In 1937 Stalin began the purge of the military, accusing them of spying for Nazi Germany. In the eve of the war, 65% of the upper command was eliminated. In July 1937, the Politburo passed a resolution condemning ‘Anti-Soviet Elements’ which included scientists, artists, writers and musicians. In essence, anyone could be arrested, as the resolution was based on a quota system. Finally, in 1938, Bukharin and Rykov were executed after being
‘Hitler was able to establish a dictatorship because he banned other political parties.’ Do you agree? Explain your answer. ‘Hitler was able to establish a dictatorship because he banned other political parties.’ Do you agree? Explain your answer. ‘Hitler was able to establish a dictatorship because he banned other political parties.’ Do you agree?
Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to call a fresh general election for 5 March 1933, arguing that the NSDAP had been unable to form a coalition with the Centre Party. At the end of February the Reichstag burned down. Hitler immediately blamed the Communists, whipped up anti-Communist hysteria and banned them from taking part in the forthcoming elections. (It was widely believed that the Nazis were responsible for the fire). On 23 March 1933 the Reichstag passed the Enabling Law by a two-thirds majority (444 out of 647 - only the SPD voted against (94)) and enabled the Chancellor to rule by decree without even the need for approval by the President.
It is clear that Terror and intimidation were important factors in allowing the Nazis to consolidate power 1933, for the reason that violence still had an impact on political developments, for example, even negotiations between Hitler, von Papen and Hindenburg took place against the conditions of well publicised acts of SA (Storm troopers) violence. In May 1933 ¬, ¬SA members stormed trade union headquarters and disbanded it. This violence cuased many leaders of the SPD to flee abroad and in June its party was officially banned. The majority of the 3000 members of the party that remained were arrested and taken to the Dachau concentration camp where they were later tortured and killed. This ulitmately potrays the brutality of the Nazis, which effectively contributed to their consolidation of power.
This led to the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923 Hitler aided by General Lundendorff and a few hundred supporters marched on the Munich town hall as a pretext to a national revolution, unfortunately for Hitler this attempt failed and he was sent to prison. Similarly during the late 19th century and early 20th century Russia's political situation was as problematic as Germans. It is important to mention
On 7 November 1938, Grynszpan a Jew who had escaped to France shot Von Rath a secretary of the German Embassy in France for denying help to Grynszpan's parents who were deported to Poland. Von Rath died on November 9th because of the injuries. What happened on Kristallnatch?. The murder of von Rath by a Jewish served as the pretext for the Nazis to begin what would end up in the Holocaust, on the night from 9th to November 10th 1938, the nazis people destroyed almost all synagogues in Germany and Austria, all businesses Jews were attacked and Jewish cemeteries were dishonored, 30,000 Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps, 91 jews were killed and the rest of them tormented. The consequences of Kristallnatch, the event in Germany was rejected by various and praised by others, many governments cut off relations with Germany in protest.
People could be |(autarky) | | |arrested on suspicion of anti-government | | |In order to allow the Nazis to gain full |activities and held indefinitely in prison. |Trade unions were banned and strikes | |control of the Reichstag, he dissolved | |outlawed. Union leaders were also sent to | |parliament and called for new elections. |Courts of Law were run by the Nazis and only|Concentration Camps. | | |Nazi supporters could become judges, hence a| | |Before the new elections, the
The police, helped by the SS and the Gestapo, tried to prevent all open opposition to the regime. (Lowe, 2005) Hitler ordered the SS to murder suspected SA officers on the Night of the Long Knives on June 13 1934 to ensure his absolute control of the party. The judges of the courts were Nazis, and they were not fair and impartial to the trials. Hitler’s opponents, mainly comprised Communists, Social Democrats, Catholic priests and Protestant pastors were arrested by the Gestapo and many of them were sent to concentration camps. In Nazi Germany the police were allowed to arrest anyone they suspected to be a threat to the party and anyone who openly opposed Nazi in public would be tortured, even to death.
Just after 21.00, Goebbels received a phone call from Dr. Hansfstaengl that the Reichstag building was on fire. Goebbels later claimed that he felt the news was so fanciful that he did not inform Hitler even though he was in the same house. It was only when he received another phone call that confirmed the news, that Goebbels informed Hitler. They immediately left for the Reichstag where they met Goering. All three declared that the fire was the work of the Communists and Socialists and the SA was put on alert to maintain order if and when the communist insurrection started.
They planned to do this through the event of the Kapp Putsch in March 1920 where General Luttwitz led his Freikorps brigade into Berlin, seized the government district of the city and Wolfgang Kapp was declared chancellor by Luttwitz. The government fled to Dresden, but before doing so they appealed to the workers to strike in defence of the Republic. In response to the government’s appeal, the strike brought the capital to a halt and the rebels failed to win the support or recognition of the civil service or finiancial institutions including the Reichsbank. Eventually after four day the Kapp regime collapsed and Kapp fled to Sweden with Luttwitz. Therefore the previous government returned and only one army officer was imprisoned for his role in the plot.