What we can still learn from the Reichstag fire

I’m always troubled when politicians or commentators attempt to link the authoritarianism of the Trump administration to 1930s Germany. The years that led to the Holocaust were unique in modern history, a systematic plan imposed by Hitler’s government to identify, persecute, segregate, impoverish, expunge and ultimately annihilate an entire group of people based on underlying racial laws.

There are however, specific and isolated events during that period that can warn us today. One such occurred in Berlin, exactly 92 years ago: the Reichstag fire of Feb. 27, 1933.

The fire served as a convenient crisis for Hitler’s government to declare a state of emergency and begin dismantling what had been a constitutional democracy. And similar events have been frequently replicated in the authoritarian playbook.

Almost a month after Hitler was installed as chancellor, an arson attack engulfed the Reichstag building, home of the German parliament. Firefighters and police found and arrested Marinus van der Lubbe, a Dutch communist. That night, Hermann Goring told Hitler, “This is a communist outrage!” Hitler called the fire a “sign from God.” The head of the Berlin fire department later presented evidence suggesting Nazi Party involvement in the fire. He was arrested, imprisoned, strangled and killed in prison.

The day after the fire, President Paul von Hindenburg signed the Reichstag Fire Decree, which suspended most civil liberties in Germany and banned media considered unfriendly to Hitler.

Despite van der Lubbe’s own claims that he had acted alone, Hitler pushed the narrative of a widespread attack against the nation. Nazi party media outlets ignored overwhelming evidence to the contrary and amplified the claim.

Many Germans who had enjoyed liberal democracy consequently supported draconian measures to keep them safe, including the arrests of thousands of communists and the suppression of legitimate opposition parties in the parliament. In the elections one week later, the Nazi Party increased its share of the vote in the Reichstag from 33 percent to 44 percent.

Then came the second blow to democracy. On March 23, the parliament, where meaningful opposition to Hitler had been eliminated, effectively neutered itself by approving the Enabling Act, which allowed Hitler to rule by decree.

Since then, historians have argued whether the Reichstag fire was a conspiracy caried out by Nazi stormtroopers to justify Hitler’s rollback of legal protections. Wiliam Shirer called van der Lube “a dupe of the Nazis” who had been encouraged by them to set the building on fire. Still others, including Ian Kershaw, have argued that van der Lube acted alone, but that the emergency was exploited by Hitler.

Either way, the fire itself was what Hitler needed to terrify a population already buffeted by economic and social crises after World War I. In the name of national security, which hadn’t actually been threatened, the German people surrendered their rights.

In a recent New York Review of Books essay, “The Making of Emergencies,” Caroline Elkins reminds us of the long history of invoking emergency powers, in and outside of the U.S.. Since 1976, American presidents have declared national emergencies more than 80 times.

President Trump however, has come closer to the voices we heard in 1933 than any of his predecessors. He speaks of enemies within; he has repeatedly threatened to jail his political opponents (just Google “Trump” and “jail opponents” and choose from the multitude of links).

Vice President JD Vance has argued that judges can’t control Trump’s legitimate power, leaving the interpretation of “legitimate” rather vague. And Trump himself recently posted on social media, “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.”

I repeat, explicitly: the totality of events in Germany, starting 92 years ago, have no parallel with the totality of policies and social media posts today. But both the left and the right have learned how easy it is for people to toss away their freedoms when the fire alarm sounds.

Steve Israel represented New York in the House of Representatives for eight terms and was chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 2011 to 2015.

Topics

What can we learn from this year’s anonymous Oscar ballots?

Will it be Anora or Conclave? Demi or Mikey? Brody or Chalamet? This year’s glut of secret ballots reveal who the winners might be. If you’re finding it harder than usual to get excited about the ...
The Guardian - 10h
What did we learn from Ferguson's Rangers unveiling?

Barry Ferguson speaks about his expectations, coaching staff and route to the job at his first media conference as interim Rangers manager.
BBC News - 2d
What gaming can learn from the past | Laura Naviaux Sturr interview

Will the game industry find its way home? Can we look to the past and find lessons? Laura Naviaux Sturr, general manager of operations at Amazon Games, gave a talk at the Dice Summit 2025 event on ...
VentureBeat - 3d
What we learned as Warriors' balanced attack fuels rout over Kings

A balanced offensive attack fueled the Golden State Warriors' 132-108 rout over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night at Golden 1 Center.
Yahoo Sports - 5d
What we learned as Warriors win fourth straight in rout of Hornets

The Golden State Warriors now have won four consecutive games for the first time since the third week of the 2024-25 NBA season after blowing out the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
The name’s Bezos, Jeff Bezos: what can we expect from Amazon’s James Bond?

With one of the film industry’s most lucrative franchises signed over to Amazon MGM, 007 could be facing down the barrel of spin-offs, quasi-crowdsourcing and a cinematic universe to rival Marvel. ...
The Guardian - 6d
Can we lower toxic polarization while still opposing Trump?

I am highly critical of Trump because I believe he amplifies us-versus-them hostility.
The Hill - 5d
You can still claim up to $2,000 per kid from the child tax credit, but that amount may drop after 2025—here's what to know

If Congress doesn't address the soon-expiring expanded child tax credit, parents could see a higher tax bill in the coming years.
CNBC - 2d
What we learned as Warriors blow out Mavs to grab third straight win

Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors dismantled the Dallas Mavericks in front of a roaring Chase Center crowd, 126-102, on Sunday.
Yahoo Sports - 4d