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Hitler Becomes Chancellor On January 30th, 1933 President Hindenburg decided to appoint Hitler Chancellor in a coalition government with Papen as Vice-Chancellor. On the night of January 30, 1933, the Nazis organized a massive torchlight parade in Berlin to celebrate the appointment of Hitler as Chancellor of Germany.
The Reichstag Fire On 27th February, 1933, someone set fire to the Reichstag, the seat of German government. A young man from the Netherlands, Marianus van der Lubbe, was eventually executed for the crime. As a teenager Lubbe had been a communist and Hermann Goering used this information to claim that the Reichstag Fire was part of a KPD plot to overthrow the government. Lubbe was beheaded for a crime it is unlikely that he committed. Many historians believe that the fire was set by Nazi's as a means of attacking opposition.
The Enabling Bill is passed After the 1933 General Election Hitler proposed an Enabling Bill that would give him dictatorial powers. Such an act needed three-quarters of the members of the Reichstag to vote in its favour. With many of the opposition in prison, hiding or having left the country, Hitler was able to do a deal with the remaining parties and the act was passed. Hitler was now dictator of Germany. He set about banning Trade Unions and opposition parties. By the end of 1933 150 000 political prisoners were in concentration camps.
The Anschluss of Austria Demands for the union (Anschluss) of Austria and Germany increased after Adolf Hitler became German Chancellor. In February, 1938, Hitler invited the Austrian Chancellor, to meet him at Berchtesgarden. Hitler demanded concessions for the Austrian Nazi Party. The Austrian Chancellor refused and after resigning was replaced by the leader of the Austrian Nazi Party. On 13th March, the new Austrian Chancellor invited the German Army to occupy Austria and proclaimed union with Germany.
Image of Greeting the German ArmyThe Munich Agreement 'Peace in our time!' In September 1938, Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister, met Adolf Hitler at his home in Berchtesgaden. Hitler threatened to invade Czechoslovakia unless Britain supported Germany's plans to takeover the Sudetenland. Chamberlain informed Hitler that his proposals were unacceptable. A further meeting took place in Munich on 29th September, 1938. Desperate to avoid war, Neville Chamberlain agreed that Germany could have the Sudetenland. In return, Hitler promised not to make any further territorial demands in Europe. "> To Watch Pathe Film Clip Click Here
Image of Peace in Our TimeCrystal Night Since Hitler’s coming to power hostility to Jews increased greatly. Pressure was put on them to leave the country, with shops and professions being boycotted by the German people. On the night of the 9th November 1938 over 7,500 Jewish shops were destroyed and 400 synagogues were burnt down. Ninety-one Jews were killed and an estimated 20,000 were sent to concentration camps. The whole event was organized by the Nazi party. After it the number of Jews wishing to leave the country increased dramatically.
Germany invades Czechoslovakia Having occupied Sudetenland in October 1938, little stood in the way of further German aggression. On the 15th March 1939 the German army took over the rest of Czechoslovakia. The Czech Army was disbanded and the Germans took control of the country's highly developed arms industry.
Nazi-Soviet Pact Signed Stalin realized that war with Germany was inevitable. However, to have any chance of victory he needed time to build up his armed forces. He therefore needed to do a deal with Hitler. Stalin was convinced that Hitler would not be foolish enough to fight a war on two fronts. If he could persuade Hitler to sign a peace treaty with the Soviet Union, Germany was likely to invade Western Europe instead. On 28th August, 1939, the Nazi-Soviet Pact was signed in Moscow. Under the terms of the agreement, both countries promised to remain neutral if either country became involved in a war.
Germany invades Poland In August 1939, a group of concentration camp prisoners were dressed in Polish uniforms, shot and then placed just inside the German border. Adolf Hitler claimed that Poland was attempting to invade Germany. On 1st September, 1939, the German Army was ordered into Poland. Britain and France had pledged support to Poland and so on the 3rd September declared war on Germany.