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July 1932 elections
The Nazis won 37.3% of the vote and won 230 seats. They were the largest party in the Reichstag but did not have an overall majority. -
November 1932 elections
Their vote fell to 33.1% and they lost 34 seats. They were still the largest party in the Reichstag but were starting to lose hope. -
Von Schleicher is Chancellor
General von Scheicher stopped supporting von Papen and decided he should be Chancellor himself, so Hindenburg appointed him as chancellor, although von Papen wanted to win back power and agreed to work with Hitler to make Hitler chancellor in exchange for being in the Cabinet. -
Von Papen asks Hindenberg to make Hitler Chancellor
Hindenberg refuses -
Von Scheicher resigns
He had no support in the Reichstag -
Hitler is appointed Chancellor
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Reichstag Fire
Supposedly started by Van der Lubbe with the Communists, or at least that's what the Nazis said. This was an effective piece of propaganda against the Communists. This gave the Nazis their best ever result (they won 288 seats) although it was not an overall majority. The elections weren't fair because of the violence and intimidation from the Nazis -
Emergency Power Decree passed
This suspended freedom of press, speech and liberty. The police were given emergency powers to search houses and detain people without trial. There was a death penalty for a range of crimes. The decree stayed in place for 12 years. -
Elections
Hitler called another election so he could try and win an overall majority. Since President Hindengerg already signed a decree for free and peaceful elections, Hitler used this to his advantage and used the Nazi police to break up the meetings. -
Enabling Act Passed
The SA intimidated all the remaining non-Nazi deputies. The Reichstag votes to give Hitler the right to make his own laws without the approval of the Reichstag or President. This act was significant as it triggered the Nazi revolution and basically ended the Weimar Republic. In order to have got this act passed, he banned the Communists adn intimidated the Social Democrats although unlike other parties, many of them voted against the Enabling Act. -
Boycott of Jewish businesses
This was done in order to stop people buying from Jewish businesses including shops, doctors and lawyers. After this, members of the SA stood outside shops and physically prevented customers from entering. -
Gestapo is formed
This put Nazis in control of the local government and the Gestapo could rule by terror. -
Trade Unions banned
They were abolished and their leaders were arrested. Hitler saw trade unions as a threat because they could be used to promote anti-Nazi ideas. It also gave Hitler the opportunity to set up the German Labour Front, which gave him control over German workers. -
Concordat
Hitler makes an agreement with the Pope who sees him as someone who can destroy communism. This agreement allows Hitler to take over political power in Germany as long as he leaves the Catholic Church alone. However, the Nazis didn't keep to their side of the agreement and interfered heavily in the curriculum of Catholic schools and arrested hundreds of priests and nuns on unlikely charges. -
All other political parties are banned.
Banning political parties made Germany a one-party state and destroyed democracy in the country.
After this action, Germans could no longer get rid of Hitler in an election. -
People's courts
Hitler sets up the Nazi people's courts where judges have to swear an oath of loyalty to the Nazis. -
Night of the Long Knives
Hitler ordered his second private army, the SS to arrest and shoot the leaders of the SA. At least 400 were shot including General von Schleicher and Ernst Rohm. The killing was done on Hitler's orders and he did not consult anyone and there were no judges or trials.
The SA were now much reduced in power so the army was more ready to accept Hitler as president. Every single person in the army had to swear an oath to Hitler, and this gave Hitler more control than their officers. -
Hindenberg dies
Hitler declared himself to be President and head of the army. By this time, Germany had become a dictatorship, which he then used to reinforce using a number of methods. He wanted a racial, strong and 'Volk' Germany and he wanted to put this across to the German people.
His new title was Fuhrer. -
Jews forbidden to join the armny
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Nuremberg Laws
This was the law for the protection of German Blood and Honour. This banned the marriages between Jews and Aryans and forbade them to have sexual relations outside marriage.
The Reich Citizenship Law made Jews 'subjects' rather than citizens and this meant that Jews lost some legal rights. -
Lull in anti-Jewish campaign
The Olympic Games were taking place in Berlin. Anti-Jewish signs were taken down. -
Hitler made an outspoken attack on the Jews
The Aryanisation of business was stepped up - more Jewish businesses were confiscated. -
Jews had to register their property
This made it easier to confiscate -
Jewish doctors, dentists and lawyers were forbidden to treat Aryans
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Jews had to have letter "J" stamped on passports
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Kristalnacht
Nazis destroyed Jewish synagogues, homes and shops. -
Nazis "fine" Jews for damage caused during Kristalnacht.
Much of the property damaged on Kristalnacht was only rented by Jews from German owners. the Nazis "fined" the Jews one billiob Reichmarks for the damage. -
Jewish pupils only allowed to attend Jewish schools
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Remaining Jewish businesses confiscated.
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All Jews had to add new first names
Sarah for women, Israel for men.The Reich office for emigration was established to promote emigration by 'every possible means'