The Nazi Rise to Power in 1933

• The Weimar Republic and prominent political parties like the Social Democrats, Catholic Centre, Communists, and Nazis were involved.
• Events took place in Germany, specifically the Reichstag (German Parliament).
• The events transpired in 1933.
• Adolf Hilter's Nazi party, with the support of oligarchs, manipulated the Weimar Republic's Reichstag.
• The 'Enabling Act' resulted in the abolishment of political parties in Germany, leading to Hitler's dictatorship.
• Hitler's initial role was Chancellor, eventually becoming Fuhrer.

Key Players and Political Maneuvering

• In May 1932, General Hans von Seeckt, Alfred Hugenberg, Hjalmar Schacht, and industrialists united to call for right-wing parties to unite and demanded Chancellor Heinrich Brüning's resignation.
• President Paul von Hindenburg agreed, replacing Brüning with Franz von Papen on June 1st.
• Franz von Papen, a member of the Catholic Centre Party, sympathized with the Nazis and removed the ban on the SA (Nazi paramilitary forces).
• Open warfare erupted between Nazis and Communists, resulting in 86 deaths.
• Papen met Hitler and found him unimpressive but recognized the significant influence Hitler held over the masses.
• Hitler made speeches in 53 towns and cities in July 1932, promoting his party as the sole solution to Germany's problems, while attempting to gain support for his new government.
• The Nazi Party gained 230 seats, becoming the largest party in the Reichstag.
• The German Social Democrat Party had 133 seats.
• The German Communist Party had 89 still held support from the urban working class, resulting in Hitler not obtaining overall majority in parliament.
• Joseph Goebbels expressed the intention to exterminate Marxism and indicated that events and decisions needed to align to obtain an absolute majority.
• British Ambassador Horace Rumbold communicated that Hitler seemed to have exhausted his reserves and failed to breach the Centre, Communist, and Socialist parties.

Escalation of Violence and Political Instability

• The NSDAP's behavior became increasingly violent, with incidents like 167 Nazis beating up 57 members of the German Communist Party in the Reichstag.
• In Silesia, a young member of the KPD was murdered, leading to public shock when Hitler supported the convicted SA members.
• Nazi Party support decreased in the November 6, 1932 elections, falling from 230 to 196 seats in the Reichstag.
• The German Communist Party gained seats, reaching 100 seats and Hitler exploited this to create panic, claiming Germany was on the verge of a Bolshevik Revolution that only the NSDAP could prevent.
• Industrialists like Fritz Thyssen, Albert Voegle, and Emile Kirdorf feared a revolution and petitioned Paul von Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor.
• Kurt von Schleicher was appointed chancellor after Hindenburg met with Hitler but failed to reach an agreement.
• Schleicher attempted to weaken Hitler by offering the vice-chancellorship to Gregor Strasser.
• Hitler opposed democracy, calling it the rule of stupidity, mediocrity, cowardice, weakness, and inadequacy.
• On January 4, 1933, Hitler and Franz von Papen agreed to form a government.
• Hitler agreed to renounce parts of his socialist program, and Van Papen pledged to obtain further subsidies for Hitler’s use from the industrialists.
• On January 30, 1933, Hindenburg reluctantly appointed Hitler as Chancellor but denied him extraordinary powers.

The Enabling Act and Consolidation of Power

• After the 1933 General Election, Chancellor Adolf Hitler proposed an Enabling Bill to gain dictatorial powers.
• The Enabling Bill requires three-quarters of the members of the Reichstag in order to pass
• Communist Party members were imprisoned, in hiding, or had left Germany, around 60,000 after the election.
• Hitler needed the Catholic Centre Party's support and offered them a deal for the bill in exchange for guaranteeeing rights of the Catholic Church.
• On March 24, 1933, the vote took place, with only 94 SDP members voting against the Enabling Bill.
• Shortly after the passing of the bill, the Communist Party and Social Democrat Party were banned.
• A month later, Hitler declared the Catholic Centre Party, the Nationalist Party, and all other political parties illegal.
• By the end of 1933, more than 150,000 political prisoners were in concentration camps.
• To maintain control, prisoners were threatened with re-imprisonment if they revealed their experiences.
• Besides left-wing politicians and trade union activists, the Gestapo arrested beggars, prostitutes, homosexuals, alcoholics, and those unable to work.
• Deaths mainly occurred among prisoners who tried to escape and those labeled "incurably insane".