Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
How Did Hitler Create A Dictatorship by 1934? (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Hitler's Path to Dictatorship - Timeline & Summary
Hitler’s appointment as chancellor on 30th January 1933 was the first step in his taking of power and complete control of Germany. The Reichstag Fire provided the Nazi Party with the legal means to limit and restrict the power of the Communist Party. With a two-thirds majority following the March 1933 election, Hitler was able to pass the Enabling Act - a law that transformed Germany into a one-party state. Opposition was silenced, trade unions banned and local governments ruled by pro-Nazi leaders. With external opposition to Hitler and the Nazi Party greatly reduced, attention was turned to dissent within the Nazi Party. Ernst Röhm - head of the SA - had distanced himself from Hitler. The SA were becoming more and more unsettled, frustrated by unemployment like that of the Freikorps before the Kapp Putsch of 1920. Hitler struck during the Night of the Long Knives, where leading members of the SA were purged. The death of President Hindenberg in August 1934 confirmed the rise of Hitler to Führer. The Weimar Republic had gone and the era of Nazi Germany had begun. |
The Reichstag Fire
Hitler became Chancellor of Germany on 30th January 1933, but still did not have complete control of Germany:
The Nazi Party only controlled one-third of the Reichstag
Hindenburg was President of Germany
The Weimar Constitution limited the power of the chancellor
A fire destroyed the Reichstag building on 27th February 1933:
A Dutch communist named Marinus van der Lubbe was arrested at the scene and later executed
The fire resulted in the arrests of around 4,000 communists
Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to pass the Reichstag Fire Decree:
The Reichstag Fire gave Hitler the opportunity to scapegoat the Communist Party (KPD)
Political opponents were imprisoned legally and communist newspapers were shut down
The SA was able to justify using violence and intimidation towards political opponents
The Nazi Party increased their seats to 288 in the March 1933 election, giving them a two-thirds majority in the Reichstag
Worked Example
Give two things you can infer from Source A about how the Nazis reacted to the Reichstag Fire
4 marks
Source A: From a description of the Reichstag Fire written by Rudolf Diels. At the time of the Reichstag Fire, Diels was a senior policeman in Berlin The Reichstag was still burning when arrived. Hitler stood on a balcony staring into the flames. He shouted uncontrollably: 'There will be no mercy. Even Communist official must be shout wherever he is found' |
Answers:
(i) What I can infer:
The Nazi Party was organised in advance (1)
Details in the source that tell me this:
“The police already had lists of people to arrest” (1)
(ii) What I can infer:
Hitler reacted aggressively to the fire (1)
Details in the source that tell me this:
“There will be no mercy” (1)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This answer would receive full marks because it contains two relevant inferences, supported by details from the source.
The student’s inferences are targeted at the focus of the question - how the Nazis reacted to the Reichstag Fire.
Answers such as ‘Hitler ordered communist officials to be shot’ would not be awarded with a mark. Remember, anything stated in the source is not considered an inference.
The Enabling Act
The Enabling Act became law on 24th March 1933 by 444 votes to 94:
All 81 members of the Communist Party were absent
Only the SPD opposed the vote
Other members of the Reichstag were intimidated by the SA before the vote took place
The Act gave the Nazi Party a number of powers:
As chancellor, Hitler could propose new laws
Hitler’s cabinet could pass these laws
These laws could overrule the Weimar Constitution
The Enabling Act was only valid for four years, but it was renewed again in 1937
Parties in the Reichstag could no longer oppose new laws, marking an end to democratic rule in Germany
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Consider the significance of the Reichstag Fire Decree and its links to the Enabling Act:
Hitler, by reducing the power of the Communist Party and branding them enemies of Germany, could weaken opposition while also strengthening his own position. Many members of the public mistakenly believed the Enabling Act to have been created to protect their security and livelihoods. However, it was used as a tool by Hitler to set up the foundations for a police state.
Removing Public Opposition
The Enabling Act provided Hitler and the Nazi Party the power to pass laws without the consent of the Reichstag
Hitler used the powers of the Enabling Act to remove forms of public opposition:
The Night of the Long Knives
The Enabling Act allowed Hitler to remove external opposition to the Nazi Party
Hitler was concerned about internal opposition, particularly from the head of the SA - Ernst Röhm:
Röhm was a suspected homosexual, which did not align with Nazi Party values
Röhm led around three million SA members, around 60% of which were unemployed by 1933
Röhm wanted a greater focus on supporting the working class, which contrasted with Hitler’s desire to help the rich
Röhm’s SA clashed with the SS, led by Heinrich Himmler and Reinhard Heydrich
Hitler arranged a meeting with Röhm and other SA leaders on 30th June 1934:
Röhm and around 400 SA members were arrested and later shot
Other opponents such as von Schleicher, Gregor Strasser and von Kahr were also arrested and killed
The public was informed that Röhm had been planning to replace Hitler, and therefore his death served the interests of the country
The Death of Hindenburg
Paul von Hindenburg had been President of Germany since 1925
On 2nd August 1934, he died of lung cancer aged 86
Hitler combined the positions of president and chancellor to make himself Führer
90% of the public voted in favour of Hitler becoming Führer
Hitler forced every soldier to swear an oath of allegiance to him
This marked the end of the Weimar Republic and the beginning of Hitler’s Nazi Germany
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