On 1933, the Nazi Government was in the process of passing the Enabling Act, a proposed law that gave Chancellor Hitler the power to pass laws, without the Reichstag interfering. To do this, Hitler planned to ban the Communist Party to remove Reichstag members who would oppose the law. The KPD was outraged and on the 27th of February 1933, a communist bricklayer named Marinus van der Lubbe protested by setting fire to the Reichstag Building. This act would begin a massive panic and Hitler soon claimed that the fire was a sign from God, warning the German people about a communist coup. Nazi Government quickly accused Van Der Lubbe of being a part of a larger communist conspiracy within Germany and the Enabling Act was passed, allowing Hitler to become the first Führer of Germany.
Today, there is much debate on whether Van der Lubbe truly acted alone or if the fire had been orchestrated by the Nazi Government. If Van der Lubbe truly did act alone, what would happen in a world where he didn't start the fire? During his time as a bricklayer, a chuck of rubble fell on his head in 1927, blinding his right eye. What if the accident had been a lot more serious, causing him to die from cerebral hemorrhage shortly after? During the beginning of Hitler's Chancellorship, the Nazis had only won 33% of the vote and most Germans believed that they would be voted out during the next elections. The Enabling Act changed all of that, allowing them to arrest the Communist opposition and control all branches of government. So in a world where Hitler never achieves absolute power, what would be the future of Germany and Europe as a whole?
Today, there is much debate on whether Van der Lubbe truly acted alone or if the fire had been orchestrated by the Nazi Government. If Van der Lubbe truly did act alone, what would happen in a world where he didn't start the fire? During his time as a bricklayer, a chuck of rubble fell on his head in 1927, blinding his right eye. What if the accident had been a lot more serious, causing him to die from cerebral hemorrhage shortly after? During the beginning of Hitler's Chancellorship, the Nazis had only won 33% of the vote and most Germans believed that they would be voted out during the next elections. The Enabling Act changed all of that, allowing them to arrest the Communist opposition and control all branches of government. So in a world where Hitler never achieves absolute power, what would be the future of Germany and Europe as a whole?