How did the Enabling Act of 1933 change German governance?

The Enabling Act of 1933 allowed Hitler to enact laws without the Reichstag's approval, effectively establishing a dictatorship.

The Enabling Act, officially known as the "Law to Remedy the Distress of People and Reich," was passed on 23 March 1933. This crucial piece of legislation gave Adolf Hitler, the Chancellor of Germany, the power to enact laws without the involvement of the Reichstag (the German Parliament) or the President. Essentially, it allowed Hitler to rule by decree, bypassing the democratic processes that were in place.

The Act was passed in the context of the Reichstag Fire, which occurred on 27 February 1933. The Nazis used the fire, which they blamed on communists, to create a sense of emergency and fear. This atmosphere of panic and the subsequent suppression of political opponents helped the Nazis to push the Enabling Act through the Reichstag. The Act required a two-thirds majority to pass, and the Nazis achieved this by intimidating and arresting many of their political opponents, particularly communists and socialists, and by securing the support of the Centre Party through promises and threats.

Once the Enabling Act was in place, Hitler and the Nazi Party quickly moved to consolidate their power. They began to dismantle the Weimar Republic's democratic institutions and replace them with a totalitarian regime. The Act allowed the Nazis to pass laws that curtailed civil liberties, banned opposition parties, and established a one-party state. It also led to the Gleichschaltung process, which aimed to bring all aspects of German society under Nazi control.

In summary, the Enabling Act of 1933 was a pivotal moment in German history. It marked the end of the Weimar Republic and the beginning of Hitler's dictatorship, setting the stage for the totalitarian regime that would lead Germany into World War II and the horrors of the Holocaust.