The Reichstag Fire
What Happened?
Who Was Blamed?
Why Was It Important for Hitler?
Excuse to Crush the Communists
Reichstag Fire Decree (28 February 1933)
Helped Influence the March 1933 Election
Paved the Way for the Enabling Act
Summary Table: How the Reichstag Fire Helped Hitler
Eliminated opposition - Communists arrested and silenced.
Justified emergency powers - Hitler claimed Germany was under threat.
Increased Nazi control - Police could arrest without trial; civil liberties suspended.
Helped win support - Created fear among the public, made Nazis seem like protectors.
Enabled the Enabling Act - With KPD banned, Nazis secured 2/3 majority in Reichstag.
Exam Tips
- Date: 27 February 1933
- Event: The Reichstag (German parliament) building in Berlin was set on fire.
- Arrested: Marinus van der Lubbe, a Dutch communist, was found at the scene and confessed.
Who Was Blamed?
- The Nazis blamed the Communist Party (KPD) for plotting a revolution.
- Hitler and Goebbels used the event to spread fear of communism.
- Historians still debate whether the Nazis set the fire themselves to create an excuse.
Why Was It Important for Hitler?
Excuse to Crush the Communists
- The fire gave Hitler a pretext to act against his political enemies.
- Around 4,000 communists were arrested within days.
Reichstag Fire Decree (28 February 1933)
- Issued by President Hindenburg, using Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution.
- Full name: Decree for the Protection of People and State
- Key powers it gave Hitler:
- Suspended civil rights: freedom of speech, press, and assembly.
- Allowed police to arrest and imprison people without trial.
- Enabled the Nazis to ban Communist newspapers and shut down meetings.
Helped Influence the March 1933 Election
- Nazis used the fire and decree to intimidate voters and crush rivals.
- Communist Party effectively banned from campaigning.
- Although the Nazis didn’t win a majority, they increased their vote and formed a coalition.
Paved the Way for the Enabling Act
- By removing the communists from the Reichstag, Hitler had enough support to pass the Enabling Act (23 March 1933).
- The Enabling Act gave Hitler dictatorial powers – the Reichstag Fire was the first step.
Summary Table: How the Reichstag Fire Helped Hitler
Eliminated opposition - Communists arrested and silenced.
Justified emergency powers - Hitler claimed Germany was under threat.
Increased Nazi control - Police could arrest without trial; civil liberties suspended.
Helped win support - Created fear among the public, made Nazis seem like protectors.
Enabled the Enabling Act - With KPD banned, Nazis secured 2/3 majority in Reichstag.
Exam Tips
- Know the date (27 February 1933) and the decree that followed.
- Use specific terms like Article 48, civil liberties, emergency decree.
- Be able to explain cause and effect (e.g., “The fire led to the Reichstag Fire Decree, which allowed…”).
