Adolf Hitler: A Life from Beginning to End (World War 2 Biographies)

by Hourly History

Hitler was successful in getting Hindenburg to issue the Reichstag Fire Decree, which suspended the basic rights of Germany’s citizens and allowed for detention without trial.

“Law to Remedy the Distress of People and Reich,” provided Hitler’s cabinet with the power to enact laws without the consent of parliament for four years, and it provided for the enactment of laws that deviated from the constitution.

Because it affected the constitution, the Enabling Act required a two-thirds vote. The Nazis utilized the Reichstag Fire Decree to arrest 81 Communist deputies; additionally, they prevented numerous Social Democrats from attending the vote, all of which resulted in the successful passage of the law with a vote of 441-84. This effectively transformed Hitler’s government into a legal dictatorship.