Hitler

In theory, Hitler had absolute power.

However, there was no constitution for the Third Reich. Change happened very hapazardly.

Hitler's own personality too were not like a strong leader.

He was charismatic as seen due to his magnetic control enabling him to play on mass suggestion.

However, he was very lazy.

He disliked paper work and only took an interest in foreign policy.

He also was not well educated and how experience in government.

He was also not very decisive. After 1934, the cabinet declined and only met 4 times in 1936.

It is important to consider the fact that from 1925-1933, Hitler was able to consolidate his position as leader at the Bamberg meeting in February 1926. He was able to resist being manipulated by von Papen and Bruning

Intentionalist approach:

Rich: 'Hitler was the master in the Third Reich'.

The divide and confusion was a strategy to ensure that Hitler had complete power.

He only tolerated Nazis who were personally loyal.

by 1934, Hitler had destroyed all institutional controls on his position to preserve his own authority.

Structuralist:

Broszat and Mommsen.

The Nazi regime only evolved from the circumstances and not Hitler.

His personal weaknesses and limitation led to poor leadership.

He could not control powerful institutions such as the army and civil service.

Leading Nazis used him for their own gain.

Germany lacked the clout that Russia had. The Army, big businesses and bureaucracy were free from Nazi intervention.

Tim Mason in his essay 'The Legacy of 1918 for National Socialism' said that economic tensions also prevented Hitler from progressing further with his rearmament programme.

Kristallnacht resulted in a wave of attacks towards the Jews. This was because members from within the party wanted Hitler to put into action his policy to remove the Jews. There was pressure for rules to satisfy this. Hitler intervened and at the last minute switched his Nuremburg speech from foreign policy about anti Jew legislation.-This theory was put forward by historian Mommsen

Kershaw's charismatic dictatorship

Hitler was crucial because he was responsible for the Nazi dream.

He had no real opposition in his aims.

The government structure was chaotic but Hitler himself was not lost in it.

He generated an environment in which his followers carried out his intentions: 'working towards the Furher'.

This lead to achievement such as the creation of the one party state, foreign policy decisions such as the annexing of Austria etc.

Hitler was able to use the contextual Abyssinian crisis to his advantage and reintroduce troops back into the Rhineland, contradicting the Treaty of Versailles.

Blomberg-Fritsch affair. The third seizure of power (first being the appointment of Hitler as Chancellor and the second, the Night of the Long Knives)

Sudeten Crisis-Hitler's decision to invade the whole of Czechslovakia not just the German speaking Sudetenland. Hitler was willing to take risky moves.