What was the enabling act bitesize

With the communist deputies banned and the SA intimidating all the remaining non-Nazi deputies, the Reichstag voted by the required two-thirds majority to give Hitler the right to make laws without the Reichstag's approval for four years. Arguably this was the critical event during this period. It gave Hitler absolute power to make laws, which enabled him to destroy all opposition to his rule.

This removed the Reichstag as a source of opposition. On 2 May , trade unions were abolished and their leaders arrested. It also showed the rest of the world what a tyrant Hitler was. This removed any internal Nazi Party opposition to Hitler. Members of the armed forces had to swear a personal oath of allegiance not to Germany, but to Hitler. This formally made Hitler the absolute ruler of Germany. This neutralised any sources of opposition to Hitler within the army.

Hitler also extended his power in other ways: Local government was reorganised — with Nazi Party officials put in charge of each area of Germany. Trade unions were abolished and their leaders arrested. A Concordat agreement was signed with the Pope, which allowed Hitler to increase his power in Germany without opposition from the Catholic Church, as long as he left the Church alone. People's courts: Hitler set up the Nazi people's courts where judges had to swear an oath of loyalty to the Nazis.

Reichstag Fire and Reichstag election: on 27 February the Reichstag building was set on fire. Nazi officials were put in charge of all local government. Trade unions were banned. By the autumn of Hitler was in complete control of Germany. The creation of a dictatorship, In January , Hitler became Chancellor of Germany but his real aim was to become a dictator.

A Dutch communist, van der Lubbe, was caught red-handed in the burning building. Days later in the election 44 per cent of the population voted for the Nazis, who won seats in the Reichstag — still not an overall majority. Hitler had to join with the nationalists to form a majority. Hitler used the fire to persuade Hindenburg to pass an emergency law restricting personal liberty. This enabled him to imprison many communist leaders, which stopped them campaigning during the election.

Although the Nazis the did not gain the overall majority that Hitler had hoped for in the Reichstag, it gave them enough seats - after Hitler had arrested all the communist deputies and the other parties had been intimidated by the SA - to pass the Enabling Act.

Arguably this was the critical event during this period.