Hitler becomes Führer (AQA GCSE History): Revision Notes
Hitler becomes Führer
Setting the stage for dictatorship
By 1934, Hitler had successfully eliminated threats from other political parties and trade unions, but he still faced obstacles to achieving complete power. President Hindenburg remained the only person standing between Hitler and total control of Germany. However, Hitler also recognised that he needed to deal with internal challenges, particularly from the SA (Sturmabteilung) and its leader Ernst Röhm.
The SA (Sturmabteilung), also known as the "Storm Troopers" or "Brownshirts," was originally Hitler's paramilitary organisation that helped him rise to power through street violence and intimidation. By 1934, however, they had become more of a liability than an asset to Hitler's goals.
The Night of the Long Knives (30 June 1934)
The trap at Bad Wiessee
Hitler orchestrated a carefully planned elimination of the SA leadership through what became known as the Night of the Long Knives. He invited Röhm and approximately 100 SA leaders to attend a meeting in the town of Bad Wiessee on 30 June 1934. This invitation was actually a deadly trap - when the SA leaders arrived, they were immediately arrested by SS forces, transported to Munich, and executed.
The Night of the Long Knives was a crucial turning point in Nazi Germany. It demonstrated Hitler's willingness to use extreme violence against his own supporters and marked the moment when he chose the SS over the SA as his primary instrument of control.
Wider purge and arrests
The violence extended beyond the initial SA targets. Franz von Papen's staff members were also arrested, and Papen himself was placed under house arrest, effectively neutralising his ability to monitor or challenge Hitler's actions. Additional killings followed, including that of Kurt von Schleicher, a former Chancellor who had previously opposed Hitler.
Public understanding limited
Historical evidence suggests that most Germans did not fully grasp the significance of these events or understand how dramatically the power of the SA had been reduced through this violent purge. This limited public awareness helped Hitler maintain his image while consolidating power.
Why Röhm and the SA had to be removed
The SA's massive size and potential threat
The SA had grown into an enormous paramilitary organisation with at least 3 million members, making it potentially more powerful than Hitler himself. Röhm led this vast force and had begun to disagree with some of Hitler's policies, especially regarding the direction Germany should take. This disagreement made him a serious rival to Hitler's authority.
To put the SA's size in perspective: with 3 million members, the SA was thirty times larger than the German army, which was restricted to only 100,000 soldiers under the Treaty of Versailles. This massive size made them a genuine threat to Hitler's control.
Elite opposition and discipline problems
Many important figures in German society, including President Hindenburg, strongly disapproved of the SA's methods and behaviour. The SA had developed a reputation for violent, undisciplined actions that lacked any proper control or restraint. This unruly behaviour damaged Germany's reputation and concerned established authorities.
Military rivalry and army concerns
The German army, restricted to only 100,000 soldiers under the Treaty of Versailles, viewed Röhm's ambitions with deep suspicion. Army officers believed that Röhm wanted to transform the SA into Germany's new national army, which would have threatened their own position and professional identity. Hitler needed the regular army's support and allegiance.
SS competition under Himmler
The SS (Schutzstaffel), established by Hitler in 1925 as his personal bodyguards, offered a more disciplined alternative to the unruly SA. Under Heinrich Himmler's leadership, the SS had developed into a select, well-organized force that appeared menacing in their distinctive black uniforms. Himmler, who was personally closer to Hitler than Röhm, wanted to reduce the SA's influence while increasing the SS's power and importance within the Nazi hierarchy.
Hitler achieves total power (2 August 1934)
Hindenburg's death creates opportunity
President Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934, just weeks after the Night of the Long Knives. His death removed the last constitutional figure with sufficient authority to prevent Hitler from achieving absolute power in Germany. Hindenberg had been the final check on Hitler's ambitions.
Creating the Führer position
Within hours of Hindenburg's death, Hitler moved decisively to consolidate power. The Law concerning the Head of State merged the offices of Chancellor and President into a single new position called Führer, meaning 'leader'. This legal change eliminated the separation of powers that had previously existed in the German government.
The creation of the Führer position was the death blow to German democracy. By merging the roles of Chancellor and President, Hitler eliminated all constitutional checks on his power and created a legal dictatorship.
Military oath of personal loyalty
Hitler also announced that the German army would now swear an oath of allegiance directly to him personally, rather than to the German state or constitution. This requirement ensured that the armed forces were now under his direct personal command and control.
Complete control established
After 2 August 1934, Hitler had successfully eliminated all significant opposition and achieved complete control over Germany. Other political parties had been banned, political opponents had been removed or silenced, the president was gone, and the armed forces were now under his personal command. The transformation from democracy to dictatorship was complete.
The Führer cult and propaganda
Hitler employed extensive propaganda to present himself as an all-powerful leader deserving of absolute loyalty. The 'Heil Hitler!' Nazi salute required people to demonstrate personal allegiance to him rather than to Germany as a country. Propaganda materials portrayed him as possessing superhuman, heroic qualities that justified his absolute authority over the German people.
How Hitler's Power Consolidation Worked: A Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Eliminate internal threats (Night of the Long Knives - remove SA leadership) Step 2: Wait for constitutional obstacle to be removed (Hindenburg's death) Step 3: Merge government positions (Chancellor + President = Führer) Step 4: Secure military loyalty (personal oath to Hitler) Step 5: Use propaganda to legitimise absolute power (Führer cult)
Result: Complete transformation from democracy to personal dictatorship
Timeline of key events
- 30 June 1934: Night of the Long Knives - SA leadership purged at Bad Wiessee
- July 1934: Papen placed under house arrest, further killings occur
- 2 August 1934: President Hindenburg dies
- 2 August 1934: Hitler merges Chancellor and President roles to become Führer
- August 1934: German army swears personal oath of allegiance to Hitler
Key Points to Remember:
- The Night of the Long Knives (30 June 1934) eliminated the SA leadership threat and demonstrated Hitler's willingness to use extreme violence against his own supporters
- Röhm and the SA were removed because they had grown too powerful, were undisciplined, and posed a direct challenge to Hitler's authority and army support
- President Hindenberg's death on 2 August 1934 removed the final constitutional obstacle to Hitler's complete control of Germany
- Hitler merged the offices of Chancellor and President to create the new position of Führer, giving him absolute power over the German state
- By August 1934, Hitler had successfully transformed Germany from a struggling democracy into a complete dictatorship under his personal rule