Hitler’s use of Force in Nazi Germany

Use of Force and Legal methods to minimize opposition

Sarah MacKenzie

Munich Beer Hall Putsch

• 1923: Germany was facing severe inflation• Earlier this year, the Ruhr crisis occurred -German government had held back on payments• September 23: Resumed making payments-Unrest among German people-Nazis planned to kidnap government officials-Plans fell apart- officials accepted Hitler at

gunpoint, but Nazi revolution failed-Hitler was arrested soon after

Hitler post-Arrest

• Released from prison December 1924-Focus on legal methods• Reorganized Nazi Party, SA• Formation of youth divisions• Official Storm trooper uniform• Creation of SS

Elections

• Largely successful• SA ominous presence- political opposition

feared them-Army and Industrialists were wary of them• Failed attempt by government to ban them• 1933: Hitler becomes Chancellor

Reichstag Fire• Goering became new commander of police-SA and SS received much greater power• Began to take anti-Communist action• Marinus van der Lubbe was their opportunity-Dutch arsonist- set fire to Reichstag-However Nazis suspected of having major role in

this• SA took extreme action against Communists-Many arrests occurred• Nazis began to crack down on political opposition

The Enabling Act

• Nazis began takeover of state governments after elections

• Cracked down on political enemies• March 15th- Hitler and Goering planned

putting into practice an Enabling Act-Further Hitler’s powers with three decrees• March 23rd- Act put to vote and passed in

Reichstag

Nuremburg Laws

• Anti-Semitic activities began with a boycott of Jewish shops

• Weeks after Hitler began instating anti-Semitic decrees

• September 1935: Nazis faced a void in a Nuremberg Rally programme

-Used opportunity to introduce new laws-Blood purity, German citizenship

The Gestapo

• Created in April 1933-From Geheime Staats Polizei (Secret State Police)• System of intelligence-gathering agents-Used torture during interrogations• So successful employed in all countries

conquered• With introduction of ‘Gestapo Law’ were above

the law

Concentration Camps

• 1933: Intense Nazi crackdown on political opposition required makeshift prisons

-Prison at Dachau first of concentration camps-Reform through hardship• Harsh discipline, living conditions• Such a success that they were employed

throughout Germany

The Night of the Long Knives

• The SA were vital for Hitler’s rise-By 1934 use had ended-Faced opposition from Army, Industrialists,

common German people• Hitler faced threat of socialist revolution-30th June 1934: Hitler arrested SA leaders, allowed

complete purge of opposition-Ended July 2nd- all captured were executed-SS were Hitler’s new instrument of terror

Hitler becomes Fuehrer

• August 2nd, 1934: Death of Hindenburg

• Law passed giving Hitler ‘Fuehrer’ status and absolute power

• New oaths assigned to civil service

The Night of Broken Glass• October 27th 1938: Mass expulsion of Jews from Germany• Catalyst that pushed Hermann Grynzspan over the edge-17-year-old Jew in Paris- went to German embassy and killed official

vom Rath-November 9th: vom Rath dies of his injuries-The same day, Hitler permitted the SA to act in response against Jews

in Germany-Property destroyed, people terrorized, synagogues burnt and defaced-Resulted in new decrees banning Jews from social and economic life

in Germany-Jews had to contribute one billion marks for damage caused“Incidentally I would like to say I would not like to be a Jew in

Germany”- Hermann Goering, 10th November 1938