The Gleichschaltung is the process by which the Nazis quickly established in Germany a totalitarian system and a close coordination between all the aspects of the State and the company following the arrival of Adolf Hitler with the capacity on January 30th, 1933. The term, borrowed from the technical vocabulary, means “synchronization literally”, and was employed by Euphémisme by the Nazis themselves.

The desire of total control of the Nazi party required the elimination of any other influence. The period of 1933 to 1937 was characterized by the systematic elimination of all the organizations not Nazis, like the Syndicats and the political parties. The mode also fought the influence of the Église, for example by founding the ministry for Reich to the ecclesiastical Businesses under the control of Hans Kerrl. The organizations which the party could not eliminate, like the schools, were placed under its direct control.

Specific measures

Gleichschaltung can refer more specifically to the legal measurements taken by the government during the first months after Adolf Hitler had become chancellor of Germany. In this direction, the term was used by the Nazis themselves.

• the shortly after the Fire of the Reichstag the February 27th 1933, the president of Germany, Paul von Hindenburg, at the request of Hitler, signed the decree of the fire of the Reichstag. This decree suspended the majority of the rights specified in the constitution of 1919, and consequently occasion, authorized the arrest of the political adversaries, more particularly the communist , as well as the threat by the Sturmabteilung of the citizens before the following elections.

• the March 3rd 1933, the general elections of the Reichstag took place in this atmosphere and gave a narrow majority for the coalition government of Hitler, and not of majority for her own party, NSDAP.

• on March 21st 1933, took place the first action of Propagande of scale, the Journée of Potsdam, organized by Joseph Goebbels,

• When new the Reichstag convened the March 23rd 1933 (the communist delegation is not included, since this party was already banished) voted the Loi of the full powerss ( Ermächtigungsgesetz ), transferring all the legislative powers to the government Nazi and removing separation of the capacities. A little later the government banishes the social democrat Parti (SPD) which had voted against the law, while the other parties chose to dissolve them to even avoid the arrests and the concentration camps.

• the first law of the Gleichschaltung ( erstes Gleichschaltungsgesetz ) (March 31st 1933) to the government of Länder the same legislative power gave that the Government of Reich had received through the law of the full powerss.

• One second law of the Gleichschaltung ( zweites Gleichschaltungsgesetz ) (April 7th 1933) deployed a Reichsstatthalter (proconsul) in each State, except in Prussia, which was already under control Nazi since the Preußenschlag of the July 20th 1932. These officers were supposed to act like a president in each State, indicated by the governments. For the Prussia vaster State of Germany, Hitler reserved the rights for itself.

• the General confederation of the German trade unions ( Allgemeiner Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund , ADGB) was dissolved the May 2nd 1933, the shortly after the Labor Day, when the units SA and of NSBO ( Nationalsozialistische Betriebszellenorganisation ) occupied the unions trade unionists; the chiefs of the ADGB were imprisoned. Many associations were forced to amalgamate with the Deutsche Arbeitsfront (DAF), substitute Nazi of the AGBD, the months following.

• the law against the formation of political parties ( Gesetz gegen die Neubildung von Parteien ) of July 14th, 1933 prevented any creation of a new political party.

• the law of rebuilding of Reich ( Gesetz über den Neuaufbau of Reiches ) of June 30th, 1934 gave up the Fédéralisme. Instead of that, the political establishments of Länder were practically entirely removed, transferring all the capacities to the central government. Consequently, another law dating of February 14th, 1934 dissolves the Reichsrat, the representation of Länder at the federal level.

• the night of the Long Knives: In the night of the June 30th at July 1st, 1934), the S liquidated Ernst Röhm and other members of SA of the Nazi party, of which the founder, the chancellor Kurt von Schleicher, and many its assistances. These measurements were legalized by the law to the measures of self-defense of the State ( Gesetz über Maßnahmen der Staatsnotwehr ) (July 3rd, 1934).

• With 9:00 of the morning the August 2nd 1934, the President of Reich ( Reichspräsident ) Paul von Hindenburg dies at the 81 years age. Three hours front, the government had voted a law which would take effect at the time of its death: this one prescribed that the president's functions of Reich was to be plain with the Chancelier of Reich and that competences of the preceding government were to be transferred to the “Führer and chancellor from Reich” ( Führer und Reichskanzler ), Adolf Hitler. Hitler asked for the application of this article. Thus was abolished the Séparation of the capacities.

Legislation

• Reichstagsbrandverordnung
• Law of the full powerss
• Law Regarding Measures off State Coil-Defense

Related articles

• Weimar Republic

• Third Reich
• Rearmament under IIIe Reich
• Adolf Hitler
• Totalitarianism

Sources

• Karl Kroeschell, Deutsche Rechtsgeschichte 3 (seit 1650) , 2nd edition, 1989, ISBN 3531221396
• Karl Kroeschell, Rechtsgeschichte Deutschlands im 20. Jahrhundert , 1992, ISBN 3-8252-1681-0
• Lebendiges Museum on line: Die Errichtung of Einparteienstaats , 1933, *