Plot
The Nazis burn down the Reichstag & blame a communist plot
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Adolf Hitler Biography and Timeline — Page 6
Follow Adolf Hitler through 1,628 dated historical records for Germany.
Adolf Hitler, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
1,628Distinct records
6 of 41Page
1933–1933Years on this page
1933
Reichstag Fire
Uses the Reichstag fire politically, presenting it as evidence of a communist threat to the state.
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Civil Rights
Less than a month after Adolf Hitler's appointment as Chancellor the Reichstag Fire Decree invokes Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, suspending several constitutional protections on civil rights
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Constitution of Germany
Less than a month after Adolf Hitler's appointment as Chancellor the Reichstag Fire Decree invokes Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, suspending several constitutional protections on civil rights. Individual liberty under the Weimer constitution is suspended
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Constitution of Germany
Constitutional rights are suspended by Presidential decree. After the Reichstag fire constitutional rights are suspended by Presidential decree
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Plot
Hitler promulgates a decree "for the protection of the People & the State"
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Plot
Constitutional rights are suspended by Presidential decree
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Reichstag Fire Decree
Less than a month after Adolf Hitler's appointment as Chancellor the Reichstag Fire Decree invokes Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution, suspending several constitutional protections on civil rights
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Reichstag Fire Decree
The Reichstag Fire Decree suspends most civil liberties in Germany and is used by the Nazis to ban publications not considered "friendly" to the Nazi cause.
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Reichstag Fire
Despite the fact that Marinus van der Lubbe claimed to have acted alone in the Reichstag Fire, Hitler, after having obtained his emergency powers, announces that it was the start of a Communist plot to take over Germany
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Reichstag Fire
Thousands of Communists are imprisoned in the days following the fire (including leaders of the Communist Party of Germany) on the charge that the Party was preparing to stage a putsch.
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Election
Directs his campaign against 14yrs of party Government
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Plot
The Reichstag Fire trial is held but the communist leaders are acquitted
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Trial
At the end of the Reichstag Fire trial only Van der Lubbe is convicted, while his fellow defendants are found not guilty
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Communist Party
The police & SA sieze all Communist Party buildings in Germany along with weapons claimed to be used for a coup. As a consequence of the Reichstag Fire Decree, the Communist Party of Germany KPD is banned
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Coup
The police & SA sieze all Communist Party buildings in Germany along with weapons claimed to be used for a coup
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Decree
As a consequence of the Reichstag Fire Decree, the Communist Party of Germany KPD is banned
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Plot
As a consequence of the Reichstag Fire Decree, the Communist Party of Germany KPD is banned
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Chancellor
The NSDAP wins only 44% of the vote but are able to use it to gain total power
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Election
The Nazis increase their vote to 44% giving the Nazis & their coalition allies the German National Peoples Party 52%. Falls far short of the 2/3 majority to establish dictatorship by consent of Parliament
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Election
The Nazis win 288 out of 647 seats in the Reichstag. The Nazis poll 17,277,180 votes, failing to win a majority with 43. 9% of the total. The Nazis need the 52 seats won by their Nationalist allies to win a majority.
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Election
With Communist electoral participation also suppressed (the Communists had previously polled 17% of the vote), the Nazis are able to increase their share of the vote in the March 5, 1933 Reichstag elections from 33% to 44%.
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Election
Hitler makes a speech on the "Day of the Awekening Nation"
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Reichstag Election
Fails to win an outright Nazi majority, but uses coalition support and repression to move toward dictatorial authority.
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Reichstag Fire
With Communist electoral participation also suppressed (the Communists had previously polled 17% of the vote), the Nazis are able to increase their share of the vote in the March 5, 1933 Reichstag elections from 33% to 44%
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Speech
Hitler makes a speech on the "Day of the Awekening Nation"
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Coup
Under Hitler's orders von Epp sets up a Nazi regime in Bavaria
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Concentration Camps
1st concentration camp is opened at Oranienburg outside Berlin
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1945
Constitution of Germany
"The day of Potsdam", Parliament is deprived of its powers
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Day of Potsdam
Uses the Potsdam ceremony to associate the Nazi Government with conservative, military and Prussian traditions.
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Economy of Germany
The "battle for work" begins
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Reichstag
A ceremony in the Potsdam Garrison Church marks the opening of the Reichstag
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Reichstag
The ceremonial opening of the 1st NSDAP Parliament, held at the Garrison Church. Opened on the same day Bismarck opened the 1st Reichstag of the 2nd Reich in 1871
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1945
Constitution of Germany
The Centre Party votes for the Enabling Law, the "legal" basis of dictatorship. Legislative power is transferred to the executive. All political parties other than the NSDAP are banned. A dictatorship in all but name is established
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Constitution of Germany
441 in the Reichstag vote for the Enabling Bill, only 94 against
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1945
Constitution of Germany
The title of Fuhrer and Chancellor is soon understood to mean Head of State & Head of Government & given by propaganda the title of Fuhrer des deutschen Reiches und Volkes (Leader of the German Reich and People), the name the soldiers had to swear
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1945
Constitution of Germany
The title of Reichspresident however was not taken by Hitler; instead, he wanted to let his title remain Fuhrer und Reichskanzler, for respect of Hindenburgs achievements as a WWI hero who became Germany's President.
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1945
Constitution of Germany
to.
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1945
Enabling Act
Presents the Enabling Act to the Reichstag as a law to remove distress from people and Reich, demanding cabinet power to legislate without Parliament.
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Enabling Act
Promises that the Government will respect the churches and states, using reassurance to win conservative and Centre Party support for the Enabling Act.
Role range: 1933-1945 – 1933-1934
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.