New
New
Year 11
AQA

The Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Act

I can explain how the Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Act allowed Hitler to establish a Nazi dictatorship.

New
New
Year 11
AQA

The Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Act

I can explain how the Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Act allowed Hitler to establish a Nazi dictatorship.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Hitler gained power legally but lacked full control and planned new elections to secure a majority.
  2. The Reichstag Fire was exploited by Nazis to justify emergency powers and crush political opposition.
  3. With communist members banned and others intimidated by the SA, the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act.
  4. The Act gave Hitler legal authority to rule by decree, marking his transformation of Germany into a dictatorship.
  5. Gleichschaltung made Germany a one-party state, bringing all areas of life under Nazi control.

Keywords

  • Dictatorship - a type of government where absolute power is concentrated in the hands of a single ruler or small group

  • Gleichschaltung - a Nazi term meaning 'coordination'; the process of bringing all aspects of German life under Nazi control - this meant synchronising all state and social institutions with Nazi ideology

Common misconception

The Enabling Act was passed fairly.

The vote was deeply manipulated: communist Reichstag members were banned, others intimidated.


To help you plan your year 11 history lesson on: The Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Act, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Read Otto Wels’s 1933 speech aloud. Former Chancellor Brüning said Wels was Germany's "bravest" man in the struggle against Hitler. Discuss with pupils why he held this opinion.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
  • Depiction or discussion of mental health issues

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Why was Chancellor Brüning removed from office in 1932?

he refused to use Article 48
Correct answer: his economic policies and SA ban lost him elite support
the Nazi Party forced him out with violence

Q2.
Match the word with its correct definition

Correct Answer:authoritarian,a type of rule where power is held by a single leader or small group

a type of rule where power is held by a single leader or small group

Correct Answer:coalition,a temporary alliance between political parties to form a government

a temporary alliance between political parties to form a government

Correct Answer:deadlock,when no progress can be made due to disagreement or stalemate

when no progress can be made due to disagreement or stalemate

Q3.
Why did both Papen and Schleicher ultimately fail as chancellors?

neither had military experience
Correct answer: the Nazis refused to cooperate with them
they supported Communist uprisings

Q4.
What year was Adolf Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany?

1931
1932
Correct answer: 1933

Q5.
Why did Papen and Hindenburg agree to make Hitler chancellor?

Schleicher forced them to do so
Correct answer: they believed Hitler would be controlled by a cabinet of conservatives
they were loyal members of the Nazi Party

Q6.
Which of the following statements are true about Hitler’s rise to chancellor?

Hitler led a military coup to take power in 1933
Correct answer: Hitler refused to join any government unless he was made chancellor
Papen thought it would be impossible to control Hitler once made chancellor
Correct answer: Schleicher plotted behind the scenes to strengthen his own position

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Why did Hitler call for new elections in March 1933?

Communists demanded it
Correct answer: he hoped to secure a majority and pass laws legally
the president forced him to

Q2.
Who started the Reichstag Fire?

Ernst Schlange, a regional Nazi Party official
Correct answer: Marinus van der Lubbe, a Communist activist
Wilhelm Sollmann, a former Social Democrat and journalist

Q3.
Hitler convinced the president to sign the for the Protection of the People and the State, emergency powers to deal with public disorder and defend the state against Communist acts of violence.

Correct Answer: Decree

Q4.
Starting with the earliest, sort these events into chronological order:

1 - Hitler appointed chancellor
2 - Reichstag Fire
3 - March 1933 elections
4 - Enabling Act passed

Q5.
After the election, Hitler was able to pass the Enabling Act, which:

Correct answer: allowed Hitler to govern by decree without the Reichstag or president
banned all political parties except the Communists
created a new election system based on Nazi ideology

Q6.
What was the main aim of Gleichschaltung?

to create an alliance with other right-wing parties
Correct answer: to make all aspects of German life reflect Nazi beliefs
to rebuild the economy after the Great Depression

Additional material

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