Transcript Hitler’s rise to power - Gertz

Hitler’s rise to power
1919
The Weimar Constitution is adopted. The
constitution creates separate executive,
judicial, and legislative branches of
government so that one group or person
cannot hold all of the power.
1919
The constitution includes article 48.. This
and
article allows the president to make rules
article
without the consent of the parliament
48
and to suspend civil rights, like freedom
of speech, in order to protect public
safety.
July
1932
The Nazi party wins 37% of votes. The
Nazis become the most powerful political
party in Germany, even though over half
of the German citizens did not vote for
them.
Nov
1932
The Nazi party wins 33% of the votes and
still have more seats in the Reichstag than
any other political party.
Jan
1933
German President Paul Von Hindenburg
understands that he will need the support
of the Nazi party to get any laws passed.
As a result of the success of the Nazi
party in the elections, President
Hindenburg appoints Hitler to the
position of chancellor – the head of
parliament.
Feb
1933
Hitler speaks to the German people
regarding the new government. A parade
is held in his honor.
Feb
1933
The Reichstag (parliament) building is set
on fire. Hitler quickly blames the
communists, a rival political party.
Feb
1933
Using the fire as a justification, Hitler
convinces President Hindenburg to invoke
article 48 of the Weimar Constitution in
order to protect public safety.
Hitler uses the emergency power of
Feb the president to issue two laws for
“public safety”. The first law allows
the government to search and
1933 confiscate private property. The
second law allows him to arrest
anyone belonging to rival political
parties (especially communists).
Article 48 says these laws do not have
to be approved by the Reichstag.
Mar Hitler creates a new
government department, the
Ministry of Public
1933 Enlightenment and
Propaganda. The purpose is
to spread Hitler’s ideas among
the German people.
Hitler opens a jail for people he
Mar
thinks are plotting to overthrow
the government, especially
members of the communists
1933 party. These jails were called
“concentration camps because
they concentrated on a particular
group of “undesirable” people.
Mar
1933
Hitler announces the Enabling Act,
which is approved by the Reichstag. This
act gives Hitler dictatorial powers for four
years. It allows Hitler to punish anyone he
considers an enemy of the state. It says
that Hitler can pass laws that go against
the constitution. Some members of
parliament do not agree with the law, but
many opponents are in jail or in hiding.
Hitler organizes a secret state
Apr.
police called the Gestapo to
1933 “protect public safety and order.”
Gestapo police can arrest people
and place them in jail without any
oversight by a court or judge.
Nazis begin holding public book
May
burnings. Germans are asked to
1933 burn any books considered
offensive to Germany, including
books by Jewish authors.
President Hindenburg dies. Hitler
Aug
proposes a new law that would
1934 combine the role of president and
chancellor in a new position called
the Fuhrer. He calls for a vote of
the German people.
95% of registered voters in
Aug
Germany go to the polls. 90% of
1934 these voters approve Hitler’s law
making him the Fuhrer. Now
Hitler can say that he became the
supreme leader, or dictator, of
Germany through the direct will of
the people.
H O M E WO R K

List (5) factors that contributed to the death
of democracy and the rise of dictatorship in
Germany.