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Nine Steps to Absolute Power - Part 2

© William Waller

NINE STEPS TO ABSOLUTE POWER - PART 2

Despite his wishes, Hitler was driven, finally, to trickery and deceit on a larger scale than on any previous occasion. He would have to get the members of the Reichstag to vote him the absolute power if the people would not.

Step 8 - The Reichstag would have to be asked to give up their power and pass an 'enabling' act which would hand the power to the Cabinet. A two-thirds majority would be needed but a good start would be that the 81 Communist seats would be vacant. Hitler was confident that the Catholics would vote for the act, especially after a spectacular piece of theatre designed to prove the sincerity of the Nazis in their wish to protect and preserve all that was German. It was announced that the opening of the new Reichstag would be held on 21st March in the Garrison Church at Potsdam. This church contained the very heart of the Prussian mystique. Frederick the Great was buried there and the Hohenzollern kings had worshipped there. The date had also been especially chosen as the anniversary of the day on which Bismarck had opened the first Reichstag of the Second Reich. Every bit of tradition was incorporated into the ceremonies and there was even an empty seat for the absent Kaiser Wilhelm II, in exile in Holland. President Hindenburg , in his short speech opening the parliament, expressed the hope that party strife would cease and a proud, free and united Germany would be established. Hitler replied that from the upheaval of the past few weeks, "the union between the symbols of the old greatness and the new strength has been celebrated" and that Providence had place Hindenburg "over the new forces of our nation." Whatever this might have meant, Hitler then stepped down from the podium and, bowing low before the President, shook him firmly by the hand. This scene was purposely photographed and the pictures distributed to newspapers all over Germany and to the rest of the world, and it alone can be held responsible for the change in attitude of many countries towards Hitler. In view of the fact that he knew that he would take away any vestige of power from the old man within a week, this act of apparent submission was the height of cynicism.

Step 9 - On day 52, 23rd March, the 'Law for Removing the Distress of People and Reich' was the only business before the house. The whole power of parliament, making budgets, foreign treaties, amending the constitution was to be handed over to the Reich cabinet for 4 years. The Chancellor was to be authorized to draft laws that might be unconstitutional but no acts were to be passed that affected the Reichstag itself (how could they when the members had already, if they passed the act, immolated themselves!) and the powers of the President would be undisturbed. Hitler also spoke and promised that the rights of the federal states would remain, the rights of the churches would be respected, and that the powers conferred by the act would only be used for "vitally necessary measures". Only 2 voices were heard against the act. The leader of the Catholic Centre party had demanded a promise, in writing, that the President's right of veto would be preserved. This was agreed, but not given, before the voting. The other voice was from the leader of the Social Democrats, Otto Wells, a brave man in such an assembly where the aisles, and indeed the whole building, were filled with SA thugs. Using words such as humanity and justice he told Hitler that no one could give him "the power to destroy ideas which are eternal and indestructible." As we would say now, Hitler lost his cool in front of the whole Reichstag and screamed some incoherent rubbish. The vote was quickly taken, giving 441 for and 84(Social Democrats) against.