Germany - The Nazi Dictatorship 1933-39

By Daisy Willans

  • Hitler became chancellor

  • Hermann Goering became chief of police

  • The Reichstag Fire

    Marinus van der Lubbe (a Dutch communist) was arrested. Hitler used the fire as an opportunity to attack the communists

  • The Decree for the Protection of the People and the State

    This gave Hitler powers to suspend the civil rights of German citizens. He was able to imprison political opponents and ban communist newspapers.

  • German general election

    Nazi seats = 288

  • Dachau (the first concentration camp) established

  • The Enabling Act

    The Law for the Removal of the Distress of the People and Reich. It gave Hitler the power to make laws for four years without the consent of the Reichstag.

  • The Geheime Staatspolizei set up

    The Gestapo were Hitler's non-uniformed secret police force set up by Hermann Goering. They were placed under SS control in 1936.

  • Trade unions banned

    This also made strikes illegal.

  • All political parties banned

  • Hitler reached a concordat with the Pope

    Hitler agreed to: confirm freedom of worship for Catholics and not to interfere with Catholic schools in Germany. The Roman Catholic Church agreed that its priests would not interfere in politics and ordered German bishops to swear loyalty to the National Socialist regime.

  • Ludwig Müller became Reich Bishop

  • Länder parliaments abolished

    Hitler could not control the 18 local governments so he banned them and declared Nazi governors would run each region.

  • The Night of the Long Knives

    Hitler arranged for Ernst Röhm and other senior SA officers to be arrested and shot.

  • Ernst Röhm died

    Over a period of about four days, around 400 people including 150 senior members of the SA were shot without trial.

  • President Hindenburg died

    Hitler declared himself Führer and forced an oath of loyalty from every soldier in the army.

  • The Berlin Olympics began

  • Pope Pius XI issues 'Mit Brennender Sorge'

    Translates as 'With Burning Anxiety'.

  • Concentration camps used inmates for forced labour

  • 150,000 people under 'protective arrest'

  • 6 Nazi concentration camps

    Holding about 20,000 people in total.