The Rise and Consolidation of Nazi Power in Germany
The repression of leftist forces, the alignment of powerful socialist unions with the Nazi government, and the subsequent seizure of goods and imprisonment of leaders (as was the case with the Communist Party and the SPD) diminished the chance of change. On March 23, Hitler approved the Enabling Act, which did not require parliamentary ratification of any law emanating from the Foreign Ministry. The KPD (Communist Party of Germany), the SPD, and other parties were outlawed, leaving only National Socialism legal as of July 14. On May 10, books by major German authors deemed immoral were publicly burned, and the works of other authors who had elevated German art to a universal level were banned. This symbolized the demise of the Weimar Republic.
A complex combination of circumstances suggests that the rise of the Nazis to power was not solely the result of a democratic decision. While they were the largest party, the sum of votes for their opponents was greater. However, lacking the violence and power of the Nazis, it could be summarized that Hitler came to power with the votes, but also through coercion.
Though lasting only twelve years, the Third Reich left an infamous mark on mankind. The establishment and development of the Third Reich can be defined politically as the dismantling of all civil rights enshrined in the Constitution of 1919 and their replacement by arbitrary one-party rule under the charismatic leader, Adolf Hitler, who concentrated the posts of Chancellor and President under the title of Führer (leader or ruler) from 1934. Thus, a mediocre and demagogic man, unsuccessful in architecture, painting, and the army, reached maximum power in Germany, building a nation based on hatred and supported by large industrialists and bankers opposed to the social content of the Weimar Republic.
In the early years, Hitler launched a policy aimed at full employment, focusing on inflation control and rearmament, meeting the expectations of industry and providing uniforms for hundreds of thousands of unemployed youth.
A set of public policies helped to secure popular support for the new regime, which also benefited from a favorable start, all accompanied by an insistent indoctrination program systematically transmitted across Germany through all media.
Another central element of the legitimacy of Nazism was the construction of a scapegoat blamed for all ills, from inflation to the communist menace, through defeat in war or global weakness. The racist policy began in 1933 when Nazi party members stood at the gates of Jewish businesses and blocked customer entrances. Subsequently, their access to certain jobs was reduced, and they were forbidden from holding important positions in administration. The determination of who was a Jew was made through identifying features, based on the alleged “Jewish soul.” Hermann Goering stated: “In my ministry, I decide who is Jewish.” Shortly after, these measures also reached the Roma. From the so-called “Night of Broken Glass” between November 9 and 10, 1938, the position of Jews worsened, leading to the Holocaust, which claimed the lives of nearly 6,000,000 of them.
One of the key elements of the administrative organization in the Nazi period was the merger or overlap of state charges and the party, granting real power across the state organization to this group. Through the call Gleichshaltung (coordination), Nazi patterns of behavior were incorporated as general models applicable to German society. This was achieved through compulsory incorporation into the appropriate party organization for each age group (youth, students, workers, etc.), all accompanied by a harsh cultural policy. Under the direction of Minister of Propaganda Goebbels, the Reich Chamber of Culture was established, responsible for everything related to music, painting, theater, literature, essays, press, radio, and film.