Principle 9: Centralise, concentrate and consolidate control.
Vizier Letter | Adolf Hitler
After obtaining absolute authority, Hitler moved to consolidate control over all aspects of German society. This process of bringing the nation under complete Nazi control was known as Gleichschaltung, meaning “coordination”.
Despite being Chancellor of the Reich, much of the state still lay outside Hitler’s control. Many regional governments were led by non-Nazi parties, and independent trade unions were aligned with the Social Democrats or Communists. If Hitler could eliminate these opponents, he would have free rein to realise his vision of the Third Reich.
The first step was to centralise the federal structure of the government by bringing the regional governments under Berlin’s direct control. Since Hitler had come to power, there had been renewed talk in Bavaria of restoring the monarchy and seceding from Germany. Under no circumstances could Hitler allow a repeat of the situation he had exploited in 1923, when Munich challenged Berlin’s authority.
To prevent Munich from becoming a centre of resistance, Hitler sent Franz von Epp as Reich Commissar to undermine the conservative Catholic party in power. Von Epp was not only loyal to the Nazis but was also known to have monarchist and conservative leanings, so it was hoped that his involvement would make the intervention more palatable to the Bavarians.
In addition to sending the Reich Commissar, Hitler ordered the SA to overrun Munich. Pouring in from all across Germany, their uniformed ranks filled the streets. The SA then occupied government buildings and the offices of political opponents. In a last-ditch attempt to resist, the Prime Minister of Bavaria requested military support from the local army, but the general was ordered to stand down after telephoning the Defence Ministry in Berlin for approval.
Politically isolated and surrounded by Hitler’s men, the Bavarian government capitulated and officially resigned. It was a bloodless coup.
In March 1933, Hitler capitalised on his success by dissolving all regional parliaments and requiring them to be reconstituted according to the results of the most recent national election. With the Communist Party banned and its seats left vacant, the Nazis secured majorities across much of the country. Armed with the Enabling Act, Hitler then appointed Reich Governors to every state, granting them the power to appoint and remove state governments, dissolve regional parliaments, and issue or revoke laws. Like Hitler’s absolute authority at the national level, they held absolute authority at the regional level.
In line with the Führer Principle, Hitler imposed a strict top-down hierarchy, subordinating all regional governments to Berlin. The Führer Principle was applied at every level of government: each administrative unit had a single führer responsible for its organisation, and all führers were subordinate to the supreme Führer of the Reich, Adolf Hitler.
Now that state governments were under his control, Hitler issued a law abolishing all regional parliaments, ending the pretence of democracy at the state level. Regional authority was officially transferred to Berlin, and Hitler made it clear that each Reich Governor acted as his personal representative:
“They are not the administrators of the separate States, they execute the Will of the supreme leadership of the Reich; their commission comes, not from the States, but from the Reich. They do not represent the States over against the Reich, but the Reich over against the States....”
Once Hitler had abolished democracy at the state level, all that remained was to eliminate its pretence at the national level, but he first needed to deal with the trade unions. Closely aligned with the Social Democrats, they were one of the last independent forces in the country.
Hitler commenced his offensive against the trade unions by deploying the SA to harass their offices and intimidate their leaders. However, in the lead-up to Labour Day on 1 May, he abruptly changed course. Presenting himself as willing to cooperate, Hitler declared a national holiday and organised a nationwide rally in support of labour. Reassured by what seemed to be a concession, many union members let down their guard, believing the Nazis had chosen cooperation over confrontation. The following day, however, the illusion was shattered: union offices were stormed, assets were confiscated, and leaders were arrested and sent to concentration camps.
Amid the turmoil, the Nazis replaced the unions with the German Labour Front (DAF), a single, state-controlled organisation that banned strikes and enforced compulsory membership. Once defenders of workers, the unions became an instrument under Nazi control. With their destruction, the Social Democrats’ main source of support vanished, leaving them more vulnerable than ever. It was not long after that they were declared enemies of the people and the state.
The path to Hitler’s final consolidation of power lay open. One by one, all other parties were banned, including Alfred Hugenberg’s Nationalist Party. The government then proclaimed the obvious: the National Socialist German Workers’ Party was the only legal party in Germany, and anyone attempting to support another party faced up to three years in prison.
By the summer of 1933, the main centres of resistance to Gleichschaltung had been eliminated. Only Papen and Hindenburg remained—barely—having been castrated and reduced to passive spectators. Germany was now officially a one-party state.
Hitler accomplished this by understanding that power no longer lay in parliamentary or presidential manoeuvres, but in the support of the German masses. With their backing, he deceived the ruling elite through the strategy of legally seizing power, then centralising, concentrating, and consolidating control, before unleashing his revolution with the state and the people behind him. This is how the Third Reich was born.
Vizier’s advice:
Once you obtain absolute authority, the next step is to transform the state into an instrument capable of realising your vision. However, when you attempt change, you release a flood of opposition that clings conservatively to the status quo—their present source of power. Push far enough, and they will scheme your downfall.
These are your enemies: those who oppose your vision, disparage you, and view your authority as a threat to their own. Do not allow them to coalesce into a group stronger than the sum of its parts. Even Caesar was brought down by a group of subordinates. So centralise control, concentrate it in your hands, and consolidate it across every level of the organisation. Protect your rulership. The more you control, the greater your power to overcome enemies and realise your vision.
The ruler’s skill is measured by the degree of control he wields over his kingdom.