The Nazis came to power during the great depression. In fact, without the Wall Street Crash it is unlikely that Hitler would have ever got into power. However once Hitler got into power he dramatically increased his control. However, after the great depression, how did he strengthen his control over Germany?

When Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933 he was not content with the power he had. His position was vulnerable as President Hindenburg could sack him from his post at any moment. In order to change this Hitler needed to alter the constitution, which required the support of two thirds of the Reichstag. Hitler also needed the support of the majority of the Reichstag in order to pass laws. However Hitler wanted total control for himself. He wanted to be a strong leader, a Fuhrer, like the Kaiser hade been, so he could make Germany strong again.

The first thing that Hitler did was to call a new election in March 1933 to get more seats for the Nazis so that the Reichstag would pass an Enabling law. An Enabling Law would give Hitler the power to make laws himself, for four years, without consulting the Reichstag. Therefore Hitler would be able to make laws without needing a majority vote. When the Reichstag voted on the Enabling law Hitler used extreme methods to ensure that the law was passed. He blamed the Reichstag fire on the communists and therefore banned communist party members from voting. Before the vote, Hitler’s storm troopers, the SA, beat up Nazi opponents and, in the voting area there were armed SA units. These were threatening methods that aimed to intimidate people into voting for the Enabling Law.

Once the Enabling law was passed Hitler used his new power to strengthen his control. He used the law to get rid of anybody who was against him. He banned trade unions and banned all political parties in Germany except the Nazi’s. On the Night of the Long Knives Hitler removed many of his enemies from within his own party and the SA. Over 400 people were arrested and executed. This included Ernst Roehm the head of the SA. It also included Hitler’s old enemy Gustav von Kahr, who crushed Hitler’s beer hall putsch in 1923, and Kurt von Schleicher, the previous Chancellor who had tried to control the Nazi party. Hitler was purging his enemies and anyone who could be a threat to his power. Therefore he was increasing his power and strengthening this control.

Hitler was able to increase his control even more when President Hindenburg died. The president was the only person with the power to sack Hitler and after Hindenburg died Hitler was untouchable. He quickly made himself Fuhrer and then had total control. Hitler then made the German army swear and oath of obedience to him. Armed soldiers would have been the only people with a chance of removing Hitler, but now they had sworn to die for him.

Anybody who opposed Hitler from now on was in danger of being arrested by the Gestapo, the German secret police. People were encouraged to inform the Gestapo of anyone who was anti-Nazi. People were frightened of what might happen to them if they were not pro-Nazi. Many anti-Nazi’s were taken to concentration camps or forced labour camps although some of them were simply shot. By 1938, sixty thousand people were in these camps. By using the Gestapo and the fear of death, Hitler increased his control even further.

Hitler tried to win over as many people as possible to the Nazi party by using propaganda. The Nazi Nuremburg rally was held annual and over 400000 people attended. The rally included army parades, gymnastic displays, air force fly-pasts, and most importantly Hitler’s inspiring speeches. The Nazi party also controlled all German newspapers. Newspaper editors had to ask Joseph Gobbles, the Nazi head of propaganda, what headlines and articles to print each day. The Nazi’s also made radio sets available to every German at very cheap prices. Therefore everyone was able to hear the Nazi message. They even put loudspeakers in town centres so people could hear Nazi propaganda programs when they were not at home.

Young people were taught what to believe through school and the Hitler youth. The Hitler youth taught Nazi ideals and got children ready for the army and war by making them go on 50 mile marches and making them play war games, sometimes with live ammunition. Schools also taught Nazi ideas. Especially through lessons like Race Science, where children were taught that Jews were inferior to the superior Aryan race. Even lessons like maths carried a subtle Nazi message. Maths questions would contain parts about bombing cities and killing Jews, which showed the children that both of these were acceptable acts. Therefore the next generation were being taught to support Hitler and Nazi ideals, which increased Hitler’s control further.

The working class were won over by unemployment being cut down and through the organisation “Strength through Joy” (KDF). Hitler created many jobs in the arms industry as part of the Nazi policy of rearmament. He also gave people jobs building new schools, hospitals, and Germany’s new motorway system, the Autobahns. The KDF gave working class people holidays at reduced prices and this obviously pleased the working classes. As the working class had jobs and cheap holiday they were happy and so they supported Hitler.

Hitler won over some Christians by allowing the to go to church, but Hitler arrested any of them that spoke out against him. Hitler had made a deal with the Catholic party in order to gain their support. The Catholic Church would keep out of Nazi politics if the Nazi’s kept out of Catholic affairs. However the Protestants were split. Some supported Hitler and some did not. Those who did were allowed to practice their religion but had to endure the Nazi message being put across during mass. Pro-Nazi sermons were often made during the service and in some churches Hitler’s book, “Mein Kamf” was placed on the alter. Those who opposed Hitler set up a confessional church against the Nazi ideas. Some Christians, like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, actually tried to kill Hitler. However many anti-Nazi’s were removed and either killed or placed in concentration camps.

In conclusion, the most significant ways that Hitler used to increase his power were the Enabling Law and making himself Fuhrer. The enabling law gave him the power to do things like the Night of the Long Knives and it also allowed him to ban other political parties making any opposition impossible. Without the Enabling Law Hitler would have not been able to do these things. President Hindenburg was the only person who could sack Hitler and after he died Hitler became Fuhrer. There was then nothing stopping him from taking complete control of Germany.