Explain how Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power in Germany and turned it into a dictatorship by 1934

What this dot point is asking

SEAB wants you to explain how Adolf Hitler, the leader of a small extremist party, rose to become the dictator of Germany by 1934. You should be able to explain the conditions that helped the Nazis (the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic and especially the Great Depression), the reasons people supported the Nazis (promises, propaganda and fear), and the steps by which Hitler, once appointed Chancellor in 1933, destroyed democracy and made himself absolute ruler. The task is explanation: link the crisis in Germany to the rise of the Nazis, and the rise of the Nazis to the creation of a dictatorship.

The answer

The weak Weimar Republic

After the First World War, Germany became a democratic republic, usually called the Weimar Republic. It faced serious problems from the start. Many Germans associated it with defeat and the hated Treaty of Versailles, since it was Weimar politicians who had signed the armistice and the treaty. Its system of proportional representation produced many small parties and weak coalition governments that often could not agree. There were violent uprisings from both the left and the right. Although the mid-1920s were calmer and more prosperous, the republic never won the deep loyalty of all Germans, which left it vulnerable when crisis returned.

The impact of the Great Depression

The turning point was the Great Depression. When the American stock market crashed in 1929, the United States called in the loans that had been propping up the German economy. German factories closed and unemployment soared, reaching around six million by the early 1930s. Ordinary people faced poverty, hunger and fear. The moderate parties of the centre seemed unable to solve the crisis, and the Weimar governments grew weaker. In their desperation, millions of Germans began to look to extreme parties that promised bold solutions, and the Nazis were ready to offer them.

Nazi promises and propaganda

The Nazis offered exactly what frightened Germans wanted to hear. They promised to end unemployment and revive the economy, to make Germany strong and proud again, and to tear up the Treaty of Versailles. They blamed Germany's problems on convenient scapegoats: the Treaty, the "November criminals" who had signed it, communists, and, above all, the Jews. The party used brilliant propaganda, with mass rallies, posters, radio and Hitler's powerful, emotional speeches. They also offered the appeal of order and strength at a time of chaos. As a result, Nazi support grew rapidly, and in elections in 1932 they became the largest single party in the Reichstag (parliament).

Hitler becomes Chancellor

Being the largest party did not give Hitler automatic power, because the Nazis did not have a majority on their own. But Germany's leaders made a fatal miscalculation. Conservative politicians around President Hindenburg believed they could use Hitler's popularity for their own ends and control him once he was in office. In January 1933 they persuaded the elderly Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor, with conservatives in the cabinet to keep him in check. They were badly wrong: Hitler had no intention of being controlled.

From Chancellor to dictator, 1933 to 1934

Once in office, Hitler moved fast to destroy democracy, mostly by legal or seemingly legal means. In February 1933 the Reichstag (parliament) building was set on fire; the Nazis blamed the communists and used the panic to push through emergency laws restricting freedom and arresting opponents. In March 1933 they forced through the Enabling Act, which let Hitler make laws without parliament for four years, effectively ending democracy. He then banned all other political parties and the trade unions, so Germany became a one-party state. In 1934 he eliminated rivals within his own movement in a purge (the Night of the Long Knives). When President Hindenburg died later in 1934, Hitler combined the offices of Chancellor and President and took the title Fuhrer (leader), with the army swearing loyalty to him personally. Germany was now a Nazi dictatorship.

Examples in context

Example 1. The Enabling Act of March 1933. The Enabling Act is the single most important step from democracy to dictatorship. It allowed Hitler's government to pass laws without the Reichstag or the President, removing the main check on his power. It was passed by intimidating and excluding opponents, yet it had the appearance of a legal vote. This shows Hitler's method: using the forms of legality to destroy the substance of democracy.

Example 2. Propaganda and the cult of the Fuhrer. The Nazis were masters of propaganda, run by Joseph Goebbels. Mass rallies, films, posters and radio presented Hitler as the strong saviour Germany needed. This created a powerful image that won votes before 1933 and then helped bind Germans to the regime afterwards. It is a clear example of how communication and image, not just policy, helped the Nazis gain and hold power.

Try this

Q1. What was the Enabling Act of 1933? [3 marks]

• Cue. A law that allowed Hitler's government to make laws without the Reichstag or the President, effectively ending democracy in Germany.

Q2. Explain why the Great Depression helped the Nazis gain support. [5 marks]

• Cue. Mass unemployment of around six million caused fear and poverty; moderate parties seemed helpless, so desperate Germans turned to the Nazis, who promised jobs, national revival and strong leadership.

Q3. "Hitler came to power because of Nazi propaganda rather than the economic crisis." How far do you agree? [8 marks]

• Cue. Argue propaganda spread the message effectively, but it was the Depression that gave it a mass audience; weigh the two, with the conservatives' miscalculation, before judging.