Name: ____________________ (
) Class: Sec 3___ Date: _______
The Impact of Hitler’s Rise to Power on Germany
When examining whether or not Hitler was successful … it is important
to bear in mind the following objectives Hitler aimed to achieve while in
power:
1. Restoration of Germany as the leading country of Europe
2. Ensuring the racial purity of the German nation
3. Establishment of complete Nazi control over the state
POLITICAL
Democracy in
Germany was
Destroyed

Hitler used his
power as
Chancellor to wipe
out democracy as
he felt it was an
obstacle to
restoring
Germany’s
greatness

In order to allow
the Nazis to gain
full control of the
Reichstag, he
dissolved
parliament and
called for new
elections.

Before the new
elections, the
Reichstag caught
fire and Hitler
blamed the fire on
SOCIAL
The German People had
Little Freedom
ECONOMIC
Three Main Economic
Aims:
 To reduce
Fear:
unemployment
 To build up the
 Emergency Laws
German weapons
were passed which
industry
suspended political
 To achieve economic
and civil rights.
self-sufficiency
People could be
(autarky)
arrested on suspicion
of anti-government
activities and held
 Trade unions were
indefinitely in
banned and strikes
prison.
outlawed. Union
leaders were also
 Courts of Law were
sent to
run by the Nazis
Concentration
and only Nazi
Camps.
supporters could
become judges,
 Improvement of
hence a fair trial
working conditions
was impossible in
through the German
Germany.
Labour Front (GLF)
but used as a tool
 The use of the SS
of control regarding
or Gestapo (secret
wages and working
police) to arrest and
hours. Despite
kill people who
propaganda to show
Name: ____________________ (
the Communists.




Using the fire as
an excuse, Hitler
convinced the
President to give
him Emergency
Powers.
He used the
powers to get rid
of his Communist
opponents and
prevent rival
political parties
from meeting.
After the
elections, the
Nazis still did not
have the power
(2/3 majority) so
Hitler asked the
Reichstag to pass
the Enabling Act
which would give
him dictatorial
powers.
He got the vote
by outlawing the
Communist Party
(Emergency Laws)
and gaining the
support of the
Nationalist and
Catholic Centre
Parties.
) Class: Sec 3___ Date: _______
opposed Hitler or
the Nazi Party.



In essence, Germany
was run like a police
state due to its
effective and

unlimited power of
its policing force.
Quarter wardens
often informed on
the people staying in
their residential
units (quarters) and
people were
encouraged to
report on their
friends and families
un-Nazi behaviour
or thoughts.
Concentration Camps
were built to house
people who did not
support the
government. In the
camps, they were
forced to do hard
labour.
Propaganda:
 Only pro-Nazi
cultural activities
were allowed and
designed to shape
the minds of the
German people.
wages had
increased, there
was no difference
as working hours
increased as well.
Strength through
Joy: incentives for
workers, car
ownership
programme.

New jobs were
created through the
National Labour
Service which found
jobs for the
unemployed building
government
projects, civil
service and
conscription.

Unemployed people
still remained:
Women (who were
taken out to raise
families at home)
and Jews (who were
denied jobs)

Increased the size
of the German
Army and employed
more people in the
arms factories to
manufacture the
additional needed
Name: ____________________ (




Nazi officials
replaced all
members of other
political parties in
government
departments.
All trade unions
were banned and

re-organised under
the German Labour
Front
All political parties
were banned and
the Nazi Party
became the only
one political party
in Germany.

Threats to Hitler
from Within the Nazi
Party were Removed


The SA, Hitler’s
own private army,
had grown very
strong and
powerful over the

years under the
leadership of Ernst
Rohm.
Ernst Rohm called
for the SA to
made into a 2nd
German Army and
) Class: Sec 3___ Date: _______
Hitler used a lot of
propaganda to
control the German

people. He had a
Propaganda Minister,
Josef Goebbels who
controlled radio and
cinemas.
Censorship was also
practiced and
controlled by the
Ministry of
Propaganda. Harsh
punishments awaited
those who wrote
critically of the
Nazis.
Parades and rallies
which were done on
a large scale, gave
Germans the
impression of unity
and power which
appealed to them
and ensured their
continued support.
weapons.
Big businesses
benefited under the
Nazis as they
produced arms and
construction
materials to the
numerous projects
Hitler put in place.

Four-year Autarky
was not achieved as
Germany still
needed to import
1/3 of its raw
materials.

Small businesses did
not benefit from
Hitler’s economic
policies.

The German people
lacked food and
daily necessities
when war broke out
in 1939 because
money kept on being
used to manufacture
arms.
Brainwashing of
youths through the
joining of Nazi youth
groups where they

were taught Nazi
ideals. Boys were
sent for military
training while girls
were trained for
Germany was also
spending more
money buying goods
from abroad then
selling them.
Overall, the German
Name: ____________________ (
also called for
large firms to be
nationalised
(controlled by the
state) which
alarmed the
German Army and
industrialists.

Hitler was afraid
of losing the
Army’s support and
was growing
distrustful of
Rohm and saw him
as a potential
rival.

In 1934, Rohm
and many of the
SA were arrested
and executed in
what became
known as the
Knight of the Long
Knives. Hitler also
used this
opportunity to
arrest, imprison
and execute some
of his rivals.
Seizure of President’s
Role

On the death of
President
Hindenburg, Hitler
) Class: Sec 3___ Date: _______
motherhood. Not all
youths believed in
Nazi ideals and some
formed subversive
groups.

The education
system was
controlled by the
Nazis and the
curriculum was rewritten to introduce
Nazi ideals and a
one-sided view of
German history.
Physical education
was compulsory and
promising young
Nazis were groomed
for future
leadership.

Women were given
limited
responsibilities and
made to stay at
home, produce
racially pure children
and raise families.
Medals and cash
awards were given
as incentives.

Jews and other
‘undesirables’
(homosexuals, nonAryans, the mentally
ill, the handicapped)
economy did not
improve although
unemployment
improved slightly.
Name: ____________________ (
did not call for
elections but took
over as President
and Chancellor,
allowing him
unlimited and
unchallenged
power.

He was now the
Fuhrer of Germany
and had the
support of the
German Army
following the Night
of the Long
Knives.
) Class: Sec 3___ Date: _______
were treated cruelly
and sent to
Concentration Camps
or Extermination
Camps.

Anti-Jewish laws
were passed and
many Jewish
businesses and
synagogues were
destroyed in the
Night of the Broken
Glass or the Crystal
Night.

Jews were killed in
the ‘Final Solution’ in
Extermination Camps
through gas
chambers, hard
labour or execution
by rifle. An
estimated 6 million
Jews lost their lives
in what has been
termed “The
Holocaust”.

Christian churches
were controlled by
the Nazis. Hitler
established the
Reich Church which
preached Nazi
values and ideals.
Priests from the
Protestant and
Name: ____________________ (
) Class: Sec 3___ Date: _______
Catholic faiths who
did not support
Hitler or refused to
preach Nazi ideals
were arrested and
sent to
Concentration
Camps.

Church youth groups
and religious schools
were also closed
down.