What does it mean to enable something What

• What does it mean to “enable” something? • What do you think the “Enabling Act” might do?

We are learning to • Explain how Hitler consolidates power • Analyse what the Enabling Act allowed the Nazis to do • Evaluate which reason is the most important in Nazi consolidation of power

• After the March election, the Nazis had a majority in the Reichstag • The first thing they did was to pass the “Enabling Act” on 23 rd March 1933 • This act would give Hitler complete control over the law making process in Germany

• What do you think the remaining politicians would say/do? • Hitler uses the SA to intimidate anyone who might vote against him • The vote is passed 350 votes to 90 – Hitler has legally demolished democracy in Germany

• The Weimar Republic is dead after only 14 years

• So what did the Enabling Act do and how did it help Hitler became dictator?

• When reading the following information, add the important parts of the Enabling Act to your mind-map

The GESTAPO • April 1933 - The Gestapo (secret police) were set up

TRADE UNIONS • May 1933 - Trade unions are abolished, their leaders arrested and Nazis take direct control of workers rights

CONCORDAT • June 1933 – Hitler makes an agreement with the Pope agreeing to leave Catholics alone if the Catholic Church stays out of politics • Hitler uses this support to ban the Catholic Zentrum Party

ONE-PARTY STATE • July 1933 – All parties except the Nazis are banned

This memorial outside the Reichstag remembers all the ex Members of Parliament who died in concentration camps

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp • The Nazis built this concentration camp in 1936 • It was built primarily for political prisoners

PEOPLE’S COURTS • April 1934 – Judges have to swear an oath of loyalty to the Nazis

NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES • June 1934 – many members of the SA are assassinated, removing opposition to Hitler within the Nazis

FUHRER • August 1934 – Hindenberg dies and Hitler combines the office of Chancellor and President to become Führer