Who started the Reichstag Fire?
Research File for NORMIE
Throughout history, governments have been known to take advantage of moments of crisis and use them as justification for radical change.
Here is the pattern:
Crisis
Response
Transformation
One event in particular has stuck with me since learning about it in history class:
Germany’s Reichstag Fire in 1933.
The crisis, in which the nation’s parliamentary building was burned to the ground, led to the consolidation of power by the Nazi party.
It’s all the more interesting for one reason:
No one knows who really started the fire.
The Nazis blamed the fire on Communist agitators.
But others have argued that the Nazis themselves started the fire as a pretext to carry out radical change.
Either way, it led to the transformation of Germany’s government and radically altered the course of history.
Let’s take a look at the events of the Reichstag Fire and how they impacted 1930s Germany.
At the end of this post, I’ll share how the event inspired the story of my dystopian novel, NORMIE (which you can read for free).
History and Background:
The Reichstag Fire is considered the turning point in the rise of the Nazi party in Germany.
On February 27, 1933, the Reichstag building, which housed the nation’s parliament, was burned to the ground in a roaring fire. The destruction was both political and symbolic, and the aftermath of the event would have far-reaching consequences.
The first report of the fire occurred at nine at night. Police searched the scene and found a Dutch communist named Marinus Van der Lubbe there. He was promptly arrested.
The fire took place during a critical period in German history. Adolf Hitler had been appointed Chancellor of Germany only a month earlier, on January 30, 1933. The Nazi Party was seeking to consolidate power and eliminate political opposition. The fire provided the perfect pretext for them to do so.
In the immediate aftermath of the fire, President Paul von Hindenburg signed the Reichstag Fire Decree. Officially titled the "Decree of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State," this emergency decree suspended many civil liberties and allowed for the detention of individuals without trial.
The decree was presented as a necessary measure to combat the threat of communism, which the Nazis claimed was behind the arson.
Crisis —> Response —> Transformation
The Reichstag Fire Decree had immediate and profound effects. It allowed the Nazis to arrest thousands of communists, including members of the Reichstag, effectively eliminating their main political rivals. The suppression of the Communist Party, along with the intimidation and violence used against other political opponents, paved the way for the Nazi Party to dominate the March 1933 elections.
Shortly after the elections, on March 23, 1933, the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act, which granted Hitler the power to enact laws without the Reichstag's approval, effectively establishing a legal dictatorship. The Enabling Act marked the beginning of Hitler's absolute rule and the establishment of a totalitarian state.
So who started the fire?
The true origins of the Reichstag Fire remain a subject of debate among historians.
While Marinus van der Lubbe was executed for the crime, many believe that the Nazis themselves orchestrated the fire to justify their crackdown on civil liberties and political opponents. Some historians argue that the fire was a false flag operation designed to consolidate Nazi power. Others believe that Marinus van der Lubbe acted alone but was used by the Nazis to their advantage.
The interesting thing to me as a writer is that it almost doesn’t matter.
Once you have a crisis, the public is so desperate for a response that there is never really a moment to consider what actually happened and who was responsible.
Connection to NORMIE:
The Reichstag Fire was a huge inspiration for my dystopian novel, NORMIE.
My story takes place on the five year anniversary of a fictional White House fire. The fire took place on November 7th and now Never Forget 11/7 graphics are plastered all around the nation’s capital on every anniversary.
The White House was burned one day after a heated presidential election between Incumbent President Ramsey and Governor Nathan Howard.
The official narrative is that Howard and his supporters burned down the White House in an effort to overthrow the government and take over themselves.
But throughout the novel you begin to learn that there’s another side to the story.
Our main character, Jack Campbell, encounters a mysterious figure dressed in a White Rabbit mask during his morning commute. The White Rabbit leaves behind a thumb drive, which Jack takes with him as he continues to his office.
The information held on the thumb drive provides the truth about who started the White House Fire…
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