How Far Did The Nazi Regime Consolidate Its Power In 1933 And 1934

How did the Nazi regime consolidate its power in 1933 and 1934?

The consolidation of the Nazi regime marked an unprecedented period of violence, submission and totalitarianism in the 1930s. The rise of Nazi Party's power is a historically significant event as it abolished a once democratic state, and laid the foundation for the atrocities to come to be carried out. German society was reformed to obstruct legal, political and social means to oppose the party. Exploring how the Nazi party achieved absolute control over the German population is important as it explains events that occurred later on including WWII and the Holocaust. Similarly, it gives us an insight into how horrific policies that were supported by a large part of the German

This was important as it would eliminate all other political, social and ideological opposition, making the regime impenetrable. The Nazis achieved this by a number of opportunistic moves where they capitalised on already existing insecurities in the population. The first of these was the Reichstag Fire. On the 27th of February 1933, the house of parliament, the Reichstag, was set on fire. The culprit of this attack caused controversy both at the time and today. However, the overwhelming consensus of historians is that it was committed by Dutch communist Marins Van Der Lubbe. This was a timely coincidence for the Nazis. It allowed them to exploit the crime of one communist and render the whole communist party as a national threat. This culminated in the arrest of over 4,000 communists and socialists. Conveniently, these groups were the nazi party's largest political opponents. Hitler chose this moment to launch a general election where his competition was significantly reduced. As a result, the Nazi Party won 44% of the votes and this provided them with the political power to further enforce their aims. The Nazi party did not allow for the reaction from the Reichstag fire to simmer down. They played on the tragic events that were still sore amongst the German public to campaign for emergency powers. On the 23rd of March, the largest manoeuvre in

Its very roots were built on a system of regression and political surveillance. The use and threat of violence were established as an effective method of state control. In 1933, once hitler was appointed chancellor, the Brownshirts played a key role in intimidating political and social opponents of the Nazi Party. In 1934, the People's Court was established to try ….This culminated in the night of long knives on the 30th of June 1934 when hitler eliminated internal and external supposed threats. The SA had damaged the nazi party's reputation and legitimacy as their violent attacks were seen as more akin to a paramilitary terrorist group than a part of the leaders party. This purge resulted in an estimated 200 deaths, and shortly after the leader of the SA Ernst Rohm was removed from his position. This elimination demonstrated how ruthless the Nazi party was. It places terror not only in the other members of the Nazi Party, but in the German public as a whole. From this point on, the population understood that perceived opposition to Hitler in any way would certainly lead to execution. This fear was played on throughout the reign of the nazi party and further frightened germany into submission. Therefore, the use of terror was a key aspect in the consolidation of the Nazi