Draft:Gun control in Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany and gun control is a common vocal point for gun nuts and wingnuts. The relevant argument, that the Nazis imposed gun control in order to facilitate their consolidation of power, is often recited as arguments against gun control. In reality, the leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, was actually against gun control. This topic overlaps with Hitler and socialism in pseudohistorians and wingnuts.

Gun Control in the Weimar Republic
Strict gun control laws in 20th century Germany were first introduced by the Weimar Republic, to comply with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. . The Treaty specified maximum stocks of war materials allowed in Germany, including a maximum of 84,000 rifles. The Treaty also requires that all arms in excess of the allowed maximums be turned in to allied governments or destroyed. For reference, the population of Germany in 1920 is estimated to have been over 60 million people. A law introduced in 1928 loosened gun restrictions, creating a system of permits governing gun manufacturing and sale.

In Nazi Germany
Under the 1928 law, the police were authorized to manage gun permits. This fact was used by the Germans to selectively manage permits to the disadvantage of minority groups, particularly the Jews. A major revision of the law was made in 1938, again reducing arms restrictions. Notably, this law allowed Nazi officers to obtain weapons without a permit.