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Significance of the Night of the Long Knives for Hitler's Power

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Significance of the Night of the Long Knives for Hitler's Power

In the interwar years of 1933 to 1939, Europe saw the rise of Nazi Germany, which was to become the capstone of the inter-war period, and led to the eruption of World War II, shattering the fragile peace overseen by the League of Nations. But how did a party that was in a state of political decline manage this? The Nazi regime's advancement was paralleled by the life of its leader, Adolf Hitler, who perfected his oratorical skills and worked for the advancement of the Nazi party. Such advancement was slow in coming through the years 1925 to 1929, a fairly stable period in Europe. However, as the world became hindered in depression …show more content…

There is evidence to prove that the Nazis themselves had set the fire, but in any case, this event had appropriate timing which furthered the Nazi election campaign concerning the "Communist Threat". Hitler used the incident to persuade Hindenburg to restrict all individual rights and declare that the central government could oust any state government failing to maintain order. With the Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State, Hitler could justify his actions under the Decree by saying that it was a "state of emergency" and that it would be repealed when the emergency passed. However it was never repealed while the Nazis were in power. With the powers that this gave to the Nazis, the Reichstag Fire Decree was, in effect, the foundation of Nazi rule. The decree led to the legal persecution of political rivals, such as members of the Communist party, the KPD.

Even so, the Nazis only won 43.9 percent of the electorate vote in 1933. To gain a two-thirds majority needed to pass the Enabling law, (the cornerstone of Nazi power) Hitler formed an alliance with the Nationalist party, and declared the communist party illegal. The Catholic Centre Party voluntarily liquidated itself when a deal was struck between Hitler and the Pope,

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