Adolf Hitler officially became Füher of Germany at 9 am on August 2nd, 1934 following the death of Hindenburg. Hitler had planned to use the death of the 87 year-old former president to establish himself as absolute, undisputed leader of Germany and its people. Hitler achieved this by merging the office of Reich Chancellor and Reich President to form the position of Fürhrer. Almost immediately after Hitler demanded mandatory loyalty oaths throughout the Reich. Public officials and Soldiers did not swear to the constitution but to Hitler personally. It is one thing to rise to power and something much harder to retain it. Hitler did this by using numerous methods. The most important method was the legal basis for the regime and the way the Nazis
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Ultimately, the widespread power of the Nazi’s was due to the mixture of parliamentary and violent methods. One without the other would not have led to the same level of control that the Nazi party held at that time.
All the basis of the Nazi regime was legal due to the many laws that the Nazis put in place in their rise and consolidation of power. Without the legal basis for the Nazi regime, they would not have created the widespread dictatorship that they did. Hitler became an all-powerful Führer whose word was law, his decisions could override all laws, rights and systems. This process commenced with the Reichstag fire in February 1933 that led to the Decree for the Protection of People and State, which henceforth suspended civil liberties as well as essentially led to the destruction of the Communist Party. The Reichstag fire then led to the Enabling Law of 1933 was passed, allowing Hitler to pass laws without the vote of the vote of the Reichstag, thereby establish a legal dictatorship. In April 1933, the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service was instated. This forced jews and other political opponents out of positions of power. …show more content…
It ranged from job dismissal, unlawful arrest and imprisonment in concentration camps to execution. Hitler was able to achieve this through the SS, the SA, and the Gestapo. On the 26th of April 1933, the Gestapo or secret police was created and lead by Heydrich. The Gestapo could imprison people without a trial much less a fair one. Between the years of 1933 and 1939, around 225,000 Germans were convicted of political crimes and a further 162,000 people were placed in prison or 'protective custody' without trial. Socialists, Communists, trade union leaders, and any others who had spoken out against the Nazi party were arrested and some were even executed. This treatment was not limited to those who directly spoke out but also their families could be punished. There were Blockleiters in each section of flats and street which informed the Nazis on 'grumblers' or opposition. It is to be noted that the concentration camps up to 1939 were not extermination camps. They were still brutal places in which prisoners were forced to work for long hours on meager rations. This all amounted to gave the image that the Gestapo wielded unlimited power over the people. However, the Gestapo had limited staff and relied on citizens denouncing others. This showed not only the extent of the illusion of
Ultimately, the widespread power of the Nazi’s was due to the mixture of parliamentary and violent methods. One without the other would not have led to the same level of control that the Nazi party held at that time.
All the basis of the Nazi regime was legal due to the many laws that the Nazis put in place in their rise and consolidation of power. Without the legal basis for the Nazi regime, they would not have created the widespread dictatorship that they did. Hitler became an all-powerful Führer whose word was law, his decisions could override all laws, rights and systems. This process commenced with the Reichstag fire in February 1933 that led to the Decree for the Protection of People and State, which henceforth suspended civil liberties as well as essentially led to the destruction of the Communist Party. The Reichstag fire then led to the Enabling Law of 1933 was passed, allowing Hitler to pass laws without the vote of the vote of the Reichstag, thereby establish a legal dictatorship. In April 1933, the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service was instated. This forced jews and other political opponents out of positions of power. …show more content…
It ranged from job dismissal, unlawful arrest and imprisonment in concentration camps to execution. Hitler was able to achieve this through the SS, the SA, and the Gestapo. On the 26th of April 1933, the Gestapo or secret police was created and lead by Heydrich. The Gestapo could imprison people without a trial much less a fair one. Between the years of 1933 and 1939, around 225,000 Germans were convicted of political crimes and a further 162,000 people were placed in prison or 'protective custody' without trial. Socialists, Communists, trade union leaders, and any others who had spoken out against the Nazi party were arrested and some were even executed. This treatment was not limited to those who directly spoke out but also their families could be punished. There were Blockleiters in each section of flats and street which informed the Nazis on 'grumblers' or opposition. It is to be noted that the concentration camps up to 1939 were not extermination camps. They were still brutal places in which prisoners were forced to work for long hours on meager rations. This all amounted to gave the image that the Gestapo wielded unlimited power over the people. However, the Gestapo had limited staff and relied on citizens denouncing others. This showed not only the extent of the illusion of