{"id":8504,"date":"2019-11-06T12:13:55","date_gmt":"2019-11-06T12:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/?page_id=8504"},"modified":"2026-06-19T12:45:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T12:45:02","slug":"enabling-act","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/source-material-for-classroom-use\/germany-1919-39-source-material\/nazi-control-and-dictatorship-1933-39\/enabling-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Enabling Act"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Enabling Act was theoretically a piece of emergency legislation designed to provide the Nazi Government with short term powers to rule without consulting the Reichstag. It was deemed necessary in order to stabilise government and to counter the perceived threat from far-left groups. In reality, the Enabling Act granted Hitler the ability to rule unchecked. It led to Nazism being enforced on the state apparatus and other parties being banned.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Law to Remove the Distress of the People and the State (The Enabling Act)<\/h2>\n

The Reichstag has passed the following law, which is, with the approval of the Reichsrat, herewith promulgated, after it has been established that it meets the requirements for legislation altering the Constitution.<\/p>\n

Article 1. National laws can be enacted by the Reich Cabinet as well as in accordance with the procedure established in the Constitution. This also applies to the laws referred to in Article 85, Paragraph 2, and in Article 87 of the Constitution.<\/p>\n

Article 2. The national laws enacted by the Reich Cabinet may deviate from the Constitution as long as they do not affect the position of the Reichstag and the Reichsrat. The powers of the President remain undisturbed.<\/p>\n

Article 3. The national laws enacted by the Reich Cabinet shall be prepared by the Chancellor and published in the\u00a0Reichsgesetzblatt<\/i>. They come into effect, unless otherwise specified, the day after their publication. Articles 68-77 of the Constitution do not apply to the laws enacted by the Reich Cabinet.<\/p>\n

Article 4. Treaties of the Reich with foreign states which concern matters of national legislation do not require the consent of the bodies participating in legislation. The Reich Cabinet is empowered to issue the necessary provisions for the implementation of these treaties.<\/p>\n

Article 5. This law becomes effective on the day of its publication. It becomes invalid on April 1, 1937; it also becomes invalid if the present Reich Cabinet is replaced by another.<\/p>\n

Reich President von Hindenburg
\nReich Chancellor Adolf Hitler
\nReich Minister of the Interior Frick
\nReich Minister for Foreign Affairs Baron von Neurath
\nReich Minister of Finances Count Schwerin von Krosigk<\/p>\n

\"The
The Enabling Act<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Page
Signatures on the Enabling Act<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Further Reading on the Enabling Act<\/h3>\n

EBSCO<\/a> – Research starter on the Enbling Act of 1933<\/p>\n

Guardian Archive<\/a> – Archived report from 1933. Illustrates the way in which the Guardian reported the passing of the Enabling Act at the time.<\/p>\n

Related Links<\/h3>\n

Source Material for Classroom Use – see all of our Source Banks here<\/a> – Germany 1919-39 Source Material<\/a><\/p>\n

Sources: The Weimar Republic 1918\u201329<\/a> –\u00a0Sources: Hitler\u2019s rise to power, 1919\u201333<\/a> –\u00a0Sources: Nazi control and dictatorship, 1933\u201339<\/a> –\u00a0Sources: Life in Nazi Germany, 1933\u201339<\/a><\/p>\n

Weimar and Nazi Germany<\/a> – Rise of the Nazi Party<\/a> – Appeasement: Source Material<\/a> – Source Analysis Lesson: Nazi Methods of Control<\/a> – Revision Guide, Weimar and Nazi Germany<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Enabling Act was theoretically a piece of emergency legislation designed to provide the Nazi Government with short term powers to rule without consulting the Reichstag. It was deemed necessary in order to stabilise government and to counter the perceived threat from far-left groups. In reality, the Enabling Act granted Hitler the ability to rule… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":8145,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8504","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t