Vertigo - The Rise and Fall of Weimar Germany. Chapter 14: The End: Chancellor Hitler

这一章详细描述了希特勒的崛起和随之而来的直接后果，重点在于民主制度的瓦解和恐怖策略的实施。尽管纳粹党最初在内阁中没有占据多数席位，但他们战略性地获得了控制国内安全和警察的关键职位，这使得他们能够操纵法律，并确保在即将到来的三月选举中取得更具说服力的胜利。 1933年1月30日，希特勒被任命为总理后，迅速巩固了权力。他解散了国会，并定于3月5日举行新的选举，利用这段时间来恐吓政治对手。作为议会控制的唯一剩余工具，监督委员会遭受了纳粹代表的仇恨言论和人身暴力，有效地压制了异议。 纳粹党明确表示，他们将无视宪法权利，戈培尔宣称遵守宪法只是一种暂时的策略。1920年的党纲，主张剥夺犹太人的公民权和镇压异议，迅速被付诸行动。一项紧急法令禁止了共产党的集会和报纸，冲锋队（SA）、党卫队（SS）和钢盔团（Stahlhelm）被任命为辅助警察，他们有恃无恐地恐吓社会民主党人和共产党人。 这一章强调了一个关键的转折点：1933年2月27日的国会纵火案。纳粹利用这一事件声称发生了共产主义起义，为加强国家恐怖和大规模逮捕辩护。戈林公开宣布宪政国家已经沦为废墟，并宣称他的使命是不顾正义地“摧毁和消灭”。结果，包括海因里希·曼在内的许多知名人士开始逃离这个国家，他们意识到自己现在成为了可以随意宰割的对象。 尽管恐怖日益增长，但三月选举还是在暴力和恐吓中举行。虽然纳粹党获得了显著的增长，但未能达到他们希望的绝对多数，社会民主党的选票仍然出人意料地稳定，而共产党的选票则有所下降，一部分选民转移到了纳粹党。尽管如此，在极右翼的黑白红战斗联盟的支持下，希特勒设法获得了明确的政府多数。 这一章深入探讨了即使在压迫面前，也吸引了许多德国人支持希特勒的那种令人陶醉的团结感和领袖魅力。通过巧妙地操纵集体心理和情感言辞，他将自己塑造成一个将国家从不和谐和经济困境中解放出来的救世主。 本章还描述了《授权法》的通过，该法案赋予政府独立于议会和宪法制定法律的权力。尽管遭受了严重的恐吓，但社会民主党还是投了反对票，但寻求与新政权妥协的天主教中央党最终投了赞成票，导致该法案获得通过，并在表面上民主的方式下废除了民主制度。 最后的章节探讨了即使在曾经多元化的社会发生转变时，纳粹统治的最初几年也出现了恐怖和表面正常状态的复杂混合。虽然犹太人和政治异见者受到迫害，但魏玛时代文化的一些方面，如夜生活和设计，仍然存在。本章认为，纳粹党将他们的政权标榜为一个现代福利国家，将反现代的情绪与对技术和民族团结的狂热拥抱结合起来。这种暂时的和解是在狂热的种族仇恨的基础上完成的，他们将犹太人作为替罪羊，并煽动一场暴力和灭绝运动。 本章以一个尾声结束，记录了魏玛时代一些关键人物在希特勒上台后的命运。有些人被谋杀、流亡或加入了纳粹政权，这说明了向极权统治过渡的各种后果。

This chapter details Hitler's ascent to power and the immediate aftermath, focusing on the dismantling of democracy and the implementation of terror tactics. The Nazi party, despite not holding a majority in the cabinet initially, strategically secured key positions controlling domestic security and the police, allowing them to manipulate laws and ensure a more convincing victory in the upcoming March elections. Following his appointment as Chancellor on January 30, 1933, Hitler quickly consolidated power. He dissolved the Reichstag and set new elections for March 5th, using the intervening period to intimidate political opponents. The Supervisory Committee, the only remaining instrument of parliamentary control, was subjected to hateful rhetoric and physical violence by Nazi deputies, effectively silencing dissent. The NSDAP made it clear that it would disregard constitutional rights, with Goebbels declaring that adhering to the constitution was merely a temporary tactic. The 1920 party program, advocating for the stripping of Jewish citizenship and suppression of dissent, was swiftly put into action. An emergency decree banned communist gatherings and newspapers, and the SA, SS, and Stahlhelm were appointed as auxiliary police, terrorizing social democrats and communists with impunity. The chapter highlights a critical turning point: the Reichstag fire on February 27, 1933. This event was exploited by the Nazis to claim a communist uprising, justifying increased state terror and mass arrests. Göring openly declared the constitutional state in ruins and proclaimed his mission to "destroy and exterminate" without regard for justice. As a result, many, including prominent figures like Heinrich Mann, began to flee the country, realizing they were now considered fair game. Despite the growing terror, the March elections were held amidst violence and intimidation. Although the NSDAP gained significantly, falling short of the absolute majority they were hoping for, the Social Democrat vote remained surprisingly stable, while the KPD vote declined, with a portion of voters transferring to the Nazi party. Still, with the support of the far-right Black-White-Red Battle Front, Hitler managed to secure a clear government majority. The chapter delves into the intoxicating sense of unity and charismatic leadership that drew many Germans to Hitler, even in the face of oppression. Through skilled manipulation of collective psychology and emotional rhetoric, he presented himself as a savior liberating the nation from discord and economic hardship. The chapter also describes the passing of the Enabling Act, granting the government the power to make laws independently of parliament and the constitution. Despite significant intimidation, the Social Democrats voted against it, but the Catholic Centre Party, seeking accommodation with the new regime, ultimately voted in favor, leading to the Act's passage and the abolition of democracy in an ostensibly democratic manner. The final sections explore how even as the once-diverse society was transformed, the initial years of Nazi rule saw a complex blend of terror and superficial normalcy. While Jewish individuals and political dissidents were persecuted, some aspects of Weimar-era culture, like nightlife and design, continued to exist. The chapter argues that the Nazis presented their regime as a modern welfare state, blending anti-modern sentiment with a furious embrace of technology and national unity. This temporary reconciliation was accomplished on the back of fanatical racial hatred, targeting Jews as scapegoats and fueling a campaign of violence and extermination. The chapter ends with an epilogue chronicling the fates of several key figures from the Weimar era after Hitler's rise to power. Some were murdered, fled into exile, or joined the Nazi regime, illustrating the varied consequences of the transition to totalitarian rule.