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How did the Nazi Party use state power during the March 1933 election campaign?
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Weimar Republic
Learn about Germany's fledgling Weimar Republic and the challenges it faced.
During the March 1933 election campaign, the Nazi Party exploited its control over the state apparatus to secure a political advantage, effectively undermining the democratic process of the Weimar Republic.
Key methods used to manipulate the election included:
- Control of Media and Propaganda: The Nazis utilized their authority over state resources, including the radio, to launch a "whirlwind" campaign that promoted their agenda while suppressing opposition voices.12
- Police Power and Purges: Hermann Göring, serving as the minister of the interior for Prussia, purged the police force to ensure it was under Nazi control. He also recruited 50,000 auxiliary police, primarily drawn from the SA and SS.12
- Intimidation and Violence: The SA were granted the "freedom of the streets" and were not interfered with by the police. They actively broke up opposition meetings, assaulted speakers, and suppressed rival newspapers.12
- Exploitation of the Reichstag Fire: Following the burning of the Reichstag, the Nazis used the event as a pretext to suspend constitutional guarantees of individual liberty, creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity that favored their campaign.23