How Hitler became Chancellor of Germany
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain why Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in January 1933.
Key learning points
- The Reichstag was in deadlock, forcing leaders to rule by emergency decree under Article 48 of the constitution.
- Conservative elites removed Brüning and signalled a willingness to work with the Nazis to restore order.
- By July 1932, the Nazis were the largest party, but Hindenburg refused to make Hitler Chancellor, fearing extremism.
- Hindenburg turned to conservative allies Papen and Schleicher, but both failed as Nazis refused to cooperate.
- Hindenburg and Papen made Hitler Chancellor, thinking they could control him through a conservative-dominant cabinet.
Keywords
Deadlock - in politics, a deadlock happens when no party or group has a clear majority, so nothing can get passed or decided
Authoritarian - authoritarian governments give most power to one leader or a small group, this can bring stability and quick decisions, but offers few rights or choices for ordinary people
Conservative - someone who values tradition, social order, and gradual change; in 1930s Germany, conservatives wanted to protect the old institutions and were often opposed to democracy or radical movements
Franz von Papen - a wealthy aristocrat and former army officer; he had little popular support but moved easily in elite political and military circles
Kurt von Schleicher - a senior army officer and political schemer who worked behind the scenes to influence government decisions and shape power from the shadows
Common misconception
People “should have known” what Hitler would do once in power.
In reality, many elites and citizens saw the Nazis as a lesser evil amid crisis — not as future dictators. The horror of what was to come wasn’t yet clear to them.
Teacher tip
Conspiracy web mapping: Have pupils draw a web on the board linking each key player (with arrows and motives). Who betrayed whom? Who made the final miscalculation?
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Why did many Germans turn to the Nazi Party during the early 1930s?
Q2.How did fear of communism and cultural decline influence Nazi support?
Q3.Many Germans found Adolf Hitler appealing because of his ...
Q4.What was a key tactic of Nazi propaganda under Joseph Goebbels?
Q5.How did the SA help the Nazi Party rise to power?
Q6.Match each Nazi promise to the group it was aimed at.
"we will break the power of big business"
"we will protect you from communism"
"we will create jobs and end class conflict"
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What was one major consequence of the Great Depression for the Weimar Republic’s political system?
Q2.In 1930s Germany, what did the term conservative most accurately describe?
Q3. introduced spending cuts and banned the SA, which angered conservative elites and led to his dismissal in 1932.
Q4.What was a key outcome of the July 1932 election in Germany?
Q5.Why didn’t Hindenburg make Hitler chancellor after the July 1932 election?
Q6.Starting with the earliest, put the following chancellors in the correct order of their appointment:
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: How Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: How Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Germany 1890–1945, Democracy and dictatorship unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.