Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and then managed to maintain in power until the end of the Second World War. This was due to many strategies and policies inflicted by the Nazis. For example, the Enabling Act, eliminating all political threats, Nazi propaganda, and strength in economy and backing from businesses.
The Enabling Act was formed on 23 March 1933. The SS intimidated all the remaining non-Nazi deputies, resulting in the Reichstag voting for Hitler to have the right to make his own laws within the ‘Four Year Plan’. The law was passed by 444 votes to 94, only the SPD opposed it. The law greatly strengthened Hitler’s position in the Cabinet as the President’s signature was no longer needed for passing any degrees of legislations. On the 22 April Joseph Goebbels observed that ‘the Fuhrer’s authority in the Cabinet is absolute’. Due to the Enabling Act Hitler was able to legally take power, managing no to break a law, which is important because his rise to power is therefore seen to be legitimate. This helped Hitler consolidate power as it ensured that no one would be able to stand in his way from that point onwards.
In order to avoid threats from opposition, Hitler simply eliminated others who opposed him, or caused any threat to his power, for example, due to their size or ideologies. A primary example for this is what Hitler did to the Trade Unions. On the 2 May the SA and SS occupied trade unions offices throughout Germany, and leading trade union officials were beaten up and put into concentration camps. These unions were consequently replaced by the German Labour Front (DAF), in which all workers and employers had to enrol. A similar event happened towards the SPD on the 21 June. With an agreement that gave Catholicism the independence necessary to survive, the centre party was dissolved in July. The main reason the pope and the German Catholic bishops agreed to this is because they saw