**Reichstag Fire**
**Definition**
The Reichstag fire was a pivotal event in German history when the Reichstag building in Berlin was set ablaze on February 27, 1933. The incident was used by the Nazi Party to justify severe political repression.
**Article**
### Background
The Reichstag was the German parliament building. In early 1933, Adolf Hitler had recently been appointed Chancellor of Germany, and political tensions were high.
### The Fire
On the night of February 27, 1933, the Reichstag building was engulfed in flames. A Dutch communist, Marinus van der Lubbe, was found at the scene and arrested for arson.
### Aftermath and Significance
The Nazi government blamed communists for the fire, using it as a pretext to suspend civil liberties and suppress political opposition. This event facilitated the establishment of Hitler’s dictatorship by enabling the Reichstag Fire Decree, which curtailed freedoms and allowed mass arrests.
**Meta Description**
The Reichstag fire was a 1933 arson attack on the German parliament building that the Nazi Party exploited to consolidate power and suppress opposition.