In this deck, we'll explore how Adolf Hitler, after becoming Chancellor in January 1933, rapidly transformed Germany from a democracy into a total dictatorship. We will examine the key events he used to seize absolute power, the terror machine he created to maintain it, and the ways he tried to control the hearts and minds of the German people.

Just six days before a crucial election, on the 27th of February 1933, the Reichstag building in Berlin, the home of the German parliament, was set on fire. The Nazis immediately blamed the communists, claiming it was the start of a revolution. This event was a golden opportunity for Hitler. For your exam, the Reichstag Fire is a perfect example of how the Nazis exploited a crisis to destroy their political opponents and strip away civil liberties.

Using the emergency powers from the Reichstag Fire Decree, Hitler intimidated his remaining political opponents. In March 1933, he forced the Reichstag to pass the Enabling Act. This law effectively voted democracy out of existence, giving Hitler the power to make his own laws for four years without anyone's approval. This act is the legal cornerstone of the Nazi dictatorship.