A member of the Schutzpolizei removes an election poster from a wall during the closing of the Karl-Liebknecht House (KPD headquarters), which was on the Bülowplatz in Berlin. After Hitler was handed power he moved rapidly and effectively to keep it. After the Reichstag fire, the Communists were blamed (who actually set the fire is still in doubt). After a frenzied anti-comunist campaign they were declared illegal, members were imprisoned, their offices sacked and all literaure destroyed. With affective opposition thus eliminated, the nazis easily won the general election a month later.

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Photo credit: © CBW / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: banned, banning, closing, closure, communist, communists, fascism, german, germany, inter-war, interwar, kpd, national, nazi, nazis, nazism, office, offices, outlaw, outlawed, party, politcal, reich, rise, shutting, socialist, violence, wars, years