hitler became dictator

• Hitler becomes Chancellor, but he is in a weak position


  January 30th 1933
• Hitler's position as Chancellor

  • Von Papen is his vice-Chancellor and he believes he can control Hitler
  • Von Hindenburg is the President and has the power to remove Hitler
  • Hitler only has 33% of the seats in the Reichstag (no majority)
  • The Nazis only have 3 out of the 10 top government jobs
• Hitler is the legally dictator of Germany


  August 2nd 1934
• Hitler's position as dictator

  • Hitler is the Chancellor and the President of Germany (the Fuhrer)
  • Democracy has been abolished and other political parties are banned (the Nazis have 100% of the seats in the Reichstag)
  • Hitler controls every part of Germany, from schools to the army
  • The Nazis have the power to legally imprison and execute people without trial
• Reichstag Fire and Reichstag Fire Decree


  1. Hitler calls for an election on March 5th with the aim of winning 66% of the vote to change the constitution

  2. On February 27th the Reichstag burns down and a 17 year old Dutch Communist (van der Lubbe) is arrested

  3. The Nazis claim this was the first stage in a Communist uprising

  4. The Reichstag Fire Decree (28th Feb) bans freedom of speech, gives the Nazis the power to shut down political parties and increases the number of crimes you can be executed for to 30
• March 5th Election results

  • Nazis = 45%
  • DNVP (von Papen's Party and von Hindenburg's Party) = 8%
  • Catholic Centre Party = 14%
  • Communists = 13%
  • SPD = 19%
  • Others = 2%
• Banning the Communists


  1. Hitler bans the Communists after the election even though he had the power to do it before

  2. Nazis = 51%

  3. DNVP = 9%

  4. Catholic Centre Party = 16%

  5. SPD = 21%

  6. Others = 2%
• Concordat with the Catholic Church

  • Don't shut down Catholic schools
  • Stay out of politics
• The Enabling Act


  1. The Enabling Act was passed on March 24th 1933

  2. It made Hitler the LEGAL dictator of Germany

  3. Every party other than the SPD voted for it

  4. The SA and the SS intimidated Deputies to vote for the Act
• The Enabling Act in action

  1. Trade Unions were banned on May 1st 1933

  2. The SPD was banned on June 22nd 1933

  3. The DNVP was abolished on June 28th 1933

  4. The Catholic Centre Party was abolished on July 5th 1933

  5. Most Communist members were sent to concentration camps. 25000 people were un concentration camps by Dec 1933
• The Army's view of Hitler

  • Not too sure about Hitler...
  • Worst comes to the worst we can remove him from power
• The SA's view of the Army

  • The SA are real Nazis.
  • We should be in charge of the army
• The Army's view of the SA

  • The SA are a bunch of thugs.
  • They can never be in charge of the army
• Night of the Long Knives (30th June -2nd July 1934)


  1. Hitler kills the top 85 leaders of the SA including Ernst Rohm

  2. A further 100+ people are killed, such as former Chancellor, von Schiecher

  3. The move is very popular with the German people, as it made Hitler look pro-German rather than pro-Nazi

  4. The army love Hitler as a result and swear an oath of allegiance to him
• • Von Hindenburg dies at the age of 84
  • Hitler becomes President as well as Chancellor


  August 2nd 1934