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The Nazi party gained 37.4% of the vote in the Reichstag elections to become the largest party.
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Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Hindenburg.
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Hitler defined the Nazi party foreign policy. The prime goal was to secure lebensraum (living space) for the German master race.
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The Reichstag Fire. A fire which broke out at the Reichstag building was blamed on the Communist Party (KPD). As a result the KPD, which was the second largest party in Germany, was banned. The banning of the Communist party gave the Nazis a clear majority in government.
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Enabling Act gave Hitler power to make laws without consulting the Reichstag for a period of four years.
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The Nazis took over local government.
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Trade Unions were banned.
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All political parties except the Nazis were banned.
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Germany withdrew from the League of Nations.
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The Night of the Long Knives – 150 leaders of the Stormtroopers SA were executed. Many members of the SA were committed socialists and demanded that Nazi policy embrace socialist aims. This was not a direction the Nazis wished to follow so the SA were eliminated.
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President Hindenburg died. Hitler combined the post of President and Chancellor and called himself Fuhrer.
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Hitler ordered Hermann Goering to establish the Luftwaffe, German airforce, in defiance of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
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Nuremburg Laws defined German citizenship. Relationships between Jews and Aryans were banned.
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Re-occupation of the Rhineland. In contravention of the terms of the Versailles Treaty, Hitler sent German troops to re-occupy the Rhineland.
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Axis alliance concluded between Germany and Italy.
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Anti-Comintern pact concluded between Germany and Japan.
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Munich Agreement – Allies agreed that Germany could have the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia in return for peace.
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Hitler invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia in contravention of the Munich Agreement.
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Britain issued a statement guaranteeing Poland’s independence. The issuing of this statement meant that if Germany invaded Poland then Britain would come to the aid of the Poles.
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Nazi-Soviet Pact – Alliance between Hitler and Stalin which agreed to divide Poland between the two countries.
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Hitler invaded Poland using Blitzkrieg (lightning war) tactics. Although the Poles fought back they were quickly defeated and Poland was occupied.
