In Jan 9133 Hitler became Chancellor of Germany , bit his power was far from secure: Hindenburg could sack him at any time. His support in elections appeared to be declining.

Over the next 20 months he would go through a process of securing his power: Some were deliberate Nazi actions and some events were used to the Nazis advantage.

The Reichstag fire:

• The Reichstag caught fire on Feb 27th 1933. It was quickly blamed on a Dutch communist called Van Der Lubbe. He confessed and was executed. some have suggested the Nazis set the fire themselves as it was so politically useful for them though it is not proved

• The fire was distressing and outrageous to patriotic Germans. It was seen as an attack on the country by communists.

• Hitler took full advantage of this fear and outrage. 4,000 communists were immediately arrested.

• Hitler pressured Hindenburg into supporting emergency, temporary laws to establish control.

• Decree for the Protection of the People and Sate: This gave Hitler power to imprison opponents and ban Communist newspapers

• Control of the police: Hitler used this to round up opponents, but also forced the police to ignore SA violence.

• Hindenburg supported Hitler

March 1933 Elections: Amidst the fear and outrage at the Reichstag fire, Hitler sought to secure more power in the Reichstag. He called an election on 5th March 1933. This was successful. The Nazis secured 288 seats and 44% of the vote- just short of an outright majority. The Nazis secured the support of other nationalist parties and banned the 81 communist deputies to secure a 2/3 working majority. Having control of a majority could allow Hitler to alter the Weimar constitution

The enabling act: Now Hitler had a majority in the Reichstag he made his big move towards seizing personal power. March 24th The Reichstag approved the enabling act: The cabinet could pass new laws on its own - without the Reichstag. These new laws could override the Weimar constitution. The Chancellor would propose new laws. This killed German democracy. The Nazi’s opponents were outnumbered and could not stop it. The communists had been banned from the Reichstag and some members of the SPD were hospitalised by SA beatings.

Banning Opposition:

• Trade Unions: these had traditionally supported the socialists and communists. Hitler ordered the arrest of Trade Union leaders, the ransacking of the offices and the banning of strikes

• Political Parties: the SA attacked the offices of the Social Democrats and Communists, confiscating their funds and effectively shutting them down.

• By July 1933 all political parties were banned - except the NSDAP

• Hitler closed down the local govs and replaced them with Gauleiters of his own choosing.

The Night of the Long Knives:

• Hitler wanted the support of the army: the SA undermined that. After all, the army was limited to 100,000 men by the ToV. The SA was 4 times size.

• Hitler feared that Ernst Rohm was plotting to overthrow him: Rohm supported more socialist policies, and the SA (60% of whom were unemployed) were loyal to Rohm, feeling Hitler undervalued them.

• 30th June 1934 Hitler began to arrest and murder his opponents, over 4000 in total.

• Hitler lured Rohm and other SA leaders to a conference at Bad Weissee. Rohm and others were arrested on arrival.

• Rohm was pressured to commit suicide, Instead, he was shot in prison.

• Von Papen found his secretary shot dead and his home ransacked. He narrowly avoided being murdered

• Strasser and von Kahr were murdered by the SS

• July 2nd - Goering publicly declared that Rohm had been killed as he was planning a revolution and it was in the best interests of Germany. There was never much mention of the other arrests and murders

• Most of Hitler’s political rivals were now either dead, incarcerated, in concentrated camps or too terrified to resist him