Article on the elimination or dissolution of the non-Nazi political parties in 1933, including the Communist, Social Democratic, Center, and Catholic parties

DOCUMENTS OF GERMAN POLITICS [Dokemente der deutschen Politik] Vol. 1, Page 55-56.
C. The End of the Party State
Between the 27th of February and the 14th of July 1933, the Party State was finally eliminated in Germany. Hence, an event of gigantic historical importance took place during these four and one half months.
The blow of the Communist Party for which the Reichstag fire was to be a signal, has backfired on its originators. Already during the night of the 27th to the 28th of February the organization of the Communist party was completely smashed. * * *
On 9 March, the Reich Minister of the Interior, Frick, had already announced that the Communists would be prevented from participating in the session of parliament at the opening of the Reichstag on March 21st because of their being more usefully occupied. The preliminary law concerning the incorporation of the lands into the Reich of 31st March 1933 * * * legalized
the elimination of the Communists as representatives of the German people which had already been carried out in practice. On the 26th of May 1933, the law concerning the confiscation of property of the Communists * * * dealt the final legislative
blow to German Communism,
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While political organizations were broken up or disintegrated, their supporters wavered back and forth seeking shelter here and there; for instance, in individual cases in the "Stahlhelm" and in the German National "Kampfringe." Because of these conditions, the German National "Kampfringe" were dissolved on June 21st, 1933. The "Stahlhelm" prohibited in its formations "any party membership other than that of the NSDAP" according to the agreement of June 21st, 1933. * * * Numerous restraints
had already been imposed on the activities of the Social Democratic Party by the measures of February 28. The backbone of the party was broken by the occupation of the buildings of the trade unions and the smashing of the Free trade unions on May 2, 1933. * * * A decree of the Prussian Minister of the Interior concerning the prohibition of activities of the Social Democratic Party of Germany was issued on June 22, 1933. * * *
The order for safeguarding the state leadership of July 7, 1933
* * * annuls the mandates of the Social Democratic Party in
German public corporations. The law concerning the confiscation of the property of enemies of the people and State of July 14, 1933, extended the provisions of the law concerning the confiscation of Communistic Property to the property of the Social Democratic Party and other organizations inimical to the State.
On June 27, 1933, the German National People's Party decided its dissolution "in recognition of the fact that the party state had succumbed," after an agreement with the Reich Chancellor
* * * On July 4, 1933, the party chairman of the German
People's Party, Dingeldey, announced the dissolution of his party.
Also the parties of German Catholicism, which were supposed to be deeply rooted, had to bow to the law of the new order. On July 4, 1933, the Bavarian People's Party * * * and on
July 5, 1933, the Center Party * * * published an announcement of their dissolution. .
The law against the recreation of parties of July 14, 1933 * * * concluded the liquidation of the Party State. Only recreation of parties was thereby prevented. A new epoch of German history began which was founded on the inseparable association of the State and the one party and movement of the
NSDAP.
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