Asked by fernanda
How did Hitler become Supreme Commander of Germany?
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
Short answer: by a combination of legal steps, political maneuvering, violence and intimidation, and finally the death of President Paul von Hindenburg. Those moves let Hitler first become head of government, then merge the presidency with the chancellorship, and secure the armed forces’ personal loyalty so he was both head of state and supreme commander.
Key steps (timeline and explanation)
- Nazi rise and appointment as Chancellor (1920s–Jan 30, 1933)
- Hitler built the Nazi Party into the largest mass party in Germany. Conservative politicians and elites (notably Franz von Papen) believed they could control him and persuaded President Hindenburg to appoint Hitler Chancellor on 30 January 1933.
- Emergency measures and elimination of opposition (Feb–Mar 1933)
- After the Reichstag Fire (27 Feb 1933) the government issued the Reichstag Fire Decree, suspending many civil liberties and allowing mass arrests of communists and opponents.
- The Enabling Act (23 March 1933) gave Hitler’s cabinet legislative power without parliamentary consent, effectively letting him govern by decree and dismantle democratic checks.
- Gleichschaltung and consolidation of power (1933–mid‑1934)
- The Nazis brought state governments, the civil service, the press and political institutions into line (Gleichschaltung), banned other parties, and purged opponents from public life.
- Night of the Long Knives, securing the army (30 June–2 July 1934)
- Hitler ordered the purge of the SA leadership (Ernst Röhm and associates) and other rivals. That action removed a potential rival paramilitary force and reassured the army (Reichswehr) leadership that Hitler would not tolerate SA domination.
- Death of Hindenburg and merger of offices (2 August 1934)
- When President Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934, Hitler’s government enacted a law merging the presidency with the chancellorship. Hitler took the title Führer und Reichskanzler, becoming both head of state and head of government.
- Personal oath of the armed forces and plebiscite (August 1934)
- The military swore a new oath of personal loyalty to Hitler rather than to the constitution or the state. A plebiscite on 19 August 1934 formally confirmed his assumption of the combined office.
Result: By combining legal statutes (Enabling Act, the law merging offices), the removal of rivals by force, and securing the army’s loyalty, Hitler became Germany’s supreme commander in both law and practice.
If you want, I can expand on any of these steps (for example the wording and effect of the Enabling Act, details of the Night of the Long Knives, or how the oath to Hitler changed the military’s relationship to the state).
Key steps (timeline and explanation)
- Nazi rise and appointment as Chancellor (1920s–Jan 30, 1933)
- Hitler built the Nazi Party into the largest mass party in Germany. Conservative politicians and elites (notably Franz von Papen) believed they could control him and persuaded President Hindenburg to appoint Hitler Chancellor on 30 January 1933.
- Emergency measures and elimination of opposition (Feb–Mar 1933)
- After the Reichstag Fire (27 Feb 1933) the government issued the Reichstag Fire Decree, suspending many civil liberties and allowing mass arrests of communists and opponents.
- The Enabling Act (23 March 1933) gave Hitler’s cabinet legislative power without parliamentary consent, effectively letting him govern by decree and dismantle democratic checks.
- Gleichschaltung and consolidation of power (1933–mid‑1934)
- The Nazis brought state governments, the civil service, the press and political institutions into line (Gleichschaltung), banned other parties, and purged opponents from public life.
- Night of the Long Knives, securing the army (30 June–2 July 1934)
- Hitler ordered the purge of the SA leadership (Ernst Röhm and associates) and other rivals. That action removed a potential rival paramilitary force and reassured the army (Reichswehr) leadership that Hitler would not tolerate SA domination.
- Death of Hindenburg and merger of offices (2 August 1934)
- When President Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934, Hitler’s government enacted a law merging the presidency with the chancellorship. Hitler took the title Führer und Reichskanzler, becoming both head of state and head of government.
- Personal oath of the armed forces and plebiscite (August 1934)
- The military swore a new oath of personal loyalty to Hitler rather than to the constitution or the state. A plebiscite on 19 August 1934 formally confirmed his assumption of the combined office.
Result: By combining legal statutes (Enabling Act, the law merging offices), the removal of rivals by force, and securing the army’s loyalty, Hitler became Germany’s supreme commander in both law and practice.
If you want, I can expand on any of these steps (for example the wording and effect of the Enabling Act, details of the Night of the Long Knives, or how the oath to Hitler changed the military’s relationship to the state).
Submit Your Answer
We prioritize human answers over AI answers.
If you are human, and you can answer this question, please submit your answer.