Germany becomes a centralized state

The “coordination” of the federal states and the civil service

After the Enabling Act of 24 March 1933 vested almost complete legislative power in Adolf Hitler, the Third Reich moved to control all state structures. Two laws were passed in April 1933 – the second of which was enacted on 7 April – with the intention of “bringing into line” all state legislatures and administrations. Whilst all the regional parliaments were ordered to replicate the majority of the current Reichstag, the various state governments that they supervised were given the same legislative powers as the Reich government before being placed under the control of “Reich governors”. Having thereby rendered the federal states entirely meaningless, Germany functioned henceforth as a unified state with a central government.

The Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service from 7 April 1933, established government control of the civil service. Dismissing Jews, liberals, democrats and members of the SPD or KPD, Hitler made clear that he was not prepared to brook even minimal dissent at whatever level. The “Aryan paragraph” of the legislation was later adopted by the vast majority of non-governmental organisations, from industry associations to small sports and singing clubs.