Hitler And The Enabling Act

Hitler’s rise to becoming dictator – a ruler with total power over a country – arose primarily from both the manipulation of legal power, contraire to the normal method of control seized with force, as well as the compliance created through the use of intimidation and violence. Within eighteen months of being appointed Chancellor, Hitler had turned himself into a dictator.

The Enabling Act played arguably the most crucial role in Hitler becoming dictator; as it was the event that granted him the most power. In response to the Reichstag Fire on February 27 1933, Hitler persuaded President Hindenburg to declare a national state of emergency. A month later, the Enabling Act was passed. Prior to the passing of the act, Hitler had the normal limited

In 1933, the SA had murdered an estimated 500 people. They used terror against their socialist and communist opponents, with thousands rounded up and imprisoned in make shift concentration camps. By 1934, the SA contained 3 million members, and was permitted to utilise its influence to forcefully oppress other parties, unrestricted by the police. The SA were important in intimidating many of Hitler’s rivals. Their effectiveness is seen during the election on March 5 1933, with the election having had a high turnout of 88 per cent. This suggests that the violent actions of the SA and the corruption of officials frightened people into voting, subsequently gaining more votes for the Nazis and therefore accumulating to Hitler’s consolidation of power. Moreover, Hitler reinforced his power using more extreme methods by setting up the People’s Courts, as well as through utilising the Gestapo he formed. Created in April 1934, the Nazi People’s Courts were there to try cases of treason. They gave Hitler greater control over the judgements made in courts, and made it easier to deal out severer punishments to communists. In contrast, the Gestapo was set up a year prior, and ruled by terror. They were used to intimidate many Germans to not oppose the Nazi regime, however mildly. The Gestapo were responsible for sending thousands of ‘untermenschen’ to concentration camps, as they had the power to arrest and imprison people without trial. Therefore, the effectiveness of the governing by instilling fear and permitting violence could be considered vital to Hitler’s success to becoming a