Patriot Act vs.

Hitler's Enabling Act 10/02/05 Hitler Becomes Dictator After the elections of March 5, 1933, the Nazis began a s stematic ta!eo"er of the state go"ernments thro#gho#t $erman , en%ing a cent#ries ol% tra%ition of local &olitical in%e&en%ence' Arme% (A an% (( th#gs barge% into local go"ernment offices #sing the state of emergenc %ecree as a &rete)t to thro* o#t legitimate office hol%ers an% re&lace them *ith Nazi +eich commissioners' ,olitical enemies *ere arreste% b the tho#san%s an% &#t in hastil constr#cte% hol%ing &ens' -l% arm barrac!s an% aban%one% factories *ere #se% as &risons' -nce insi%e, &risoners *ere s#b.ecte% to militar st le %rills an% harsh %isci&line' /he *ere often beaten an% sometimes e"en tort#re% to %eath' /his *as the "er beginning of the Nazi concentration cam& s stem' At this time, these earl concentration cam&s *ere loosel organize% #n%er the control of the (A an% the ri"al ((' Man *ere little more than barbe% *ire stoc!a%es !no* as 0*il%0 concentration cam&s, set #& b local $a#leiters an% (A lea%ers' 1or A%olf Hitler, the goal of a legall establishe% %ictatorshi& *as no* *ithin reach' -n March 15, 1933, a cabinet meeting *as hel% %#ring *hich Hitler an% $2ring %isc#sse% ho* to obstr#ct *hat *as left of the %emocratic &rocess to get an 3nabling Act &asse% b the +eichstag' /his la* *o#l% han% o"er the constit#tional f#nctions of the +eichstag to Hitler, incl#%ing the &o*er to ma!e la*s, control the b#%get an% a&&ro"e treaties *ith foreign go"ernments' /he emergenc %ecree signe% b Hin%enb#rg on 1ebr#ar 24, after the +eichstag fire, ma%e it eas for them to interfere *ith non5Nazi electe% re&resentati"es of the &eo&le b sim&l arresting them' As Hitler &lotte% to bring %emocrac to an en% in $erman , ,ro&agan%a Minister 6ose&h $oebbels &#t together a brilliant &#blic relations %is&la at the official o&ening of the ne*l electe% +eichstag' -n March 21, in the $arrison 7h#rch at ,ots%am, the b#rial &lace of 1re%eric! the $reat, an elaborate ceremon too! &lace %esigne% to ease &#blic concern o"er Hitler an% his gangster5li!e ne* regime' 8t *as atten%e% b ,resi%ent Hin%enb#rg, foreign %i&lomats, the $eneral (taff an% all the ol% g#ar%

going bac! to the %a s of the 9aiser' Dresse% in their han%some #niforms s&rin!le% *ith me%als, the *atche% a most re"erent A%olf Hitler gi"e a s&eech &a ing res&ect to Hin%enb#rg an% celebrating the #nion of ol% ,r#ssian militar tra%itions an% the ne* Nazi +eich' As a s mbol of this, the ol% 8m&erial flags *o#l% soon a%% s*asti!as' 1inishing his s&eech, Hitler *al!e% o"er to Hin%enb#rg an% res&ectf#ll bo*e% before him *hile ta!ing hol% of the ol% man0s han%' /he scene *as recor%e% on film an% b &ress &hotogra&hers from aro#n% the *orl%' /his *as &recisel the im&ression Hitler an% $oebbels *ante% to gi"e to the *orl%, all the *hile &lotting to toss asi%e Hin%enb#rg an% the electe% +eichstag' :ater that same %a , Hin%enb#rg signe% t*o %ecrees &#t before him b Hitler . /he first offere% f#ll &ar%ons to all Nazis c#rrentl in &rison' /he &rison %oors s&rang o&en an% o#t came an assortment of Nazi th#gs an% m#r%erers' The second decree signed by the befuddled old man allowed for the arrest of anyone suspected of maliciously criticizing the government and the Nazi party. A third decree signed only by Hitler and Papen allowed for the establishment of special courts to try political offenders. These courts were conducted in the military style of a court martial without a !ury and usually with no counsel for the defense. -n March 23, the ne*l electe% +eichstag met in the 9roll -&era Ho#se in Berlin to consi%er &assing Hitler0s 3nabling Act' "t was officially called the #$aw for %emoving the &istress of the People and the %eich.# 8f &asse%, it *o#l% in effect "ote %emocrac o#t of e)istence in $erman an% establish the legal %ictatorshi& of A%olf Hitler' Bro*n5shirte% Nazi storm troo&ers s*arme% o"er the fanc ol% b#il%ing in a sho* of force an% as a "isible threat' /he stoo% o#tsi%e, in the hall*a s an% e"en line% the aisles insi%e, glaring omino#sl at an one *ho might o&&ose Hitler0s *ill' 'efore the vote( Hitler made a speech in which he pledged to use restraint. #The government will ma)e use of these powers only insofar as they are essential for carrying out vitally necessary measures...The number of cases in which an internal necessity e*ists for having recourse to such a law is in itself a limited one(# Hitler told the %eichstag. He also &romise% an en% to #nem&lo ment an% &le%ge% to &romote &eace *ith 1rance, $reat Britain an% the (o"iet ;nion' B#t in or%er to %o all this, Hitler sai%, he first nee%e% the 3nabling Act' A t*o5thir%s ma.orit *as nee%e%, since the la* *o#l% act#all alter the constit#tion' Hitler nee%e% 31 non5Nazi "otes to &ass it'

He got those votes from the +atholic +enter Party after ma)ing a false promise to restore some basic rights already ta)en away by decree. Mean*hile, Nazi storm troo&ers chante% o#tsi%e< =1#ll &o*ers 5 or else> ?e *ant the bill 5 or fire an% m#r%er>>= B#t one man arose ami% the o"er*helming might' -tto ?ells, lea%er of the (ocial Democrats stoo% #& an% s&o!e @#ietl to Hitler' #,e -erman .ocial &emocrats pledge ourselves solemnly in this historic hour to the principles of humanity and !ustice( of freedom and socialism. No enabling act can give you power to destroy ideas which are eternal and indestructible.# Hitler was enraged and !umped up to respond. #/ou are no longer needed0 The star of -ermany will rise and yours will sin)0 /our death )nell has sounded0# /he "ote *as ta!en 5 AA1 for, an% onl 4A, the (ocial Democrats, against' /he Nazis lea&t to their feet cla&&ing, stam&ing an% sho#ting, then bro!e into the Nazi anthem, the H2rst ?essel song' &emocracy was ended. They had brought down the -erman &emocratic %epublic legally. 1rom this day onward( the %eichstag would be !ust a sounding board( a cheering section for Hitler's pronouncements. 8nterestingl , the Nazi &art *as no* floo%e% *ith a&&lications for membershi&' /hese latecomers *ere c nicall labele% b ol% time Nazis as 0March Biolets'0 8n Ma , the Nazi ,art froze membershi&' Man of those !e&t o#t a&&lie% to the (A an% the (( *hich *ere still acce&ting' Ho*e"er, in earl 193A, Heinrich Himmler *o#l% thro* o#t 50,000 of those 0March Biolets0 from the ((' /he Nazi $leichschalt#ng no* began, a massi"e coor%ination of all as&ects of life #n%er the s*asti!a an% the absol#te lea%ershi& of A%olf Hitler' 2nder Hitler( the .tate( not the individual( was supreme. 1rom the moment of birth one e)iste% to ser"e the (tate an% obe the %ictates of the 1Chrer' /hose *ho %isagree% *ere %is&ose% of' 3any agreed. 'ureaucrats( industrialists( even intellectual and literary figures( including -erhart Hauptmann( world renowned dramatist( were coming out in open support of Hitler. Man %isagree% an% left the co#ntr ' A floo% of the finest min%s, incl#%ing o"er t*o tho#san% *riters, scientists, an% &eo&le in the arts &o#re% o#t of $erman an% enriche% other lan%s, mostl the ;nite% (tates' Among them 5 *riter /homas

Mann, %irector 1ritz :ang, actress Marlene Dietrich, architect ?alter $ro&i#s, m#sicians -tto 9lem&erer, 9#rt ?eill, +ichar% /a#ber, &s chologist (igm#n% 1re#%, an% Albert 3instein, *ho *as "isiting 7alifornia *hen Hitler came to &o*er an% ne"er ret#rne% to $erman ' 8n $erman , there *ere no* constant Nazi rallies, &ara%es, marches an% meetings ami% the relentless &ro&agan%a of $oebbels an% the omni&resent s*asti!a' 1or those who remained there was an odd mi*ture of fear and optimism in the air. No*, for the first time as %ictator, A%olf Hitler t#rne% his attention to the %ri"ing force *hich ha% &ro&elle% him into &olitics in the first &lace, his hatre% of the 6e*s' 8t began *ith a sim&le bo cott on A&ril 1, 1933, an% *o#l% en% ears later in the greatest trage% in all of h#man histor ' (o#rce< htt&<//***'a#sch*itz'%!/hitler'htm