The Reichstag Fire & the Enabling Act

Learning Objectives: To investigate who the Reichstag Fire was started by and why.To assess the significance of the fire, and analyse its consequences.

The Reichstag Fire

From Democracy to Dictatorship

LO: To investigate who the Reichstag Fire was started by and why.

Test your partner!

You have 3 minutes to come up with three

questions based on Hitler’s rise to the Chancellorship.

Now test your partner to ensure that they

understand last lessons topic

When Hitler became Chancellor, there were only two other Nazis in the cabinet of twelve.Von Papen’s claim that he could control Hitler was utterly wrong. One of Hitler’s first decisions was to call an election for the 5 March, hoping it would give him a clear majority in the Reichstag.



27th February 1933 27th February 1933



This man found was found at a crime scene, he was found carrying matches and firelighters.

Who might this person be?

The Reichstag FireLO: To investigate who the Reichstag Fire was started by and why.

What happened?

• On 27th February the Reichstag caught fire.

• When they police arrived they found Marinus van der Lubbe on the premises.

• After being tortured by the Gestapo he confessed to starting the Reichstag Fire. He denied that he was part of a Communist conspiracy.

• Hermann Goering refuses to believe him and he orders the arrest of several leaders of the German Communist Party (KPD).


http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERlubbe.htm

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERgestapo.htm

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWgoring.htm


http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERkpd.htm

WHY WOULD THE COMMUNISTS WANT TO START THE FIRE?

• THE COMMUNISTS BELIEVED THE NAZIS MUST BE DEFEATED. ELECTIONS WEREN’T WORKING. A BIG EVENT WAS NEEDED TO SPUR THEIR SUPPORTERS TO ACT.

• THE COMMUNISTS FELT THEY HAD TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE SURE THEIR SUPPORTERS SAW THEY WERE ACTING AND WOULD STILL VOTE FOR THEM.


• Historians generally agree that van der Lubbe was involved in the Reichstag fire.

• It was the extent of the damage, however, has led to considerable debate over whether he acted alone.

• One view - considering the speed with which the fire engulfed the building, van der Lubbe's reputation as being mentally disturbed and hungry for fame, it is generally believed the Nazi hierarchy was involved in order to gain political power - and it obviously did.

• Another view - that neither the Nazis nor Communists were behind the fire, and that van der Lubbe acted alone. According to this view, the Reichstag fire was a stroke of good luck for the Nazis.



A JOKE FROM THE 1930S MAKES IT CLEAR WHO SOME GERMAN

BLAMED:

IT IS LATE FEBRUARY 1933. ONE STORMTROOPER TURNS TO

ANOTHER AND SAYS, “DID YOU HEAR? THE REICHSTAG IS ON

FIRE!”

THE OTHER STORMTROOPER FIERCELY SAYS, “SHHHSH THAT’S

NOT ‘TILL TOMORROW”!

Content – What does the source say?

Origin – Who was the source written by?

Purpose – Why was the source written?

Reliability

Usefulness


Marius van der Lubbe, statement at his trial (23rd November, 1933)

I can only repeat that I set fire to the Reichstag all by myself. There is nothing complicated about this fire. It has quite a simple explanation. What was made of it may be complicated, but the fire itself was very simple.

General Franz Halder, provided evidence on the Reichstag Fire at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial in 1946.

At a luncheon on the birthday of Hitler in 1942 the conversation turned to the topic of the Reichstag building and its artistic value. I heard with my own ears when Goering interrupted the conversation and shouted: "The only one who really knows about the Reichstag is I, because I set it on fire!"

Rudolf Diels was in charge of interrogating Marius van der Lubbe after the Reichstag Fire.

A few of my department were already engaged in interrogating Marinus Van der Lubbe. Naked from the waist upwards, smeared with dirt and sweating, he sat in front of them, breathing heavily. He panted as if he had completed a tremendous task. There was a wild triumphant gleam in the burning eyes of his pale, haggard young face.

The Reichstag Fire – Can sources solve the problem?




http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERhalder.htm

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWnuremberg.htm



You are a historian at a University. Nazi Germany is your specialist

subject. You have been asked to give a speech with regards to who

you feel was to blame for the Reichstag Fire.

Review the sources on Pages 64 to 68 in your text books and create a brief speech outlining your views.

You will be asked to give your opinion to the class at the end of

the lesson

NAZI NEWSPAPER HEADLINE: ‘NOW WE WILL TAKE RIGOROUS STEPS’ – THIS COULD ONLY MEAN ACTION AGAINST THE NAZIS OPPONENTS.


How might the Nazi party How might the Nazi party have benefitted from the have benefitted from the

Reichstag Fire?Reichstag Fire?

The Reichstag FireLO: To assess the significance of the fire, and analyse its consequences.

How might the Nazi party have benefited from the

Reichstag Fire?

Gave secret police the power and ability to hold people indefinitely in protective custody.

It was used as propaganda against the Communist

Party.

Remained in force during the remainder of the Third Reich. It was in effect the basic law of the Third Reich.

Freed Hitler from dependence on his

Nationalist allies. Gave his regime a legal basis

for persecution, terrorism and the suppression of

opposition.

• When Hitler heard the news about the fire he gave orders that all leaders of the German Communist Party should "be hanged that very night." Paul von Hindenburg vetoed this decision but did agree that Hitler should take "dictatorial powers". KPD candidates in the election were arrested and Hermann Goering announced that the Nazi Party planned "to exterminate" German communists.

• Marinus van der Lubbe was found guilty of the Reichstag Fire and was executed on 10th January, 1934.

• Suspicion rested on the Nazis, however, who had a lot to gain from the condemnation of Communists ~ the event gives Hitler the excuse to grant himself emergency powers.

LO: To assess the significance of the fire, and analyse its consequences.

How did Hitler exploit the Reichstag fire?


http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWhindenburg.htm




http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERreichstagF.htm

• Police imprisoned 4,000 Communist activists • 28 Feb, Hindenburg suspended freedom of

speech & gave police emergency powers• March 1933 NSDAP gained 288 seats; won

support of Nationalists & Catholic Centre party; abolished Communists





Reichstag Fire (27th February 1933).

President Hindenburg used Article 48 to issue:

Law for the Protection of People and the State 1933 (28th February).

This law removed many of the constitutional rights held by citizens (i.e. The new law removed peoples’ basic rights and

freedoms).



Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to sign the ‘Decree for the Protection of People and State’.

Order of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State

Articles 114, 115, 117, 118, 123, 124 and 153 of the Constitution of the German Reich are suspended until further notice. It is therefore permissible to restrict the rights of personal freedom, freedom of (opinion) expression, including the freedom of the press, the freedom to organize and assemble, the privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications. Warrants for House searches, orders for confiscations as well as restrictions on property, are also permissible beyond the legal limits otherwise prescribed.

Do you think this will help or hinder the Nazis in the election?

Law for the Protection of People and the State


Elections 1933LO: To assess the significance of the fire, and analyse its consequences.

At the election in March 1933, the Nazis won 288 seats, up from 196 seats at the last election. Despite imprisoning many Socialists and Communists and having all the

advantages of media control, the Nazis did not win a majority.

A coalition was formed with the National Party, ensuring a majority

in the Reichstag.

Hitler is disappointed – he needed two-thirds of the seats in order to

change the constitution.

Learning Objectives: To be able to explain what the Enabling Law is? To understand the significance / importance of the Enabling Law?

The Enabling Act

• The New Reichstag met at Kroll Opera House due to the Reichstag having burnt down. It was attended by the 288 Nazi deputies and 52 Nationalists.

• The atmosphere in the building was described as one of death and destruction.

• Outside the building was surrounded by members of the uniformed SS, inside the building rows of SA troops.

The Enabling ActLO: To be able to explain what the Enabling Law is?

After the 1933 General Election Hitler proposed an Enabling Bill that would give him dictatorial powers. Such an act needed three-quarters of the members of the Reichstag to vote in its favour.

All the active members of the Communist Party, were in concentration camps, in hiding, or had left the country (an estimated 60,000 people left Germany during the first few weeks after the election). This was also true of most of the leaders of the other left-wing party, Social Democrat Party (SDP).

Hitler still needed the support of the Catholic Centre Party (BVP) to pass this legislation. Hitler therefore offered the BVP a deal: vote for the bill and the Nazi government would guarantee the rights of the Catholic Church. The BVP agreed and when the vote was taken, only 94 members of the SDP voted against the Enabling Bill.

Hitler was now allowed to rule as a dictator – the biggest benefit of the Enabling Bill was that Hitler no longer had to consult the Reichstag. He could make laws (for four years) without consulting anyone.

What was the Enabling Act?

LO: To be able to explain what the Enabling Law is?

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GER1933.htm

Initially all All Jews and political opponents of the Nazis are removed from the civil service.

Hitler’s first move was to take over the trade unions. Its leaders were sent to concentration camps and the organization was put under the control of the Nazi Party. The trade union movement now became known as the Labour Front.

Soon afterwards the Communist Party and the Social Democrat Party were banned. Party activists still in the country were arrested.

A month later Hitler announced that the Catholic Centre Party, the Nationalist Party and all other political parties other than the NSDAP were illegal, and by the end of 1933 over 150,000 political prisoners were in concentration camps.

Hitler was aware that people have a great fear of the unknown, and if prisoners were released, they were warned that if they told anyone of their experiences they would be sent back to the camp.

It was not only left-wing politicians and trade union activists who were sent to concentration camps. The Gestapo also began arresting beggars, prostitutes, homosexuals, alcoholics and anyone who was incapable of working. Although some inmates were tortured, the only people killed during this period were prisoners who tried to escape and those classed as "incurably insane".

Reich Press Law imposes strict control and censorship of the press.

How was the Enabling Act used?

LO: To understand the significance / importance of the Enabling Law?

Gleichschaltung‘Bringing Germany

into line’.

Statesbrought into line

Trade Unionsbrought into line

Partiesbrought into line.

The States are brought into line.• 31st March, 1933: state

parliaments are closed down.

• 7th April,1933: Hitler appointed governors to each state – all 18 governors were Nazis.

• Nazi governors had the power to appoint and dismiss state officials and make laws.

• 30th January,1934: Hitler abolished the state parliaments.



• 2nd May, 1933: Nazis broke into trade-union offices and arrested thousands of union officials.

• Unions were merged a ‘German Labour Front’ – at its head was a Nazi!

The Trade Unions are brought into line.



• 10th May 1933: the Nazis occupied the Social Democratic Party offices, destroyed its newspapers and confiscated its funds.

• Communist Party funds and property are confiscated two weeks later.

• June 1933: smaller parties’ offices were closed down and their leaders arrested.

• July 14th,1933: the Law Against the Formation of Parties = Germany becomes a One-Party State.

The Parties are brought into line.



Education

The Reichstag Fire & the Enabling Act