1933 – Reichstag fire: Germany's parliament building in Berlin, the Reichstag, is set on fire.


The fire was used as evidence by the Nazis that the Communists were beginning a plot against the German government. Adolf Hitler, used the incident to suspend civil liberties, and instituted mass arrests of Communists, including all of the Communist parliamentary delegates. With them gone and their seats empty, the Nazis went from being a plurality party to the majority; subsequent elections confirmed this position and thus allowed Hitler to consolidate his power.
(Wikipedia)