Significance of Reichstag Fire

In historical terms the Reichstag Fire (which took place February 27, 1933) is seen as a pivotal event in the establishment of Nazi Germany. 

HOW HISTORY TELLS IT:

At 9:25pm, a Berlin fire station received an alarm call that the Reichstag building -- the assembly location of the German Parliament -- was ablaze. The fire started in the Session Chamber, and by the time the police and firefighters had arrived, the main Chamber of Deputies was engulfed by flames.

Adolf Hitler, who had been sworn in Chancellor of Germany four weeks before, urged President Paul van Hindenburg to pass an emergency decree in order to counter the "ruthless confrontation of the KPD. With civil liberties suspended, the government 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.

Meanwhile, investigation of the Reichstag fire continued, with the Nazis eager to uncover Comintern complicity. In early March 1933, three men were arrested who were to play pivotal roles during the Reichstag Fire Trial, which was helf in Leipzig, Germany.

Historians disagree as to whether van der Lubbe acted alone or if the Nazis were involved. The responsibility for the Reichstag fire remains an ongoing topic of debate and research.