Enabling Act

The Enabling Act was a law passed by the German Reichstag on 23 March 1933 that enabled Adolf Hitler to issue decrees independently of the Reichstag and the presidency. It was passed with the support of some non-NSDAP parties after the Reichstag fire, increasing political violence, and fears of a Communsit coup and terror. Hitler had already before the Enabling Act been given emergency powers specified in the constitution.

The Enabling Act formed the constitutional basis of Hitler’s dictatorship. No new constitution was ever introduced to replace that of the Weimar Republic, with new decrees being issued as they were required. Later in 1933, the NSDAP was declared the only legal political party.