Case Study - the Night of the Long Knives
Causation:
Hitler wanted to consolidate his regime and protect Germany from the state of permanent revolution.
Removing a Left wing threat from the regime - the Left desired to have a second revolution and was concerned about Hitler selling out to the right.
Gaining support of the army - Hitler needed its support in order to gain power and to succeed to presidency. He promised the army that it would be a national source of power. The army guaranteed their support in August 1934, and the SA were therefore kept subordinate.
Reducing conservative opposition to him - Hitler blocked conservative counter-plans led by Papen.
An attempt on Hitler’s part to increase his own power - Hitler gained acceptance of the legalised murder of opponents (the Rohm affair). Traditional organs of the state accepted his power.

6. Significance:
The army was reassured by Hitler.
The radical wing was weakened and lost its importance.
The SS became the most powerful and sinister group in the Nazi state, and in 1934 became independent of the SA, under Hitler’s personal and direct command.
Hitler’s power was confirmed.
The army swore an oath of personal loyalty to him. “[The] oath marked they symbolic moment where the army chained itself to the Fuhrer” -Kershaw.
The Rohm affair increased Hitler’s personal standing, prestige and popularity.
Frick drafted a law that declared all actions by Hitler in the purge to be legal and statesman-like.
The Night of the Long Knives showed that the new state was not to be a traditional authoritarian one, but a new dictatorship where the rule of the law was to be replaced by the dictates of one man.