1936 German parliamentary election and referendum

Parliamentary elections were held in Germany on 29 March 1936.^[1] They took the form of a single-question referendum, asking voters whether they approved of the military occupation of the Rhineland and a single party list for the new Reichstag composed exclusively of Nazis and 19 nominally independent "guests" of the party. Like previous votes in the Nazi era, it was rigged,^[2] with a claimed turnout of 99% and 98.8% voting in favour. In a publicity stunt, a number of voters were packed aboard the airships Graf Zeppelin and Hindenburg, which flew above the Rhineland as those aboard cast their ballots.^[3]

1936 German parliamentary election and referendum

← Nov 1933 29 March 1936 (1936-03-29) 1938 →
All 741 seats in the Reichstag 371 seats needed for a majority
Registered	45,455,217 ( 0.6%)
Turnout	99.0% ( 3.7pp)
Majority party   Leader Adolf Hitler Party NSDAP Last election 92.1%, 661 seats Seats won 741 Seat change 80 Popular vote 44,462,458 Percentage 98.8% Swing 6.7 pp
Government before election Hitler cabinet NSDAP Government after election Hitler cabinet NSDAP

This was the first German election held after enactment of the 1935 Nuremberg Laws, which had removed citizenship rights (including the right to vote) from Jews and other ethnic minorities. In the previous elections and referendums under Nazi rule, Jews, Poles and other ethnic minorities had been allowed to vote without much interference, and even tacitly encouraged to vote against the Nazis (especially in districts that were known to have large populations of ethnic minorities). On 7 March 1936, Jews and Romani lost their right to vote.^[4] Their removal from the electoral process accounted for much of the large drop in invalid and negative votes,^{[citation needed]} which fell from over five million in 1934 to barely half a million in 1936. The Nazis also lowered the voting age, in large part so as to ensure that the electorate was about the same size as in 1934 but also to exploit the relatively enthusiastic support of younger Germans for the Nazi regime.

This also was the first election since the Saar was incorporated into Germany on 1 March 1935, following the Saar plebiscite of 13 January 1935. The new territory was merged with electoral constituency 27, Palatinate, which was now renamed Palatinate–Saar.^[5]

Electoral slip from the constituency of Upper Bavaria–Swabia, Hitler's home constituency, with seven prearranged candidates.^[a] Voters only had to accept or dismiss this option, as no other lists were available.

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats
	Nazi Party and guests	44,462,458	98.80	741
Against		540,244	1.20	–
Invalid/blank votes				–
Total votes		45,002,702	100	741
Registered voters/turnout		45,455,217	99.00	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

Aftermath

The new Reichstag convened for formulary procedures on 30 January 1937 to re-elect its Presidium and Hermann Göring as President of the Reichstag. It convened again to renew the Enabling Act of 1933 for additional four years.

The subsequent election in 1938 was held both in Germany and Austria, alongside a referendum that ratified the annexation of Austria to the German Reich.

See also

• Guests of the Nazi Party Faction in the Reichstag
• List of Reichstag deputies in the Third Reich (3rd electoral term)

Notes

1. Hitler, Rudolf Hess, Wilhelm Frick, Hermann Göring, Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Wagner, Karl Wahl.