WWII+&+The+Holocaust+Timeline

Hitler was named Chancellor in January,1933. Taking over a 14 year old German democratic republic which many thought had outlived its usefulness. He went from spending his political career denouncing and attempting to destroy the republic to being its leader. Adolf was sworn in around noon on January 30th.

" I will employ my strength for the welfare of the German people, protect the Constitution and the laws of the German people, conscientiously discharge the duties imposed on me, and conduct my affairs of office impartially and eith justice to everyone."- the oath taken by Adolf Hitler.

Hitler had no intention of following the rules of democracy. He wanted to use the rules only to legally establish himself as dictator and begin the Nazi revolution. His first day as chancellor, Hitler manipulated Hindenburg into dissolving the Reichstag and calling for the new elections he had wanted to be held on March 5,1933. After these elections, the Nazis started a systematic takeover of the state governments throughout Germany, stopping an old tradition of local political independence. SA and SS thugs went into local government offices using the state of emergency decree as a pretext to get rid of the legitimate office holders and replace them with Nazi Reich commissioners.

SS leader Heinrich Himmler bacame cheif of the Munich police and decided to make an SS-run concentration camp in the town of Dachau at an unused munitions factory, 12 miles northwest of Munich. The reputation of the SS was damaged because the first kommandant, Hilmar Wackerle ran the camp so badly, later to be fired in June. 34 long wooden huts (later called blocks) which could each hold 270 inmates were made to house the prisoners. This gave the camp a capacity of over 9,000. Every morning the command "Appelle!" was given to the prisoners which let them know that it was roll call time. They were required to march outside and stand at attention in formation and wait to be counted. All 9,000 men had to remove their hats at the same time to the satisfaction of the SS man that was in charge. The Nazis ran these peoples entire lives during this time.