Hitler's Rise to Power

By jlopes

  • Wall Street Crash - The Great Depression (economic factor)

    Turning point in Nazi supporters
  • Period: to

    HItler's Rise to Power

  • 1930 September Elections - Nazis second largest party

    New elections were held. The biggest winner in these elections was Adolf Hitler's National Socialist Party. From twelve seats in parliament they increased their seats to 107, becoming Germany's second largest political party. The largest party was still the Social Democrats, and this party won 143 seats and 24.5 percent of the vote. Communist Party candidates won 13.1 percent of the vote (roughly 50 times better than the U.S. Communist Party did in 1932 elections).

  • Hitler vs Hindenberg - 1932 elections

    Neither Hindenburg nor Hitler won a majority, and in the runoff campaign Hindenburg won 19.4 million to Hitler's 11.4. But in the parliamentary elections held later that April, the National Socialists increased their seats from 107 to 162, the National Socialists becoming the largest political party in Germany.

  • Reichstag elections: Nazi party becomes the largest party

    The National Socialists increased their seats in parliament still more -- to 230 of a total of 670 seats. The number of seats for the Communists rose to 89.

  • 1932 - Unemployment at its height, 30% of population affected (economic factor)

    The depression had been worsening in Germany, and in 1932 unemployment reached thirty percent -- 5,102,000 in September.

  • Reichstag elections: Nazi party loses votes

    In the November elections, the Communists won seventeen percent of the vote, and their number of seats in parliament rose to 100, while Hitler's National Socialists lost 34 seats. This drop shocked the National Socialists, who believed, with some others, that their movement might have lost its momentum.

  • Franz von Papen leaves office - Hindenburg is left without a Chancellor

    Nov 17, 1932 Franz von Papen leaves office

  • Hitler becomes Chancellor (political factor)

  • Reichstag Fire

    Feb 27, 1933 Reichstag Fire occurred, widely deemed by historians as having been set by SA, at the time officially blamed on Communists.

  • Law for the Protection of People and State passed by Hitler

    Feb 28, 1933 Law for the Protection of People and State ("Reichstag Fire Decree"): civil liberties suspended. Gleichschaltung ("coordination"), the process of exerting totalitarian control over Germany, begins. Over the next five months, the Nazis systematically force all opposition political parties to shut down.

  • Enabling Act

    Enabling Act, passed with help of Catholic Center Party, effectively hands the legislative powers of the Reichstag over to the Chancellor. Act permits Chancellor and cabinet to issue laws without a vote of Parliament and to deviate from the Constitution. Effectively hands legislative power to Nazi cabinet.

  • Jewish Boycott

    Antisemitic legislation and acts - Jewish business boycotted and jews expelled from civil service. Proof of aryan identity required.

  • Proclamation of Nazi Party as the only German Political Party

    Hitler proclaims the Nazi party "the only political party in Germany." All others banned.

  • Pact of the Deutschland - Reversing the Treaty of Versailles

    Pact of the Deutschland: Hitler persuades the top officials of the army and navy to back his bid to succeed Hindenburg as president, by promising to "diminish" the three-million-man SA and greatly expand the regular army and navy.

  • The Knight of the Long Knives - Eliminates Oppposition

    Jun 30, 1934 Night of the Long Knives or Blood Purge: On pretext of suppressing an alleged SA putsch, much of the brownshirt leadership (i.e. Ernst Roehm) are arrested and executed. Schleicher and other political enemies murdered. Papen briefly imprisoned. Hundreds killed. The SS, formerly part of the SA, now comes to the forefront.

  • Establishes Supreme Power

    Defending the purge, Hitler declares that to defend Germany he has the right to act unilaterally as "supreme judge" without resort to courts. Bans all of the existing political parties apart from the Nazis, and becomes a single party state.

  • Hindensberg's Death

  • Army swears oath to HItler

    Aug 3, 1934 Army swear oath to Hitler. Contrast with Franco and Mao as they make an oath to the nation.