The Reichstag Fire.
Goering and Goebbels, with the approval of Hitler, looking to smash the Communist Party, set fire to the building. A small group of S.A men, led by Karl Ernst ( Leader of the Berlin S.A. ) entered through a passage linking to Goering's palace. They scattered chemicals in order to burn down the building. After they left, a young Dutchman, ( Van der Lubbe) who had previously been seized for arson by the S.A, and had been hand picked for the plan, entered the building, and began to start fires at strategic points around the building. He was to be used as a scapegoat. The fire soon engulfed the building.
" On the occasion of a luncheon on the Fuhrers birthday in 1943, the conversation had turned to the Reichstag and it's artistic value. I heard with my own ears how Goering broke into the conversation and shouted "The only one who really knows the Reichstag is I, for I set fire to it. " - This supports a slightly different version of events, but still supports the view that Goering and the Nazi's were responsible.
Goering, stunned at the out break of the fire, concluded that the Communists were responsible for the fire. He set about saving the valuable tapestries, and the library.
"On the day of the Reichstag fire, I who was then his only aide-de-camp, reported the incident to goering, I was convinced that his surprise was authentic" " This is the beginning of a Communist uprising. They are about to strike, there is not a moment to lose." - quoted in Hans Mommsen, Aspects of the Third Reich.
Goebbels accounts states that neither He, Hitler, Von Papen or Goering were not responsible for, or knew of any plan to burn the Reichstag.
"I hope to God that this is the work of the Communists. You are now witnessing the great epoch in German History" - Hitler's words to Sefton Delmer
The head of the Berlin police states that Van der Lubbe was seized and overpowered by Reichstag officials after he set dozens of fires in the building. There was no doubt as to who was responsible for the actual executing of the burning of the Reichstag.
" As to the question whether I acted alone. I declare empathetically that this was the case. No one at all helped me, nor did I meet a single person in the Reichstag.
Theory 1
- The fire was planned by Goering and Goebbels, with the approval of Hitler. - The fire was started by the S.A who then set up Van der Lubbe as a scapegoat - The motive was to use the fire as proof that the Communists were planning an uprising, and clamp down on them before the election in March.
Theory 2
- The fire was planned by the Communist party, as part of an armed uprising. - The Fire was started by several people including Van der Lubbe. - The Nazi leadership were taken by surprise, but quickly set about containing the uprising.
Theory 3
- Van der Lubbe acted alone. - He did not meet anyone in the building and the fire was not part of a Communist plot - Nazi's alarmed, imagined the communists were trying to overthrow the government
Van der Lubbe, if he acted alone, would surely want to commit the act as quickly as possible. Setting dozens of fires in strategic areas, indicates that there significant planning was involved prior to the fire. Van der Lubbe's background made him the perfect scapegoat. He personally had no real motive for setting fire to the building. He also boasted about the fire once he was caught. He admitted it to easily. He acted like he wanted to be caught, and if he were acting on his own motives, that would not be the case. The only plausible explanations of the fire lie with blaming the Nazi's or the communists. The majority of evidence that has been presented to me suggests that Goering, and the rest of the Nazi leadership were surprised, even stunned at the news of the fire
"On the day of the Reichstag fire, I who was then his only aide-de-camp, reported the incident to goering, I was convinced that his surprise was authentic" " This is the beginning of a Communist uprising. They are about to strike, there is not a moment to lose." - quoted in Hans Mommsen, Aspects of the Third Reich.
The only real evidence supporting the view that the Nazi's were responsible is the statement quoted in F.Tobias, The Reichstag Fire (1963)
" On the occasion of a luncheon on the Fuhrers birthday in 1943, the conversation had turned to the Reichstag and it's artistic value. I heard with my own ears how Goering broke into the conversation and shouted "The only one who really knows the Reichstag is I, for I set fire to it. " - This supports a slightly different version of events, but still supports the view that Goering and the Nazi's were responsible.
With the evidence that has been presented to me, I have no indication of reliability of any of these statements, but the larger number of pieces claiming Nazi Surprise at the news, suggests that the communists may have been responsible. Having one last attempt at stopping Hitler taking full and irreversible control of Germany.
However, There is no firm evidence of Communist involvement either. Therefore I have to conclude that the fire was started by either the Nazi's or the Communists. The idea that Van der Lubbe acted alone is very unlikely. There was a plot, but we cannot be sure who's plot it was.
All three theories would have similar effects on the Nazi's and Hitler, which they could use to their advantage. Whatever the truth, the Nazi's could always claim that the Communists were responsible, and focus on clamping down Communist activities before the coming election in March. What ever the truth, the Nazi's could capitalise by finally taking full advantage over their arch enemies the Communists. In conclusion, in the short run the Nazis could clamp down on Communist activities, and indeed they granted decrees suspending the clauses of the constitution, and in the long run, they would gain secure hold of Germany leading up to the second world war. Indeed in the March election, they had a 52% majority in the Reichstag.