The Nazis came to power in 1933 and made their power absolute with an "Enabling Law" and an unfair referendum. They centralized Germany, replacing local self-government. They strengthened the economy by doing business with major companies like General Motors and IBM. They expanded the Schutzstaffel to control the local police, and started the Gestapo to find, jail, and kill political enemies. They immediately banned Jews from important jobs, and soon restricted them in other ways. After a few years they built the armed forces far beyond the limits of the Treaty of Versailles. They also cooperated and made agreements with Italy and Japan.