1. Path to
Dictatorship

2. What would be Hitler’s first action as Chancellor?

3. Path to Dictatorship Step 1: The Reichstag Fire
The Reichstag building was mysteriously set ablaze less than a month after Hitler was appointed chancellor.
Hitler convinced citizens that communists were the arsons, and had them banned from the Reichstag. However, today historians believe Nazis did it.

5. Why would he burn down the Reichstag?

6. Path to Dictatorship Step 2: The Enabling Act
Fights then erupted in the streets between Nazi Brownshirts and German communists. Property was destroyed and chaos reigned.
Hoping to restore order and prevent a communist takeover the Reichstag agreed to the Enabling Act which gave Hitler power to single-handedly pass emergency laws for four years.

8. Path to Dictatorship
With the power to make his own laws Hitler threw out the democratic constitution, banned other political parties, censored the media, and spread Nazi propaganda.
Goebbels

9. Path to Dictatorship
Those who protested the takeover were sent to concentration camps by the Gestapo, a branch of Hitler’s SS (special security) that carried out his brutality within Germany.

14. Concentration Camp

15. SS Execution

16. How can Hitler convince the Army to join him?

17. Path to Dictatorship Step 3: Winning the Army
The army still did not support Hitler because they often fought with his Brownshirts, and viewed them as competition.
To win over the army, in June of 1934 Hitler ordered the killing of nearly 500 Brownshirt leaders on what was dubbed the “Night of the Long Knives.” Army generals were now pleased and supported Hitler.

19. Now only the President stands in the way of Hitler.

20. Path to Dictatorship Step 4: Der Fuhrer
President Hindenburg was Hitler’s last obstacle in the way of a total dictatorship, but in August 1934 the aging Hindenburg died.

21. With Hindenburg gone, Hitler declared himself “Fuhrer” or ultimate leader of Germany. A plebiscite was held and the Germans voted in favor of having Hitler as Fuhrer.

23. Time “Man of the Year” 1938

24. Hitler's Rise to Power Great Strong Depression Leadership Harsh Weak
Versailles
Treaty
Weak
Weimar
Government

25. How Did Hitler Become a Dictator?
BECOMES
CHANCELLOR
(Power split
three ways)
REICHSTAG
FIRE
(Communists
blamed, street
fights, chaos)
ENABLING
ACT
(Only Nazi
party allowed,
censorship,
Reichstag
powerless)
Der Fuhrer!
How Did Hitler Become a Dictator?
HITLER
DECLARES
HIMSELF
FUHRER
(Dictatorship
achieved)
DEATH OF
PRESIDENT
HINDENBURG
(All opposition
gone)
NIGHT OF THE
LONG KNIVES
(Hitler purges
Brownshirts - army
now supports him)