government's resources at his disposal. Propaganda, boosted by the government treasury, became a big part of his campaign to discredit the left and liberals in the eyes of the public. A Communist threat was stressed, and older policies of expansion and anti-Semitism were kept under wraps. To back up these claims, and to suppress the Communist and Socialist campaigning, the Nazis also used terror tactics. Members of the SA were made 'auxiliary police,' thereby guaranteeing no legal protection for opponents harassed by the stormtroopers. Communist meetings were banned, and their newspapers shut down. However, it was only after the Reichstag was set on fire on the 27th of February that the Nazi's terror tactics heightened to extremes. The fire was blamed on Communists and used as evidence of a communist plot against the government. The day afterward, an emergency decree was passed, giving the Nazis legal power to use terror tactics against their enemies. According to Douglas Newton, by mid-March, 10,000 Communists and anti-Nazis were locked up as a direct result of this decree. The elections were held in March, and the Nazis did not gain the majority they had hoped for. So, to gain outright power over government, the Enabling Act was created. This was a decree that would allow Hitler's cabinet to rule by decree and render the Reichstag powerless. The middle classes, conservatives, and center parties submitted to the Nazi pressure and voted for the new law, still believing the Nazis could be controlled. Williamson credits a "combination of terror and specious pledges" from the Nazis for this caving in. The Socialists were the only party to vote against the bill, and the Communists were banned from even attending. The Act was passed, and Hitler's government could now rule without Reichstag support. It was an important step in the consolidation of power, and Williamson argues that it "maintained the facade of the legal revolution and removed ...