German federal election, March 1933
- KPD: 81
- SPD: 120
- Z: 73
- BVP: 19
- DStP: 5
- KSWR: 52
- NSDAP: 288
- Otherwise:. 9
In the nine seats under "Other" 4 for the CSVD further 2 each for the DVP and the German Peasants' Party
The Reichstag elections of March 5, 1933 was the election for the eighth German Reichstag during the Weimar Republic. She was the last parliamentary election, participated in the more than one party, and was already under the influence of incipient dictatorship. The election campaign was marked by attacks by members of the NSDAP political opponents in particular of the KPD and SPD. In addition, the state persecution was already using. Here, the government (Cabinet Hitler) also benefited the Reichstag fire. With the help of the Reichstag Fire Decree fundamental rights were overridden and the structures of the KPD virtually shattered. In the election itself, the NSDAP picked up sharply, but did not get the expected absolute majority. Together with the KSWR, one dominated by the DNVP coalition, the government had after the election of a parliamentary majority and could based on the fact pave the way to dictatorship. The next election in November 1933 saw only a Nazi unit list in connection with a referendum on withdrawal from the League of Nations before.
Electioneering
The election took place over five weeks after the so-called power of Adolf Hitler, that is, his appointment as Reich Chancellor on January 30, and instead had become necessary due to the dissolution of the Reichstag on February 1. The reason given was that it was not able to form a coalition of the Nazi Party and the Centre Party. On the evening of February 1, Hitler delivered a radio address in which he echauffierte about " fourteen years Marxism " in Germany.
The government issued using the Notverordnungsrechts on February 4, the " Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of the German people." Thus, meetings and publications were banned.
The Social Democrats opened on February 7 with a large gathering in Berlin the election campaign. On the same day the Central Committee of the Communist Party met because of the already incipient political persecution already under clandestine conditions. On February 10, Adolf Hitler opened the campaign with a speech at the Berlin Sports Palace. In it, he attacked the supporting parties of the Weimar Republic sharply. He called on the voters to give him four years and then judge him. In pathetic and downright religious, he urged the national resurrection.
Been admitted to choice were all other political parties, but the election has already taken place under the sign of the dictatorship. The supporters of the Nazi party perpetrated with impunity numerous acts of political terror, directed mainly against the Social Democrats and Communists. Hermann Goering as acting Prussian Minister of the Interior announced on February 17 from the order to the police to exercise regardless of the firearm. A few days later, members of the SA, SS and Stahlhelm were made to assist police.
The Communists were able to hold their last major campaign event with Wilhelm Pieck as the leading candidate in Prussia on 23 February. But Pieck could not finish his speech because the event was closed by the police. On 27 February it came to the Reichstag fire. Regardless of whether the fire was set by a single perpetrator or staged by the Nazis themselves, they took advantage of the process of political, by making the Communists responsible. On the day after the fire, the Communist press and for two weeks the press of the SPD were banned. The offices of the KPD were closed and taken deputies and officials in "protective custody". On the same day the Reichstag Fire Decree was adopted. Thus, the current state of law has been eliminated. Leading figures of the KPD and SPD were detained. Thus it succeeded on March 3 by treachery to find Ernst Thalmann. Also dissident intellectuals were imprisoned. Among them were about Carl von Ossietzky, Erich difficulty, Ludwig Renn, Egon Erwin Kisch or Max Hodann. Many detainees were interned in the early as February 1933 built concentration camps and physically abused. To a formal dissolution of the Communist Party, there was no factual despite busting their ability to act because the government which hoped no practical benefits.
Results
Turnout rose enormously 88.74 % to ( 8.2%). Benefited primarily the Nazis. The NSDAP was compared to the general election of November 1932 with a gain of more than five million votes and a significant lead over the SPD and the KPD strongest party. They rose by 10.8%, but missed with 43.9 % - to many observers surprisingly - the absolute majority. The DNVP, which was begun now called battlefront Black -White-Red, lost half a million voters. But with its 8% the government Hitler Papen had a parliamentary majority.
Biggest loser in was after the terror of the past few weeks, the KPD with a loss of about one million votes. This represented a loss of 4.2%. The SPD losses were 2.1%, relatively low. In particular, in their strongholds such as in Berlin or in Saxony were the two " Marxist parties " stable. Where could to win the SPD, they did so at the expense of the KPD. Probably there was a direct voters hike from the KPD to the NSDAP. In particular, in East Prussia, which had 56% now, the highest proportions for the NSDAP, there were movements of the SPD and the KPD for Hitler's party. Especially those voters who had encountered only during the Great Depression to the left-wing parties have tended to move to the NSDAP. The center and the BVP remained largely stable. They had in West Germany and in the south continue their strongholds. The (large) constituencies Köln- Aachen and Koblenz -Trier were the only ones in which not the NSDAP, but the center was the strongest party. The two liberal parties DVP and DStP were meaningless.
Follow
Even before the first ( inaugural ) meeting of the newly elected Reichstag, the mandates of the KPD were canceled, so that the Parliament consisted of 566 deputies. This step brought the Nazi Party, although the absolute majority; for their next project - the transfer of legislative powers of the Reichstag on the government using the so-called Enabling Act - to implement, but it required a two - thirds majority. It succeeded the National Socialists to move the center parties to agree to this law. On March 23, 1933, the Enabling Act against the votes of the SPD passed the Reichstag, which was henceforth meaningless. The next step, banning all parties except the Nazi Party, was completed in July 1933. At the following general election in November 1933, there were only a list of the NSDAP, on which some referred to as non-party guests stood as candidates.