Chancellor

In 1890, he dismissed Otto von Bismarck, the chancellor who had helped create the German Empire. However, removing a powerful adviser did not remove the difficulty of balancing the army, landowners, industrialists and an increasingly influential elected parliament.

Hitler became Chancellor on 30 January 1933 through appointment, not by winning an election for that office. Understanding his rise therefore means connecting two developments: the Nazis’ electoral popularity and the decisions of influential conservative politicians, especially President Paul von Hindenburg and Franz von Papen.

By the end of the month, he was chancellor. This was an enormous advance for the Nazis, but it did not give Hitler unrestricted power.