Final answer:
The Reichstag Fire Decree was instituted in response to a fire at the Reichstag building. It suspended civil rights and allowed the state to suppress political opponents.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Reichstag Fire Decree was instituted by President Hindenburg in response to a fire at the Reichstag building that was blamed on the communists. This emergency decree suspended civil rights and allowed the state to suppress political opponents, particularly the German Communist Party. If the decree had not been instituted, it is possible that another political party could have survived to push back against the Nazis and prevent their complete control of the state.