On July 14, 1933, the Nazi political party, under the leadership of Aldof Hitler, officially outlawed every other political party across Germany. Just months earlier, on January 30 of that same year, Hitler had ascended to the role of chancellor. From the moment he seized power, he leveraged the Gleichschaltung policy to establish total dominance over the nation's political and economic institutions.
What followed was a turbulent chain of events marked by struggle and confrontation. Then, on February 27, flames engulfed the government parliament building (Reichstag building). Marinus van der Lubbe, a Dutch communist, was discovered inside the structure at the time of the blaze. The Nazi party characterized the incident as a deliberate conspiracy aimed at toppling the government.
Responding swiftly to the crisis, Hitler enacted the "Reichstag Fire Decree," framing it as a measure to safeguard both the state and its citizens. Under this decree, all communist leaders were subject to arrest. Whether the fire merely served as a convenient pretext for the Nazis to enforce the Reichstag Fire Decree remains a matter of debate to this day.
Meanwhile, the March elections saw the Nazi political party secure only a small minority. With communist leaders locked away in prison, the ruling party pushed through the Enabling act of March 23. This sweeping legislation stripped the Reichstag of all its legislative authority, effectively paving the way for outright dictatorship.
The sole party to cast its votes against this measure was the Social Democratic Party, led by Otto Wels. Following the law's passage, Otto delivered a deeply moving speech, declaring, "Freedom and life can be taken from us, but not our honor."
Now wielding unchecked authority over the nation, the Nazi leadership moved to ban the Social Democratic Party — the last remaining voice of opposition within the government. Hitler went further still, dissolving even the smaller parties that had once backed his rise to power.
For a brief window, the Catholic Centre Party managed to survive. Its end came, however, when Hitler entered into a Concordat with the Vatican. The agreement aligned with the Nazis' vehement anti-Bolshevism, and in exchange, the church agreed to withdraw from political activism. In return, the government would leave the church untouched.
With every rival party eliminated, the Nazi government cemented its grip on July 14 by enacting legislation that prohibited the creation of any new political parties in the country. The law declared plainly: "The National Socialist German Workers Party constitutes the only political party in Germany."