The Rise of Nazism and the Totalitarian Regime in Germany
The Rise of Nazism to Power
The difficult economic situation resulting from the crisis of 1929 offered a new opportunity for the Nazis, as increased social unrest favored radical speech. In the 1932 elections, the Nazis won 196 seats and the Communists 100. The conservative forces, alarmed by Communist influence, preferred to reach an agreement with Hitler. In 1933, Hitler was named chancellor in a coalition government. The reasons for the electoral success of the Nazis are to be found in the support they found among the middle classes, ruined farmers, unemployed workers, and desperate soldiers and former combatants. A significant part of German public opinion saw Hitler as a defense against communism. He also had the support of important figures from industry and finance, and financial assistance from some big businesses.
The building of the authoritarian state began in 1933. Hitler obtained President Hindenburg’s permission to dissolve Parliament and call new elections. A government decree banned the press and meetings of the opposition. Records and persecutions multiplied. In the streets, brownshirts spread panic and terror. The Reichstag fire occurred, and the Communists were falsely accused. The attack served as an excuse to suspend civil liberties, abolish judicial review of detention, and restore the death penalty. Under these conditions, the Nazi party won a majority, but the left (Socialists and Communists) reached 30%. Hitler needed and obtained support from the Catholic Center for Parliament to grant him full power and authority to make laws. The concentration of power in Hitler’s hands was completed after the death of Hindenburg. Hitler combined the functions of Chancellor and President and was proclaimed Führer and Reich Chancellor.
Construction of the Totalitarian Regime
The Nazis transformed Germany into a totalitarian regime. Hitler and the party controlled the institutions, society, and individuals. The dissolution of political parties and trade unions was decreed, and freedoms and individual rights were suppressed. Only the NSDAP was authorized, and workers were affiliated with the only trade union.
The government was refined, authorizing dismissal for political and racial reasons. The Judiciary disappeared as an independent power and was subjected to the will of the party. A court for political crimes was formed. Local authorities in the various states were removed and transferred to the Reich. Under the authority of the Führer, a group of party leaders organized the new state. Several other ministerial offices were fully managed by men identified with Hitler. The police were replaced in their role of control and repression by the Nazi paramilitary formations, notably the SS. The Gestapo (secret police) was created, responsible for the repression of opponents and control over public opinion. The first concentration camps were opened. It remained to achieve the total submission of the party to Hitler’s guidelines. A sector of the SA held political differences with the Führer and insisted on anti-capitalist slogans. Neutralization was carried out on the Night of the Long Knives, where more than 300 SA leaders were murdered. From then on, Hitler’s control of the state and the Nazi party was absolute.
Racial Purity
A central element to achieving ideological and social cohesion of the German people was to ensure racial purity. It was alleged that the Aryan race had to be protected by the exclusion of those with physical disabilities, ethnic minorities, and dissidents. Moreover, the regime favored the birth of “true Aryans” and adopted a set of eugenic measures to sterilize individuals. The racial issue that reached greater magnitude was the persecution of the Jews. The causes of anti-Semitism must be sought in the desire to offer an easy explanation for misfortunes, a scapegoat for all responsibilities. Some Jews had great fortunes, a fact that caused resentment among the population.
The anti-Jewish policies went through different phases:
- 1933: A boycott of Jewish businesses was enacted.
- 1935: The Nuremberg Laws prevented intermarriage and excluded Jews from German citizenship. They were forced to wear a badge.
The animus against the Jews took the form of persecution. The most dramatic event was in 1938, called the Night of Broken Glass, in which thousands of Jews were arrested, murdered, their shops destroyed, and synagogues burned.