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.svg) Imperial Eagle (Reichsadler), shield of the GermanReich.  | |
| Date formed | 30 January 1933; 93 years ago (1933-01-30) |
| Date dissolved | 5 June 1945; 80 years ago (1945-06-05) |
| People and organisations | |
| Reichspräsident | Paul von Hindenburg Adolf Hitler (as Führer) Karl Dönitz |
| Reichskanzler | Adolf Hitler Joseph Goebbels Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk |
| No. of ministers | 44 (Hitler cabinet) 17 (Goebbels cabinet) 7 (Schwerin von Krosigk cabinet) |
| Status in legislature | Großdeutscher Reichstag (until 1934, then used for meeting purposes) |
| History | |
| Elections | •March 1933 (8th Reichstag) •November 1933 (9th Reichstag) •1934 referendum (merger of the positions of Chancellor and President) •March 1936 (10th Reichstag) •April 1938 (11th Reichstag) |
| Predecessor | Government of theWeimar Republic |
| Successor | Allied Control Council |
Thegovernment of Nazi Germany was atotalitariandictatorship governed byAdolf Hitler and theNazi Party according to theFührerprinzip.Nazi Germany was established in January 1933 with the appointment of Adolf Hitler asChancellor of Germany, followed by suspension of basic rights with theReichstag Fire Decree and theEnabling Act which gave Hitler's regime the power to pass and enforce laws without the involvement of theReichstag orGerman president, andde facto ended withGermany's surrender inWorld War II on 8 May 1945 andde jure ended with theBerlin Declaration on 5 June 1945.
As the successor to the government of theWeimar Republic, it inherited the governmental structure and institutions of the previous state. Although theWeimar Constitution technically remained in effect until the German surrender, there were no actual restraints on the exercise of state power. In addition to the already extant Weimar government, the Nazi leadership created a large number of different organizations for the purpose of helping them govern and remain in power. They pursued apolicy of rearmament and strengthened theWehrmacht, established an extensivenational security apparatus and created theWaffen-SS, the combat branch of theSchutzstaffel (SS).
On 30 January 1933, PresidentPaul von Hindenburg appointed Hitler asChancellor of Germany. This event is known as theMachtergreifung (seizure of power).[1] In the following months, theNazi Party used a process termedGleichschaltung (co-ordination) to rapidly bring all aspects of life under control of the party.[2] All civilian organisations, including agricultural groups, volunteer organisations, and sports clubs, had their leadership replaced with Nazi sympathisers or party members. By July 1933, all other political parties had been banned or had dissolved themselves, and theLaw Against the Formation of Parties declared the Nazis the only legal party.[3] Virtually the only organisations not controlled by the NSDAP were the army and the churches.[4] When President Hindenburg died in August 1934, theLaw Concerning the Head of State of the German Reich merged the offices ofReich President and Chancellor and conferred the position on Hitler, who thus also became head of state and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.[5] By 1939, party membership was compulsory for all civil service officials.[6] Hitler ruled Germany autocratically by asserting theFührerprinzip (leader principle), which called for absolute obedience of all subordinates. He viewed the government structure as a pyramid, with himself at the apex. Rank in the party was not determined by elections; positions were filled through appointment by those of higher rank.[7] The Nazi Party used propaganda to develop acult of personalityaround Hitler.[8]
Top officials reported to Hitler and followed his policies, but they had considerable autonomy. Officials were expected to "work towards the Führer" – to take the initiative in promoting policies and actions in line with his wishes and the goals of the Nazi Party, without Hitler having to be involved in the day-to-day running of the country.[9] He often deferred making decisions, avoided clear delegation and allowed subordinates to compete with one another, especially in the pre-war years. The government was not a coordinated, co-operating body, but rather a disorganised collection of factions led by members of the party elite who struggled to amass power and gain the Führer's favour.[10]
The system of government was formed whereby leading Nazi officials were forced to interpret Hitler's speeches, remarks and writings on government policies and turn them into programs and legislation. Hitler typically did not give written orders; instead he communicated them verbally, or had them conveyed through his close associate,Martin Bormann.[11] He entrusted Bormann with his paperwork, appointments, and personal finances; Bormann used his position to control the flow of information and access to Hitler.[12] Hitler's cabinet never met after 1938, and he discouraged his ministers from meeting independently.[13]
Hitler's leadership style was to give contradictory orders to his subordinates and to place them into positions where their duties and responsibilities overlapped with those of others, to have "the stronger one [do] the job".[14] In this way, Hitler fostered distrust, competition, and infighting among his subordinates to consolidate and maximise his own power.[15]
The process allowed more unscrupulous and ambitious Nazis to get away with implementing the more radical and extreme elements of Hitler's ideology, such asantisemitism, and in doing so win political favour. It was protected byJoseph Goebbels' effective propaganda machine, which portrayed Hitler as a heroic and infallible leader.[16] Further, the government was portrayed as a dedicated, dutiful and efficient outfit. Through successiveReichsstatthalter decrees, Germany's states were effectively replaced byNazi provinces calledGaue.
After June 1941 asWorld War II progressed, Hitler became preoccupied with military matters and spent most of his time at his military headquarters on the eastern front. This led Hitler to rely more and more on Bormann to handle the domestic policies of the country. On 12 April 1943, Hitler officially appointed Bormann as Personal Secretary to the Führer.[17] By this time Bormann had de facto control over all domestic matters, and this new appointment gave him the power to act in an official capacity in any matter.[18]
Historical opinion is divided between "intentionalists" who believe that Hitler created this system as the only means of ensuring both the total loyalty and dedication of his supporters, and the impossibility of a conspiracy; and the "structuralists" who believe that the system evolved by itself and was a limitation on Hitler'stotalitarian power.
The organization of the Nazi state was as follows:
It has to be considered that there is little use talking about alegislative branch in a totalitarian state, where there is noseparation of powers. Since passage of theEnabling Act, theReichsregierung (Reich cabinet) was empowered to enactReichsgesetze (statute law) without respect to the 1919 constitution.
Most of the judicial structures and legal codes of theWeimar Republic remained in use during the Nazi era, but significant changes within the judicial codes occurred, as well as significant changes in court rulings. Mosthuman rights of the constitution of the Weimar Republic were disabled by severalReichsgesetze (Reich's laws). Several minorities, opposition politicians and prisoners of war were deprived of most of their rights and responsibilities. The plan to pass aVolksstrafgesetzbuch (people's code of criminal justice) arose soon after 1933 but didn't come into reality until the end ofWorld War II.
As a new type of court, theVolksgerichtshof (people's court) was established in 1934, only dealing with cases of political importance. In practice, it served only as akangaroo court, conductingshow trials that gave the appearance of legal process while handing down harsh sentences to political enemies. From 1934 to 1945, the court sentenced 10,980 people to prison and imposed the death penalty on 5,179 more who were convicted of high treason.[19] About 1,000 were acquitted.[20] Its most prominent members wereOtto Georg Thierack, president of the court from May 1936 to August 1942, andRoland Freisler, who presided from August 1942 to February 1945. After the war ended, some surviving jurists were tried, convicted, and sentenced aswar criminals.
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