We shall have to deal with the entire legislative machinery as it was developed at that time. It will be shown that meetings of the cabinet took place even after Hitler’s cabinet had been formed, that they were, however, of an essentially different character already than formerly. Questions were no longer put to the vote. In individual questions of legislation too, Hitler stood on his right as Reich Chancellor to determine directives of policy, in accordance with article 56 of the constitution. As Hitler’s position grew stronger, especially after, in August 1934, the positions of Reich Chancellor and President of the Reich had been combined in his person, cabinet meetings served actually only the purpose of issuing Hitler’s instructions. In accordance with instructions, members of the cabinet were to submit bills that concerned their departments. In accordance with Hitler’s request these bills were submitted to other participating members of departments prior to the cabinet meetings, in order to obtain their opinion and at this stage only objections with regard to departmental competency of other ministries were taken into consideration. The bill, thus having become “ripe for the cabinet” [kabinettreif] was then passed in the cabinet meeting without debate. Since the uselessness of the cabinet meetings thereby became obvious, they were discontinued completely in 1937. Laws were then legislated by means of a so-called circulation procedure [Umlaufsverfahren] in which the individual ministers were given opportunity to voice their objections. These objections could, however, deal with purely departmental aspects only, whereas objections against a basic political idea founded on one of Hitler’s instructions could not be raised or remained ineffective. As we will show, this had, at the same time, the effect of declassifying certain ministries and resulted in their being subordinated to other ministries. This started already in 1935. By the secret National Defense Law, the OKW, [High Command of the Armed Forces], the Minister of Economics as Plenipotentiary General for the Economy, and the Minister of the Interior as Plenipotentiary General for the Administration of the Reich, were brought into prominence as legislative bodies and were combined in Board of Three [Dreierkollegium]. The other Ministries were subordinated to them and depended on them for instructions. The Ministry of Justice was subordinate to the Plenipotentiary General for the Administration of the Reich and was permitted to present bills only through him. The Ministry of Justice’s signature on a law was therefore only of nominal significance; it indicated that the judicial departments had been concerned with the contents of the law. We will show that after the outbreak of the war the Ministerial Council for National Defense was added as legislative body to the Board of Three. Here too, the Ministry of Justice was subordinated to