[Marxism] Re: Civilians, the nature of war and some corrections

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The final vote under the Weimar Republic was actually under a
dictatorship. Here's an excellent summary.
_________________________

How did Germany descend so quickly into becoming a dictatorship ?

When Hitler was appointed in January 1933, Germany was a democracy.
Germany had fair elections; nobody had their right to vote abused;
there were numerous political parties you could vote for etc. To pass a
law, the Reichstag had to agree to it after a bill went through the
normal processes of discussion, arguments etc. Within the Reichstag of
January 1933, over 50% of those who held seats  were against the Nazi
Party. Therefore it would have been very unlikely for Hitler to have
got passed into law what he wanted. Many saw Hitler as a fall-guy
politician who would have to shoulder to blame if things got worse
under his leadership.

Hitler had promised a general election for March 1933. This would have
been, in his mind, the perfect opportunity for him to show all
politicians  who opposed him where the true loyalties lay in the German
people. In fact, 1932 had shown Hitler that there was a possibility
that support for the Nazis had peaked as their showing in the November
1932 election had shown. Anything other than a huge endorsement of
Hitler and the Nazi Party would have been a disaster and a gamble which
it is possible that Hitler did not want to take.

One week before the election was due to take place, the Reichstag
building burned down. Hitler immediately declared that it was the
signal for a communist takeover of the nation. Hitler knew that if he
was to convince President Hindenburg to give him emergency powers - as
stated in the Weimar Constitution - he had to play on the old
president's fear of communism. What better than to convince him that
the communists were about to take over the nation by force?

A known communist - Marianus van der Lubbe - was caught near the
Reichstag building immediately after the fire had started. Those that
arrested him - Nazi officials - claimed that Lubbe confessed to them
that the fire was a signal to other communists to start the revolution
to overthrow democracy in the country. Matches were allegedly found on
van der Lubbe and those who arrested him claimed that he smelt of
petrol.

Hitler asked Hindenburg to grant him emergency powers in view of the
'communist takeover'. Using the constitution, Hindenburg agreed to pass
the Law for the Protection of the People and the State.

This law gave Hitler what he wanted - a ban on the Communists and
Socialists taking part in an election campaign. The leaders from both
parties were arrested and their newspapers were shut down. To 'keep the
peace' and maintain law and order, the SA (the Brown Shirts) roamed the
streets beating up those who openly opposed Hitler.

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/Nazi_Germany_dictatorship.htm


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