Burning of the Reichstag

[VeratheFastest]

At the very least this will help me for a World History test next Tuesday.

Was this before or after Hitler was appointed Chancellor?

Here's a loose timeline I have from memory:

1) Reichstag is set on fire by a National Socialist.
2) Hitler and the Elite Circle blame the Communists.
3) Elections are held, with majority voting National Socialist.
4) Hitler appointed President on Hindenburg's death.
5) Communist arrested for setting fire to Reichstag.
6) Trial held, in which Joseph Goebbels succeds in making the Communist look like a total moron. Famous "I know Propraganda" guote.
7) Communist hang for political arson.

I know a few of them are wrong, and #6 only makes sense if you have read the banter between him and Goebbels.

[Janus]

Was this before or after Hitler was appointed Chancellor?
After


Hitler appointed President on Hindenburg's death.
Hitler was never president; he declared the position to be vacant after Hindenburg's death and merged it with the office of Chancellor thus making himself the de facto leader of Germany.


Communist arrested for setting fire to Reichstag.
Marinus van der Lubbe was apprehended immediately following the fire and beheaded in 1934.

[Devrim]

some relevant links:
http://libcom.org/history/articles/1911-19...s-van-der-lubbe (http://libcom.org/history/articles/1911-1934-marinus-van-der-lubbe)
http://www.kurasje.org/arksys/archset.htm
http://libcom.org/library/reichstag-fire-dutch-communism
Devrim

[welshred]

I can remember reading somewhere that it was Goering who orchestrated the whole thing and suggested it to hitler.

[Sugar Hill Kevis]

Van der Lubbe, a dutch left-communist with about 25% vision was supposed to have burnt it down... Of course with 25% vision it must be awkward dodging all the furniture and flames in the reichstag setting off 13 fires simultaneously...

Apparently Van der Lubbe had tried to set fire to 3 other establishments in the previous week... all failing...

Van der Lubbe confessed to burning down the Reichstag under torture and was later executed for it about a year later... I don't really know at what stage he was arrested, but I know he was at the scene of the burning reichstag topless...

As the fire brigade put out the reichstag hitler came along blue faced and started ranting about how everyone who stands in the way of the nazis will be crushed and how "the communist deputies should be executed tonight"...

Hitler allowed the KPD to take part in elections the following week in order to split the working class vote (KPD got about 80 seats and SDP about 120) then because the nazis only had 44% of the seats and needed a 2/3 majority to pass the enabling act Hitler labled the KPD illegal and made it impossible to take their seats... thanks to a catholic alliance the enabling act was passed...

After Hitler was to become chancellor, just before he went on stage to be sworn in infront of a huge crowd he said to Hindenburg (or Von Papen?) that he'd only do so if fresh elections were called... Obviously if Hitler didn't go out it'd be a huge embarassment and thus fresh elections were called... There'd already been about 3/4 in the past 3 years

There are accounts of Goebbels engineering it and 10 SA troopers being involved in setting it on fire... All accused SA troops being murdered in the night of the long knives...

Some Nazi (can't think of the name from the top of my head) when asked by a dutch friend if the nazis were responsible said "I'd be a bloody fool if I said yes and a bloody liar if I said no"...