1933 General Historical Events

General Historical Events

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January 30

*Hitler became Chancellor as German nationalist feeling swelled and economic unrest intensified.

February 27

*The Reichstag in Berlin was destroyed by fire.  The Nazis accused the Communists of arson and fabricated a case against Dutch Communist Marinus van der Lubbe.  Marinus van der Lubbe was found guilty and was executed in 1934.  However, there are suspicions that Goering, Hitler's second-in-command, may have started the fire himself.

March 7 

*Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss proclaimed a dictatorship and banned political parades and demonstrations.

March 20

*The Nazis opened the first concentration camp in Germany at Dachau near Munich.  

March 29 

*Austrian Nazis staged a huge demonstration and initiated a riot in deliberate defiance of Dollfuss.  Hitler imposed a tourist tax of a thousand marks on any German visiting Austria, wrecking the Austrian tourist industry.  

April 30

*President Cerro of Peru was assassinated.  He was succeeded by Oscar Benevides.

July 4

*Howard Moffat, described by a later observer as "the Herbert Hoover of colonial Zimbabwe" resigned as Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia after six years, and was succeeded by George Mitchell (July 4). 

*Jan Breytenbach, the first commander of 1 Reconnaissance Commando, the first unit founded within the South African Special Forces, was born. 

 Jan Dirk Breytenbach (b. July 4, 1933) was appointed by General Fritz Loots, the founder of the South African Special Forces Brigade, as the first commander of 1 Reconnaissance Commando,  the first unit founded within the South African Special Forces. He was also appointed as the first commander of the 32 Battalion, known colloquially as "Buffalo Battalion", as well as 44 Parachute Brigade.

Breytenbach attended the Army Gymnasium in 1950, and was awarded the Sword of Peace in 1953 and joined the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm after serving in the Armoured Corps and saw service in the Suez Crisis in 1956. He rejoined the South African Defence Force in 1961 and soon after completed one of 1 Parachute Battalion's courses. He founded 1 Reconnaissance Commando in 1971.

In 1975, Breytenbach led Operation Savannah, the SADF's covert intervention in the Angolan Civil War. The remnants of this group became the infamous 32 Battalion.

Breytenbach attended Staff College in 1977 and was promoted to Colonel. In 1978, he led the SADF air assault on Cassinga,  and afterwards continued to contest opposing versions of the event in the press.

He became Senior Staff Officer for Operations at Northern Transvaal Command and commanded 44 Parachute Brigade from September 24, 1980 to December 31, 1982. He founded the SADF Guerilla school which he commanded until his retirement.

Breytenbach retired from the military in 1987, and wrote a number of books. He was the brother of South African poet and writer Breyten Breytenbach and of war correspondent/photographer Cloete Breytenbach.  During the 1980s, Breyten and Jan Breytenbach held strongly opposing political viewpoints, so with his brother opting for a more left-wing approach and with Jan opting for the right, this influential family effectively covered the political spectrum.

September 8

*King Faysal of Iraq died at Berne in Switzerland.  He was succeeded by his son, Ghazi.

October 14

*After Japan announced that it would withdraw from the League of Nations in two years' time, Hitler announced that Germany, too, would withdraw.

November 8

*Nadir Shah, King of Afghanistan, was assassinated at Kabul and was succeeded by his son, Mohammed Zahir Shah. 

November 16

*The United States established diplomatic relations with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) for the first time since the Russian Revolution.

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*The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution repealed Prohibition.

*The United States recognized the Soviet Union and resumed trade.

*The Tennessee Valley Authority was created.

*As Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins became the first female cabinet member.