13 History-Steps to Hitler becoming a dictator

STEPS TO HITLER BECOMING A DICTATOR

27th February 1933

REICHSTAG FIREHitler immediately blamed the communists.Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe was caught at the scene (it's debatable whether he was responsible).Communists said it was all a Nazi plot so Hitler had an excuse to blame the communists.Another story said van der Lubbe may have started one of the fires, but the SA helped by starting the others which started at the same time.

28th February 1933

ARTICLE 48Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to pass emergency powers (Article 48) the day after to arrest anyone who was suspected to be opposing the government.Hitler and the SA were able to arrest Communist and other political leaders and detain them without trial.This gave Hitler the chance to act against his political opponents in the March election.

5th March 1933

MARCH ELECTIONThe Nazi's won 288 seats - which wasn't a majority vote but 44%. Hitler hoped for a full majority (over 50%) but was disappointed.He won over the centre party with promise to protect the Catholic Church.He then used emergency powers to ban the entry of communists to the Reichstag and gained the support of nationalists and the centre party.

23rd March 1933

ENABLING ACT Reichstag members passed the enabling act which gave Hitler powers to make his own laws without the reichstag.444 - In favour94 - Socialists againstThis was one of the most important turning points of Hitler changing Germany from a Democracy to a Dictatorship.

2nd May 1933

BANNING OF TRADE UNIONSAbolishing the trade unions allowed Hitler to destroy a group that could have opposed against him.It also gave him the chance to create the German Labour Front, which gave him control over German workers. The civil service was controlled by Nazi's and Judges had to be pro-Nazi.It gave Hitler control over the political and legal systems in Germany.

20th June 1933

CONCORDATAgreement with the pope.The pope allows Hitler to ban the Catholic Zentrum party without opposition from the Catholic party in return for Hitler to leave the Catholic Church alone.

14th July 1933

BANNING OF POLITICAL PARTIESSocialists and Communists were arrested and the Nazi party became the only party legally allowed in Germany.This made Germany a one party state.There was a law against the formation of new parties made in July.

30th June 1934

NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVESThe last threat to Hitler's power was a fellow Nazi, the leader of the SA Ernst Rohm.The SA has 2 million members, so Hitler feared the ambitions of Rohm as a potential threat as a future leader of the Nazi's.Hitler's own personal bodyguards were the SS (Blackshirts).On 30th June, the SS arrested and shot the leading members of the SA across Germany.The SS killed more than 200 people on the Night of the Long Knives.Hitler said to the nation that he was trying to prevent a plot to overthrow the government.He had removed any opposition inside the Nazi party.

2nd August 1934

DEATH OF HINDENBURGWhen President Hindenburg died, there was no longer anyone to check Hitler's actions.Hitler became the FUHER and overall leader of Germany. German soldiers all swore a personal oath of loyalty to Hitler.

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