Adolf Hitler's March 1933 Reichstag speech as Chancellor is also known as the Enabling Act speech. Due to the Reichstag chamber being unusable following the fire on 27–28 February, the speech took place in the Kroll Opera House. This speech marked Hitler's second appearance before the Reichstag after the Day of Potsdam and led to a parliamentary vote that, for an initial period of four years, suspended the separation of powers outlined in the Weimar Constitution, effectively abolishing democracy in Germany. The Enabling Act came into effect one day later. The speech resembled a programmatic government declaration, encapsulating key elements of Nazi policy.
Course of the speech For most parliamentarians, this was the first opportunity to see and hear Hitler in person, as this was Hitler's first appearance in the Reichstag. Members of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) were not represented, as all its members were either in custody or in hiding, while some members of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) had also signed off on vacation. SA and SS members present contributed to the intimidation of the parliamentarians. The approximately 50-minute speech, delivered by Hitler in a brown shirt, is noteworthy in retrospect for predicting the essential features of later Nazi policies, including the "Lebensraum" expansion policy, unitarization, the suppression of political opponents, the coordination (Gleichschaltung), and the departure from Roman law.
As the Chancellor appointed by the Reich President, Hitler requested and received parliamentary approval for this constitutional breach.
The speech can be roughly divided into three parts: First, Hitler recapitulates the history of the German Reich from the November Revolution to the present, describing this development as illegitimate and holding it responsible for the crises and grievances in the Reich. Subsequently, in the longest part of the speech, he lists certain grievances as particularly urgent and explains how the Reich government under his leadership intends to address these problems. Finally, Hitler returns to the Enabling Act, explaining why it is necessary to effectively end the previously described Reich crisis.
The speech was rebutted by Otto Wels of the Social Democratic Party. Hitler returned to the podium to rebut Wels; notably this was the only time after 1932 that Hitler took part in a public debate.
History of the Reich At the beginning of his speech, Hitler recaps the history of the German Reich, starting with the overthrow of the monarchical government under Kaiser Wilhelm II. during the November Revolution. In this revolution, "Marxist organizations" allegedly seized "executive power" by dethroning the monarch, "dismissing the imperial and state authorities," and thus "breaking the constitution." As the Marxists lacked the support of the German people for this act, they allegedly justified their actions with the "war guilt lie" – Hitler's term for the false claim that Germany alone was responsible for World War I. According to Hitler, the Marxists' misuse of the "war guilt lie" led to the subsequent "severe oppression of the German people," willingly accepted by the victorious powers of World War I. The German acknowledgment of the "war guilt lie" provided the opportunity for the victorious powers to impose harsh conditions on Germany through the "Versailles Dictate," initiating a "time of boundless misfortune" for the German people. Up to the present, all promises of the "November criminals" have proven to be "conscious deceptions" or at least "equally condemnable illusions," and the achievements of the revolution have been "infinitely sad" for the "overwhelming majority" of the people. The decline of the "political and economic inheritance" of the Reich could not recover even fourteen years after the proclamation of the Weimar Republic; instead, the "line of development continued downward." Despite government propaganda, the German people would increasingly recognize this failure and turn away from the responsible organizations and the Weimar Constitution. This became evident with the Reichstag election in March 1933, when the previously "terribly suppressed" National Socialists obtained a relative majority (plurality) of 43.9%. Thus, the German people had given their approval to the "national revolution" and the elimination of the "powers ruling since November 1918."
Grievances and program In the second and longest part of the speech, Hitler presents his "Program for the Reconstruction of People and Reich" and introduces the grievances primarily responsible for the "great distress in our political, moral, and economic life."
Eradication of Marxism To achieve and maintain the future stability of the Reich, its "internal enemies" must be eliminated first, meaning "those who would prevent any actual resurgence for the future." Hitler explicitly refers to the Marxists, whom he holds responsible for the decline in the introduction. The "Marxist false doctrine" preaches the "permanent revolution against all [ideological] foundations of our communal life to date" and inevitably ends "naturally in communist chaos." According to Hitler, an increasing number of citizens are willing to commit serious crimes "in the service of the communist idea" – that is, for a communist revolution modeled after the Soviet Union. The "arson in the Reichstag building" was the preliminary climax, not only endangering Germany but all of Europe.
To prevent the "communist chaos," the Reich must ruthlessly proceed against its internal enemies. Hitler strongly advocates atoning for the Reichstag fire "through the public execution of the guilty arsonist and his accomplices" – the accomplices being several members of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), whose support Hitler was convinced of against the prevailing knowledge at the time.
To completely eradicate and eliminate the communists "in our country," it is not only necessary to take violent action against them; the "German worker" must also be enthused for the "national state." Only the "establishment of a real national community" can ensure a stable society. In other words, divisive, dangerous socialism according to the KPD and SPD is insufficient because it fails to recognize that different classes and estates pursue different interests. These can only become a cohesive "national body" through their race, ensuring a stable society.
Weakening of federalism
The stability of the Reich is also threatened by an increasing "weakening of the authority of the highest state leadership (Reich government)." Hitler specifically refers to preceding Reich governments that often lasted only a few months (e.g., the Papen Cabinet) or even just a few weeks (e.g., the Schleicher Cabinet). The longest-serving cabinet was the Müller II Cabinet, with just 1 year and 272 days. This instability is attributed to powerful federal states within the Reich, possessing "ideas that are incompatible with the unity of the Reich." Hitler mentions instances where prime ministers, using modern political propaganda, disparaged other federal states and the Reich, weakening German authority abroad. In the historical context, Hitler likely referred to Otto Braun, the former Prime Minister of Prussia, who was effectively ousted by the Reich government under Franz von Papen following the Preußenschlag. Braun, discontented with this coup, expressed his displeasure both through Reich broadcasting and foreign magazines.
The well-being of the states depends on the strength and health of the Reich, and the "spiritual and volitional unity of the nation and thus the concept of the Reich itself" is impossible if there is not "uniformity of political intentions in the Reich and in the states."
The Enabling Act is not intended to "abolish the states." Respect for the traditional values of the states should be taken into account. Only transitional measures need to be taken to realign the Reich and the states. The greater the spiritual and volitional agreement, the less interest there will be in "violating the cultural and economic life of individual states."
Co-opting of the press and media To guarantee the necessary "national body" for stability, the Reich government must undertake a "moral purification." The entire education system, especially theater, film, literature, the press, and radio, must be directly led and controlled by the government. Although Hitler did not use the term, the later societal coordination (Gleichschaltung) is undoubtedly meant by "moral purification" through full state control of the media. Reich Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels stated on 25 March 1933, just one day after the Enabling Act came into effect:
"The radio is being cleansed. [...] We make no secret of it: the radio belongs to us, no one else. And we will put the radio in the service of our idea, and no other idea shall have a voice here."
Hitler exemplifies his vision of "spiritual detoxification" in art: depressing realism must be eliminated and replaced with "heroism" because, especially in times of limited political power, the inner value and will to live of the nation need a more powerful cultural breakthrough. To give the people new strength and motivation through heroism, constant education about the "great past" of the Reich is necessary. Thus, German youth should be instilled with "awe for the great men" such as Bismarck and Wilhelm II. To achieve the pursued goal of a "national body," the source of artificial intuition must be "blood and race."
Friendly Relations with Christian Churches Because the "most important factors for preserving our national identity" lie in the two Christian denominations, the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, the Reich government wants to engage with them in friendly relations. Compromises with atheist organizations are to be reversed. Christianity, in its "struggle against a materialistic worldview and for the establishment of a real national community," pursues the same goals as National Socialism and, therefore, enjoys the protection of the government. However, the church is reminded that "affiliation with a particular denomination" does not exempt it from "general legal obligations." If it opposes the "national uprising," it will be fought against.
Judicial reform Because the legal system should primarily serve the preservation of the national community, the focus of the law should be on "not the individual [...], but the people." In alignment with Point 19 of the 25-Point Program, where the NSDAP demands the "replacement of Roman law, serving the materialistic world order, with a German common law," Hitler accuses the judiciary of promoting egoism and weakening the national community by prioritizing their individual interests over the interests of the people. He emphasizes his rejection of the rule of law by stating that justice must, to make fair individual decisions, not be guided by positive law but by natural law. In other words, written law should not be binding when its application would lead to a result harmful to the national community. Thus, "the flexibility of judgment for the purpose of preserving society" must be ensured.
Hitler rejects the liberalization of jurisprudence that, during the Weimar Republic, increasingly turned to the special preventive theories of Franz von Liszt. Instead, high treason and state treason should be "burned out with barbaric ruthlessness," advocating a return to the retributive and general preventive theories of previous epochs. This philosophy aligns with the later NS special courts, such as the establishment of the People's Court on 24 April 1934, for the judgment of high treason and state treason.
Economic policy: Strengthening workers and protectionism