Consolidation of power

Hitler’s Rise to Power

Hitler was appointed as Chancellor of Germany in January 1933 by President Hindenburg.
Hitler’s Enabling Act of March 1933, passed by the Reichstag, gave him power to enact laws without the involvement of the Reichstag.
The Night of the Long Knives in June 1934 saw the purge of the SA, Hitler’s own paramilitary organisation, enhancing his control over the army.
Hitler declared the Führer principle and made himself Führer (leader) of Germany after President Hindenburg’s death in August 1934.

Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels ran an extensive propaganda campaign to glorify Hitler and the Nazi ideals.
All media, including newspapers, radio, and film, were controlled and used to depict the Nazis positively.
Censorship was imposed to ensure only Nazi-approved information was available, suppressing any opposing views.

Hitler condemned opposition and dissent through institutions like the Gestapo and the SS.
Concentration camps were established for political opponents, communists, and later for Jews and other groups deemed undesirable by the Nazis.
The Nazi Party controlled every aspect of life, from schools and universities to the arts and the workplace, ensuring Hitler’s ideology permeated all levels of society.

Introduction of the Four Year Plan in 1936 aimed at preparing Germany for war and making it economically self-sufficient.
Implementation of policies like Strength Through Joy and Beauty of Labour aimed at winning the support of the working class.
Hitler’s autarky policy aimed at achieving self-sufficiency for Germany, focusing on rearmament and agrarian self-sufficiency, but was only partially successful due to lack of resources.

Hitler’s racial purity law, known as the Nuremberg Laws of 1935, excluded Jews from German citizenship and prohibited marriages between Jews and non-Jews.
Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, in November 1938 saw violent attacks on Jews, their businesses and synagogues, effectively marking the beginning of the Holocaust.