Okla-homey
8/19/2007, 07:40 AM
August 19, 1934: Adolf Hitler becomes president of Germany
73 years ago, on this day in 1934, Adolf Hitler, already chancellor, is also elected president of Germany in an unprecedented consolidation of power in the short history of the republic.
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/26246/2004283628465618342_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004283628465618342)
Paul von Hindenburg. An old-school Prussian Junker and last of the breed to hold political power in 20th century Germany
In 1932, German President Paul von Hindenburg, old, tired, and a bit senile, had won re-election as president, but had lost a considerable portion of his right/conservative support to the Nazi Party. Those close to the president wanted a cozier relationship to Hitler and the Nazis.
http://aycu12.webshots.com/image/26051/2004249731611740098_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004249731611740098)
President Hindenburg and Hitler in 1932
Hindenburg had contempt for the Nazis' lawlessness, but ultimately agreed to oust his chancellor, Heinrich Bruning, for Franz von Papen, who was willing to appease the Nazis by lifting the ban on Hitler's Sturmabtielung (SA) a/k/a "Brown Shirts", and unilaterally canceling Germany's reparation payments, imposed by the Treaty of Versailles at the close of World War I.
http://aycu15.webshots.com/image/24014/2005475268634374053_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005475268634374053)
von Papen
But Hitler was not appeased. He wanted the chancellorship for himself. Papen's policies failed on another front: His authoritarian rule alienated his supporters, and he too was forced to resign. He then made common cause with Hitler, persuading President Hindenburg to appoint Hitler chancellor and himself vice-chancellor.
He promised the president that he would restrain Hitler's worst tendencies and that a majority of the Cabinet would go to non-Nazis. As Hindenburg's current chancellor could no longer gain a majority in the Reichstag, and Hitler could bring together a larger swath of the masses and a unified right/conservative/nationalist coalition, the president gave in. In January 1933, Hitler was named chancellor of Germany.
But that was not enough for Hitler either. In February 1933, Hitler blamed a devastating Reichstag fire on the communists (its true cause remains a mystery) and convinced President Hindenburg to sign a decree suspending individual and civil liberties, a decree Hitler used to silence his political enemies with false arrests.
http://aycu04.webshots.com/image/24443/2004221171028637216_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004221171028637216)
Ruined Reichstag. Hitler blamed the torching of the German legislature on Communist arson, thus giving him an excuse and popular support for increased power in order to protect the country. Incidentally, the "9/11 Truther" (tin-foil hat crowd) opine that the 9/11 attacks were similarly staged to allow the evile GWB to increase his power.
Upon the death of Hindenburg in 1934, Hitler proceeded to purge the Brown Shirts (his storm troopers), the head of which, Ernst Roehm, had begun voicing opposition to the Nazi Party's terror tactics. Hitler had Roehm executed without trial, which encouraged the army and other reactionary forces within the country to urge Hitler to further consolidate his power by merging the presidency and the chancellorship.
http://aycu04.webshots.com/image/26803/2004266999075170766_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004266999075170766)
Roehm. He had helped Hitler rise, but Hitler would abide no competition for the Reich's affections. Therefore, he had Roehm summarily executed on trumped up charges.
This would make Hitler commander of the army as well. A plebiscite vote was held on August 19. Intimidation, and fear of the communists, brought Hitler a 90 percent majority. He was now, for all intents and purposes, dictator.
http://aycu04.webshots.com/image/24323/2004212897172644127_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004212897172644127)
Hitler in an image with German youth published shortly after assuming absolute power. Millions of German youth would die carrying out Hitlers plan of Eurasian domination
In less than five years after becoming the absolute master of Germany, Hitler would hurl his armed forces at Germany's neighbors and WWII would begin in Europe.
http://aycu38.webshots.com/image/22877/2004238559774947084_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004238559774947084)
In the spring of 1940, it was on like Donkey Kong. Wehrmacht troops saddle up for blitzkrieg against the Low Countries and France
http://aycu24.webshots.com/image/23663/2004282863435067227_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004282863435067227)
73 years ago, on this day in 1934, Adolf Hitler, already chancellor, is also elected president of Germany in an unprecedented consolidation of power in the short history of the republic.
http://aycu07.webshots.com/image/26246/2004283628465618342_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004283628465618342)
Paul von Hindenburg. An old-school Prussian Junker and last of the breed to hold political power in 20th century Germany
In 1932, German President Paul von Hindenburg, old, tired, and a bit senile, had won re-election as president, but had lost a considerable portion of his right/conservative support to the Nazi Party. Those close to the president wanted a cozier relationship to Hitler and the Nazis.
http://aycu12.webshots.com/image/26051/2004249731611740098_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004249731611740098)
President Hindenburg and Hitler in 1932
Hindenburg had contempt for the Nazis' lawlessness, but ultimately agreed to oust his chancellor, Heinrich Bruning, for Franz von Papen, who was willing to appease the Nazis by lifting the ban on Hitler's Sturmabtielung (SA) a/k/a "Brown Shirts", and unilaterally canceling Germany's reparation payments, imposed by the Treaty of Versailles at the close of World War I.
http://aycu15.webshots.com/image/24014/2005475268634374053_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005475268634374053)
von Papen
But Hitler was not appeased. He wanted the chancellorship for himself. Papen's policies failed on another front: His authoritarian rule alienated his supporters, and he too was forced to resign. He then made common cause with Hitler, persuading President Hindenburg to appoint Hitler chancellor and himself vice-chancellor.
He promised the president that he would restrain Hitler's worst tendencies and that a majority of the Cabinet would go to non-Nazis. As Hindenburg's current chancellor could no longer gain a majority in the Reichstag, and Hitler could bring together a larger swath of the masses and a unified right/conservative/nationalist coalition, the president gave in. In January 1933, Hitler was named chancellor of Germany.
But that was not enough for Hitler either. In February 1933, Hitler blamed a devastating Reichstag fire on the communists (its true cause remains a mystery) and convinced President Hindenburg to sign a decree suspending individual and civil liberties, a decree Hitler used to silence his political enemies with false arrests.
http://aycu04.webshots.com/image/24443/2004221171028637216_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004221171028637216)
Ruined Reichstag. Hitler blamed the torching of the German legislature on Communist arson, thus giving him an excuse and popular support for increased power in order to protect the country. Incidentally, the "9/11 Truther" (tin-foil hat crowd) opine that the 9/11 attacks were similarly staged to allow the evile GWB to increase his power.
Upon the death of Hindenburg in 1934, Hitler proceeded to purge the Brown Shirts (his storm troopers), the head of which, Ernst Roehm, had begun voicing opposition to the Nazi Party's terror tactics. Hitler had Roehm executed without trial, which encouraged the army and other reactionary forces within the country to urge Hitler to further consolidate his power by merging the presidency and the chancellorship.
http://aycu04.webshots.com/image/26803/2004266999075170766_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004266999075170766)
Roehm. He had helped Hitler rise, but Hitler would abide no competition for the Reich's affections. Therefore, he had Roehm summarily executed on trumped up charges.
This would make Hitler commander of the army as well. A plebiscite vote was held on August 19. Intimidation, and fear of the communists, brought Hitler a 90 percent majority. He was now, for all intents and purposes, dictator.
http://aycu04.webshots.com/image/24323/2004212897172644127_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004212897172644127)
Hitler in an image with German youth published shortly after assuming absolute power. Millions of German youth would die carrying out Hitlers plan of Eurasian domination
In less than five years after becoming the absolute master of Germany, Hitler would hurl his armed forces at Germany's neighbors and WWII would begin in Europe.
http://aycu38.webshots.com/image/22877/2004238559774947084_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004238559774947084)
In the spring of 1940, it was on like Donkey Kong. Wehrmacht troops saddle up for blitzkrieg against the Low Countries and France
http://aycu24.webshots.com/image/23663/2004282863435067227_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2004282863435067227)