The Enabling Act was passed on March 23rd, 1933, and was a significant event in the history of Nazi Germany. For instance, historians consider it important to the rise to power of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. In short, the Enabling Act gave Adolf Hitler, who had recently been appointed Chancellor, the authority to enact laws without the involvement of the German government. This effectively destroyed the democratic institutions of Germany and made Hitler a fascist dictator.
ENABLING ACT – BACKGROUND
Historians have identified several significant events that led to the use of the Enabling Act in 1933. As stated above, the use of the Enabling Act was part of Adolf Hitler’s rise to power as a fascist dictator in Germany. As such, the events that led to the Enabling Act are related to Hitler and the Nazi Party’s attempt to gain control over the reigns of power in the German government. For instance, historians consider the Reichstag Fire and the resulting Reichstag Fire Decree as significant to the eventual use of the Enabling Act.
Adolf Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany, leader of the democratically elected government on January 30th, 1933. Having become Chancellor, Hitler prevented all attempts by his opponents to gain a majority in parliament, and was presented with an opportunity in February of 1933 when the Reichstag building was set on fire. Hitler believed this was his chance to use the people’s fear of communism as a means of gaining complete control of Germany. The fire was blamed on communists to build on people’s fears that there was a communist revolution emerging in Germany. Due to public and political concerns, the day after the fire Hitler asked for and received, from President Hindenburg, the Reichstag Fire Decree. It suspended most civil liberties in Germany and was used by the Nazis to ban publications not considered ‘friendly’ to the Nazi cause.
ENABLING ACT – SUMMARY
Officially called the Law to Remedy the Suffering of People, the Enabling Act gave Hitler emergency powers for a period of four years, which the Nazi Party argued was needed following the Reichstag Fire that occurred just weeks earlier. More specifically, it gave Hitler authority to create laws without the involvement of the German parliament and without the approval from German President Paul Hindenburg. The Enabling Act was quickly passed since, by this point, the Nazi Party controlled the majority of the seats in the Reichstag. Regardless, on the day it was voted in to law, the Nazis had SA members present in order to intimidate legislators from other parties into approving it. While Hitler promised to use restraint with the emergency powers granted to him in the Enabling Act, he ultimately used it as an opportunity to gain complete control over the country.
This effectively allowed Hitler and the Nazi Party to ban all other political parties and Germany ceased to be a democratic country and became a dictatorship under Adolf Hitler. German President Paul von Hindenburg signed ‘The Enabling Act’ under public pressure of a communist takeover and based on the popularity of the Nazi Party and Hitler within Germany.
ENABLING ACT – SIGNIFICANCE
As stated above, historians consider the Enabling Act to be a significant stage in Hitler’s rise to power since it effectively ended democracy within Germany. Ironically, with the passage of the Enabling Act, the German parliament (Reichstag) effectively ended its own powers and granted Hitler and the Nazi Party complete control. With his powers, Hitler banned all other political parties and censored any media that he did not approve of. As such, historians view this as the final stage in Hitler’s rise to power since he essentially created a dictatorship with himself in charge.
President Paul von Hindenburg died on August 2nd, 1934. Rather than holding new presidential elections, Hitler’s cabinet passed a law proclaiming the presidency dormant and transferred the role and powers of the head of state to Hitler as Führer und Reichskanzler (leader and chancellor). As head of state, Hitler now became supreme commander of the armed forces. Hitler’s rise to power in Germany was complete. As such, the Enabling Act is historically significant as the main aspect that allowed Hitler to transform Germany into a totalitarian regime. As well, it set the stage for major historical events, such as the Holocaust and World War II.
