How did Hitler turn the office of Chancellor into total dictatorship by 1934?
The consolidation of power 1933-1934: the Reichstag Fire, the Enabling Act, the banning of opposition, the Night of the Long Knives, and Hitler becoming Fuhrer on Hindenburg's death.
How Hitler turned the office of Chancellor into a dictatorship between 1933 and 1934: the Reichstag Fire, the Enabling Act that gave him law-making power, the banning of other parties and trade unions, the Night of the Long Knives, and his becoming Fuhrer on Hindenburg's death.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point covers how Hitler turned the limited office of Chancellor into a total dictatorship in the eighteen months from January 1933 to August 1934. The SQA topic requires you to know the key steps: the Reichstag Fire and the decree that followed, the Enabling Act, the banning of opposition parties and trade unions, the Night of the Long Knives, and Hitler's combining of the offices of Chancellor and President as Fuhrer on Hindenburg's death. This is the process by which Germany ceased to be a democracy.
The dot point matters because it shows how quickly a democracy can be dismantled by a leader using a mix of legal measures, propaganda and terror. It is a favourite for Explain questions on how Hitler made himself dictator, and for Describe questions on individual events such as the Night of the Long Knives.
The answer
After becoming Chancellor in January 1933, Hitler moved rapidly to seize total power. He used the Reichstag Fire of February 1933, which he blamed on the communists, to persuade President Hindenburg to issue a decree suspending civil rights and allowing the arrest of opponents. He then forced through the Enabling Act, which gave him the power to make laws without the Reichstag. With this power he banned all other political parties and trade unions, making Germany a one-party state. He used the SS and Gestapo to terrorise and silence opposition. In June 1934, the Night of the Long Knives, he had the leaders of the SA, including Ernst Rohm, murdered, removing rivals within his own party and winning the loyalty of the army. When Hindenburg died in August 1934, Hitler combined the offices of Chancellor and President, taking the title Fuhrer, and the army swore loyalty to him personally. Germany was now a dictatorship.
The Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Act
The first steps were the Reichstag Fire and the Enabling Act. In February 1933 the Reichstag building was destroyed by fire, which the Nazis blamed on a communist plot. Hitler used this to persuade Hindenburg to issue an emergency decree suspending civil rights, such as freedom of speech and assembly, and allowing the arrest of opponents, especially communists. Soon after, with opponents intimidated or imprisoned, Hitler forced the Reichstag to pass the Enabling Act, which let him make laws without the Reichstag or the President. This was the legal basis of his dictatorship.
Removing opposition
With the power of the Enabling Act, Hitler dismantled democracy. He banned all other political parties, making the Nazi Party the only legal party and Germany a one-party state. He abolished independent trade unions and replaced them with a Nazi-controlled labour organisation. The SS and the Gestapo, the secret police, were used to arrest, terrorise and silence anyone who opposed the regime. Step by step, the institutions that could have resisted Hitler were destroyed or taken over.
The Night of the Long Knives and becoming Fuhrer
Two final steps secured Hitler's total power. The SA had become large and its leader, Ernst Rohm, was seen as a rival; the army also distrusted the SA. In the Night of the Long Knives in June 1934, Hitler had the SS murder Rohm and other SA leaders, as well as other rivals and opponents. This removed a threat within his own party and won the loyalty of the army. When President Hindenburg died in August 1934, Hitler combined the roles of Chancellor and President into one, taking the title Fuhrer, and the army swore an oath of personal loyalty to him. Hitler was now the absolute dictator of Germany.
Examples in context
An Explain question on how Hitler made himself dictator links causes to effects: "he used the Reichstag Fire to claim a communist plot, so he got a decree to arrest opponents"; "the Enabling Act let him make laws alone, which meant he could rule by decree"; "he banned other parties and unions, so opposition was removed"; "the SS and Gestapo terrorised opponents, which crushed resistance"; "the Night of the Long Knives removed rivals and won the army, so his power was secure"; "on Hindenburg's death he became Fuhrer".
Try this
Q1. What power did the Enabling Act give Hitler? [2 marks]
- What the marker wants. The power to make laws without the Reichstag or the President, which became the legal basis of his dictatorship.
Q2. Why did Hitler order the Night of the Long Knives? [2 marks]
- What the marker wants. Because he saw the SA and its leader Rohm as a threat to his power and wanted to win the loyalty of the army, so he had them murdered.
Q3. What title did Hitler take when Hindenburg died in 1934, and what did it mean? [1 mark]
- What the marker wants. Fuhrer; he combined the offices of Chancellor and President into one, giving him total power, with the army swearing personal loyalty to him.
A note on sources
This guide is AI-written and not individually human-reviewed and presents this history factually. The events and dates follow the standard account taught for the SQA National 5 History European and World context on Hitler and Nazi Germany; verify content against the SQA National 5 History course specification and SQA past papers at sqa.org.uk.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA N5 style6 marksExplain the reasons why Hitler was able to make himself dictator of Germany by 1934. (6 marks)Show worked answer →
An Explain question, so give developed reasons linking cause to effect, around six.
Developed reasons: Hitler used the Reichstag Fire of 1933 to claim a communist plot, so he could persuade Hindenburg to pass a decree suspending civil rights and arresting opponents; the Enabling Act gave Hitler the power to make laws without the Reichstag, which meant he could rule by decree; he banned other political parties and trade unions, so opposition was removed; he used the SS and Gestapo to terrorise and silence opponents, which crushed resistance; the Night of the Long Knives in 1934 destroyed rivals within his own party and won the army's loyalty, so his position was secure; and when Hindenburg died in 1934 Hitler combined the offices of Chancellor and President as Fuhrer, which gave him total power.
Each reason must carry the factor through to its consequence.
SQA N5 style4 marksDescribe the events of the Night of the Long Knives (1934). (4 marks)Show worked answer →
A Describe question, so make four separate, developed points of fact from recall.
Possible points: in June 1934 Hitler ordered the SS to arrest and kill the leaders of the SA; the SA leader Ernst Rohm was among those murdered; Hitler acted because he saw the SA and Rohm as a threat to his power and wanted the army's support; and other rivals and opponents were also killed during the purge, which removed challenges to Hitler within and beyond the party.
Any four accurate, developed points reach full marks. Keep each one factual.
Related dot points
- The Nazi rise to power 1929-1933: the impact of the Great Depression, the appeal of Hitler and the Nazis, the weakness of the Weimar government, and how Hitler became Chancellor in January 1933.
Why support for the Nazis grew and how Hitler became Chancellor: the impact of the Great Depression and mass unemployment, the appeal of Nazi promises and propaganda, the weakness and divisions of Weimar, and the political deals that made Hitler Chancellor in January 1933.
- Early threats to Weimar 1919-1923: political revolts from left and right (the Spartacist Revolt and the Beer Hall Putsch) and the economic crisis of hyperinflation in 1923.
The threats the Weimar Republic faced between 1919 and 1923: the Spartacist Revolt from the left, the Beer Hall Putsch from the right, and the economic crisis of 1923 when the occupation of the Ruhr and hyperinflation destroyed savings and confidence.
- Weimar Germany and the Treaty of Versailles: the impact of defeat in the First World War, the creation of the Weimar Republic, and the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and German opposition to it.
How defeat in the First World War led to the Weimar Republic and why Germans resented the Treaty of Versailles: the new democracy, the terms of the treaty (territory, army, reparations and war guilt), and how opposition to it weakened the republic from the start.
- Nazi methods of control: the police state of the SS and Gestapo, censorship and propaganda, and the control of education and youth movements to spread Nazi ideas.
How the Nazis controlled Germany: the police state of the SS, Gestapo and concentration camps; censorship and propaganda through Goebbels using rallies, radio, film and press; and the control of schools and youth movements such as the Hitler Youth to shape young Germans.
- Nazi persecution and opposition: the persecution of Jewish people and other minorities, and the opposition to the regime from the churches, socialists and communists, and young people.
How the Nazis persecuted Jewish people and other minorities up to 1939, including the Nuremberg Laws and Kristallnacht, and the opposition the regime faced from the churches, socialists and communists, and some young people, and why opposition was so difficult.
Sources & how we know this
- National 5 History Course Specification — SQA (2024)
- National 5 History past papers and marking instructions — SQA (2025)