Hitler himself was very ruthless and in the Night of the Long knives clearly demonstrates this. Hitler not only got rid of his political opposition, he got rid of many of his SA members including Ernest Rohm, the leader of the SA. His loyal army was disposed because Hitler saw the SA as an embarrassment and he feared Ernest Rohm getting too powerful and going against him. This was done by Hitler’s new army, the SS (Black Shirts). This consolidated his power as a Fuhrer and enabled Hitler to gain support of the Army before Hindenburg’ death (Hindenburg approved of the event).
The establishment of the Gestapo/Secret police allowed Hitler to control the lives of the people. It eliminated any threats through spying and informers all around Germany. It meant that people lived in fear and anyone speaking in a not agreeable light towards Hitler would be deemed a political opponent. So people could not express their criticism thus Hitler is left unchallenged thus further consolidating his power as Fuhrer. His policies towards Jews also presented terror in his rule, Jews were removed from jobs, isolated from the public and declared second class citizens. Violence towards Jews were encouraged by the Nazis which many people agreed to as Hitler had advocated that Jews were the problem of everything and they needed the Jews as their scapegoat.
However, Hitler’s rule was also marked by several other factors. His foreign policy proved popular as it mainly went against the Treaty of Versailles which many people hated. The treaty of Versailles was a hated treaty as it involved Germany having to accept sole blame for the First World War and Germany being stripped from its prestige from the years of the Kaiser. Conservatives and army like this as they wanted Germany to be powerful again. He also overturned the Anchluss and merged with Sudetenland which went with his policy of Lebensraum. The masses saw this as a return to the big German empire again and this made Hitler popular. His overturning of the Treaty of Versailles gained him much popularity as he glorified Germany and made many people patriotic.
Propaganda also played a big part in his rule. Hitler relied on the Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, to promote the Nazi ideals to the masses. Hitler was portrayed as a strong leader, advocator of traditional values which was popular amongst families following the difficulties after world war one. Nazi ideas were broadcasted through radios which were made public to everyone thus everyone was exposed to them. Thus the likelihood of the masses believing Hitler were more likely. Censorship also allowed Hitler views to be unchallenged and that all propaganda would be Pro-Nazi thus making Hitler more glorified in the eyes of the masses.
Education gained Hitler a following from children. Children were thought Nazi curriculum, in which they were racially superior and the history of Germany were glorified to make them more nationalistic. Children were indoctrinated with Nazi believes from young which would guarantee Hitler loyalty from them. Hitler also set up Hitler youth and the Maiden’s league which promoted Aryan and traditional values and it also took up their time thus they wouldn’t be influenced into thinking anything other than their beloved Fuhrer.
Terror played a big part and I think that it played it a bigger part than other factors as it terror ensured the strength of his power to be stable as he would be unchallenged and he could get rid of opposition.
