To what extent did Hitler’s consolidation of power after March 1933 depend on terror?

After March 1933, Hitler was able to consolidate his power through his terror regime. However, there are other factors that had a key role to play in Hitler’s ability to consolidate his power such as propaganda, the ‘legal revolution’ and his political policies. Arguably, the most important factor in Hitler being able to consolidate his power was his political policies, which helped him to gain popular support. Hitler was generally accepted because, among other things, he created jobs that people greatly needed after the devastation and poverty caused by the great depression of the early 1930s. In turn, this personal gain ultimately led to the public turning a blind eye to Hitler’s terror regime and believing the propaganda campaigns. Through fear, manipulation and the genuine improvement of living standards for many, Hitler was able to consolidate his power without much resistance. Furthermore, the legality behind his rise to power was also important in aiding his political power because it was undisputed by law. Therefore, it is clear that terror was important in Hitler consolidating his power after March 1933. But arguably, his political policies were more important because he helped to ease the deprivation and poverty caused by the financial crisis and promised to bring back a ‘prosperous’ Germany by overturning the embarrassment of the first world war. Despite political policies being crucial to the consolidation of power, the use of terror was also extremely important. The terror regime served three main functions: it helped to defeat opposition; it acted as a deterrent to possible future opposition; and asserted the power and authority of Hitler. After March 1933, Hitler began to increasingly use terror to force those who had not been won over to conform. As soon as May 1933, the SA stormed Trade Union headquarters and disbanded it, which immediately asserted Hitler’s power while also destroying opposition to his regime. The use of terror in this instance helped to minimise resistance, which in turn consolidated Hitler’s power. Hitler also used terror to eliminate political opposition in the form of other political parties. After intimidation and threats, most parties had agreed to dissolve themselves by June 1933 and by July the Nazi’s were legally the only legitimate political party in Germany. This shows the importance of terror to achieve the legality that could only be attained through force. However, it was not just the opposition in other political parties that Hitler destroyed. In 1934, the Night of the Long Knives eliminated members of the SA, which involved the killing of over 400 people, and firmly consolidated Hitler’s position as leader. In this one act of terror he eliminated the radical factions of his party to boost his position, but he also gained the trust of the conservative elites in Germany who feared the radical elements of the party. Therefore, terror was essential in consolidating his power and gaining the trust of powerful elites. Yet, the terror regime was much more than sporadic acts of violence by groups such as the SA or the SS. The Gestapo was a surveillance organisation that, as a result of propaganda, was seen to be an all-knowing police organisation that was feared by those who opposed the regime. They had a reputation for violence and a rumoured omniscience, and this reputation was important in getting people to cooperate in the form of public informants. In this case, it was more the image of the organisation that was important because in reality they only had 40,000 agents throughout the whole of Germany and relied heavily on public informants. The role of propaganda was important for its image. Therefore, in this case, it was more of a deterrence and a form of coercion than terror explicitly. That being said, it was an important part of the terror regime. Overall, it is clear that terror was a useful tool in Hitler being able to consolidate his power.