How did Hitler consolidate power and control Germany as a dictatorship between 1933 and 1945?
Unit 2 Option (e.g. Y221 Democracy and Dictatorships in Germany 1919 to 1963): the consolidation of Nazi power, the machinery of the dictatorship through terror, propaganda and Gleichschaltung, and the balance of consent and coercion.
An OCR A-Level History Unit 2 non-British period study guide to the Nazi dictatorship from 1933 to 1945. Covers the consolidation of power through the Reichstag Fire, the Enabling Act and the Night of the Long Knives, the machinery of control through terror, propaganda and Gleichschaltung, and the debate over consent and coercion, with the two-part essay skills the paper rewards.
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What this dot point is asking
For the Germany option, the Nazi dictatorship (1933 to 1945) is a major topic. You study the consolidation of power after January 1933, the machinery of control (terror, propaganda and Gleichschaltung), and the debate over the balance of consent and coercion. Unit 2 tests AO1, through a part (a) on significance and a part (b) weighing factors, so you need precise events and a balanced judgement.
The answer
The consolidation of power 1933 to 1934
The machinery of the dictatorship
The regime controlled Germany through interlocking instruments:
- Terror. The SS and Gestapo (secret police) and the concentration camps suppressed opposition through surveillance and fear.
- Propaganda. Goebbels controlled the press, radio and film, and built the cult of the Fuhrer through mass rallies.
- Gleichschaltung. The "coordination" of institutions (the civil service, the law, education, youth and cultural life) brought society into line with Nazi goals.
Consent and coercion
Domestic and racial policy
The regime pursued a racial Volksgemeinschaft (people's community): it excluded Jews through the Nuremberg Laws (1935) and the violence of Kristallnacht (1938), indoctrinated the young through the Hitler Youth, and pressed women towards motherhood. Economic policy combined public works and rearmament (the Four Year Plan of 1936) to cut unemployment and prepare for war.
Examples in context
A model part (a) answer on the Enabling Act would judge it as the decisive legal foundation of the dictatorship (it removed the Reichstag and the President from lawmaking) while noting that terror and the elimination of rivals were needed to complete the regime.
Try this
Q1. Assess the significance of propaganda in maintaining Nazi control of Germany. [10 marks]
- What the marker wants. An AO1 part (a) answer judging the significance of Goebbels's propaganda and the Fuhrer cult in winning consent, balanced against the roles of terror and economic recovery.
Q2. What did the Night of the Long Knives achieve in June 1934? [2 marks]
- Cue. It destroyed the leadership of the SA, removing a rival power base and reassuring the army, helping Hitler consolidate his dictatorship.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR H505 Y221 201910 marksAssess the significance of the Enabling Act of March 1933 in the establishment of the Nazi dictatorship.Show worked answer →
The shorter part (a) of the two-part question (AO1), worth 10 marks, judging the significance of one factor.
Significance. The Enabling Act let Hitler legislate without the Reichstag or the President for four years, providing the legal foundation of the dictatorship and allowing the swift banning of parties and unions.
Balance. The Reichstag Fire Decree, the Night of the Long Knives and Hindenburg's death also mattered. The top level judges the Enabling Act as the decisive legal step while setting it against the terror and the elimination of rivals that completed the dictatorship.
OCR H505 Y221 202120 marksAssess the reasons why the Nazi regime was able to maintain control of Germany after 1934.Show worked answer →
The longer part (b) of the two-part question (AO1), worth 20 marks, a ranked analysis of factors.
Coercion. The SS, Gestapo and concentration camps suppressed opposition through terror and surveillance.
Consent and propaganda. Goebbels's propaganda, the cult of the Fuhrer, economic recovery and rearmament reducing unemployment, and popular nationalism won genuine support; Gleichschaltung brought institutions into line.
Judgement. Control rested on both terror and consent. The top level weighs the two (terror silenced opponents while economic recovery and propaganda won support) and judges, often concluding the regime relied on a combination rather than terror alone.
Related dot points
- Unit 2 Option (e.g. Y221 Democracy and Dictatorships in Germany 1919 to 1963): the establishment and crises of the Weimar Republic, the Stresemann recovery, and the strains that left democracy vulnerable by 1929.
An OCR A-Level History Unit 2 non-British period study guide to Germany from 1919 to 1963. Covers the establishment and early crises of the Weimar Republic, the Treaty of Versailles and hyperinflation, the Stresemann recovery, and the structural weaknesses that left democracy vulnerable to the Depression, with the two-part essay skills the paper rewards.
- Unit 2 Option (e.g. Y221 Democracy and Dictatorships in Germany 1919 to 1963): the impact of the Depression, the rise of Nazi support, the failure of presidential government, and Hitler's appointment as Chancellor in 1933.
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- Unit 2: the two-part question, managing the shorter part (a) on the significance of one factor and the longer part (b) on a wider analytical judgement, both testing AO1 under time pressure.
An OCR A-Level History Unit 2 guide to the two-part essay. Explains how to manage the shorter part (a) on the significance of one factor and the longer part (b) on a wider analytical judgement, how to time the answers, and the AO1 essay skills the non-British study rewards, with a worked example.
- AO1 essay skills: planning an analytical essay by decoding the command, selecting and ranking factors, organising thematically, and structuring towards a substantiated judgement.
An OCR A-Level History technique guide to planning the analytical AO1 essay. Explains how to decode the command word, select and rank the relevant factors, organise the essay thematically, and structure it towards a substantiated judgement, with a worked example transferable to every essay in the course.
Sources & how we know this
- OCR A Level History A (H505) specification — OCR (2015)