Hitler applied several means especially dictatorial ones to retain power until the time of World War II.
They included the following:-
He centralized power while in control of Germany. He organised elections on 5th March 1933 by which he centralised powers of administration. He suppressed the communists and all other parties except Nazi. He blamed the communists for being too violent in character and democrats for being weak politically. This made Hitler a real dictator in Germany. Following the death of President Hindenburg on 2nd August 1934, Hitler became both President and Chancellor of Germany and therefore all authority to govern Germany rested in his hands and a few of his party members.
Hitler made efforts to establish national unity in Germany. He abolished the separate provincial governments in favour of a powerful central government. He therefore established one party rule under the Nazi Party and abolished democracy for the sake of national unity.
Hitler enrolled many young girls and boys into his Nazi party. This helped him to strengthen his position since their population was big in Germany. This was through encouraging the formation of youth movements like the German Maidens for girls and Hitler’s Youths for boys. The Nazi Party therefore had many supporters which helped Adolf Hitler to consolidate power in Germany.
He crashed the opposition which helped him to consolidate power. Hitler hated criticism and opposition to his policies. As a result, he set up a special Nazi police known as the “Gestapo”. Using this secret police, the political suspects and enemies of his regime were either imprisoned or killed. Some of the victims of Hitler’s terror methods were his associates who had tirelessly served the Nazi party like Ernest Roehm. These were shot by firing squad. This helped him to gain firm control over Germany.
Similarly, Hitler dissolved all the trade unions in Germany in June 1933. These trade unions represented the interests of the workers yet the private businessmen hated the growing power of the workers. Hitler further reduced their power by confiscating their funds as well as imprisoning of their leaders. This made him popular especially among the industrialists.
He used press censorship to consolidate power in Germany. Hitler suppressed public opinion through censoring the means of communication like news papers, radio broadcasting, music, drama, paintings, public films and books in schools. Only Pro-Nazi newspapers and publications were allowed to circulate in Germany. For instance, in 1935 all the forbidden books with anti-Nazi ideas were collected and destroyed in a huge bonfire in Berlin. Similarly, teachers, Professors and religious leaders were warned against spreading anti-Nazi ideas.
Hitler consolidated power in Germany through the persecution of the Jews. Hitler hated the Jews and accused them of having betrayed the German people in World War I. By the Nuremburg Laws of 1935, Hitler embarked on the systematic persecution of the Jews. He began by denying them German citizenship and preventing them from intermarrying with Germans. At the height of his power, the Jews were persecuted for heavy crimes such as failure to show solidarity with the German army in war effort. He also set up concentration camps where many Jews were confined and tortured. By doing so, the Germans thought that Hitler was solving their problems which therefore earned him a lot of support at home.
He modernized the German army and gave it a national outlook. He admitted only German people into the military service and eliminated foreign influences. He increased the size of the German army, acquired modern weapons and also expanded the navy and air forces. This army silenced internal opposition which helped Hitler to consolidate power. The army promoted German interests abroad which equally made Hitler popular. These military reforms however were a violation of the treaty of Versailles of 1919 and were strongly opposed by the other powers like Britain and France. Hitler did not take heed of the international calls for disarmament. Such a policy therefore led to international antagonism and subsequently sparked off World War II.
He dealt with the Catholic Church so as to consolidate power. Though he subjected the church to state control, Hitler made a compromise through signing a treaty with the Pope in 1933 by which the catholic priests would take no interest in politics. Hitler would therefore interfere in the religious matters. Catholic churches were however given the right to run their religious institutions and impart education in their own way. These reforms however did not please all Catholics and their opposition against government continued. In return, Hitler continued to persecute the Catholics in order to consolidate his power.
He established full state control over educational institutions in Germany in order to promote the Nazi ideology which was the strongest instrument of his power. In the schools, Hitler spread the Nazi propaganda through changing the school curriculum so as to suit the Nazi principles. He therefore used education to brain wash the minds of the Germans so that they might walk in his footsteps. This enabled him to consolidate his position but left many dissatisfied with his policies.
Hitler initiated major infrastructural projects of public works. These projects included the building of government offices, stadiums, art galleries as well as housing developments. He concerned himself personally in the architectural designs for these projects, picking Albert Speer as his favourite assistant. Among these were the enormous stadiums and meeting halls built on the outskirts of Nuremburg town for the annual party congresses. This earned Hitler massive support.
Hitler introduced economic reforms which promoted economic development in Germany. Factories were set up to provide employment opportunities and acts or laws were passed to improve the labour conditions. With the help of the German scientists, arms, ammunition, steamships and aeroplanes were manufactured in Germany. He also restricted imports so as to protect the German industries. The Jews were expelled from the government jobs and replaced by Germans. All this led to economic prosperity and therefore increased the popularity of Adolph Hitler.
Similarly, Hitler developed the agricultural sector in Germany through introducing a number of reforms. For example, he recognized the successful farmers which increased their morale. He also extended credit facilities to the farmers which enabled them to finance their agricultural activities. This increased the production of agricultural goods which made the economy self-sufficient especially in terms of food production. This also made Hitler popular in Germany.
He used the foreign policy to consolidate power. In his foreign policy, Adolf Hitler was determined to reverse the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919 which had humiliated Germany. Consequently, when he came to power he violated the treaty of Versailles by re-arming Germany. He went ahead and re-occupied the Rhine lands in 1936 which had been demilitarized, annexed Austria in 1938 and also conquered Czechoslovakia in March 1939. Hitler therefore tried to create the large and strong Empire in Europe which he had promised to the Germans which increased his popularity. However, this aggressive foreign policy sparked off World War II because when Hitler attempted to annex Poland in September 1939, Britain and France declared war on Germany so as to defend their ally Poland.
He exploited the policy of appeasement to restore the power of Germany in Europe which helped him to consolidate power in Germany. In the 1930s, the Prime Minister of Britain Neville Chamberlain and that of France Deladier had resorted to pleasing Adolf Hitler hoping that he would stop his acts of aggression. For example, when they left him to occupy Austria in 1938, he used this opportunity to occupy Czechoslovakia in March 1939. This made the Germans to consider Hitler as very strong and therefore they supported him.
Hitler also used alliances to strengthen his diplomatic relations with other European powers. For example, in 1935 he entered into an alliance with Benito Mussolini known as the Rome – Berlin Axis. This alliance was later joined by Japan to form the Rome – Berlin – Tokyo Axis. These alliances however revived the alliance system in Europe which eventually led to the outbreak of World War II in 1939.
NOTE:
Hitler committed suicide in 1945, during the course of World II and he died with most of his staunch supporters.
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