23-7-17 Nazis: A Warning from History | BBC Select > .
22-10-3 Comparing Pootin to Hitler | Dream of the Great Past (subs) - Katz > .
On 27 February 1933, the Reichstag building in Berlin was set on fire in an arson attack.
Adolf Hitler had been appointed Chancellor of Germany on 30 January, but had demanded new elections for the Reichstag. These were scheduled to take place across Germany on 5 March. Hitler hoped that they would increase the Nazis’ share of the seats and therefore allow him to pass the Enabling Act to take control of political decisions for himself.
Shortly after 9pm on the evening of 27 February, Goebbels was informed that the Reichstag was on fire. Although the blaze was extinguished before midnight, the inside of the building was destroyed. Communists were blamed for starting the fire, and Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe was found and arrested.
The following day Hitler persuaded President Hindenburg to pass the emergency Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State. This suspended many civil liberties and allowed the Nazis to arrest their opponents. Thousands of communists, liberals and Social Democrats were rounded up by the SA and placed in so-called ‘protective custody’. Van Der Lubbe was tried, convicted, and executed.
Although there is debate over the exact circumstances surrounding the fire, historian Sir Ian Kershaw says there is a general consensus among the vast majority of scholars that van der Lubbe did set the fire.
There is no argument, however, that the fire was exploited by the Nazis who used it as the first step in the creation of a single-party state.
Shortly after 9pm on the evening of 27 February, Goebbels was informed that the Reichstag was on fire. Although the blaze was extinguished before midnight, the inside of the building was destroyed. Communists were blamed for starting the fire, and Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe was found and arrested.
The following day Hitler persuaded President Hindenburg to pass the emergency Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State. This suspended many civil liberties and allowed the Nazis to arrest their opponents. Thousands of communists, liberals and Social Democrats were rounded up by the SA and placed in so-called ‘protective custody’. Van Der Lubbe was tried, convicted, and executed.
Although there is debate over the exact circumstances surrounding the fire, historian Sir Ian Kershaw says there is a general consensus among the vast majority of scholars that van der Lubbe did set the fire.
There is no argument, however, that the fire was exploited by the Nazis who used it as the first step in the creation of a single-party state.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.