Hitler's Rise to Power: Gaining Chancellorship
You might think dictators seize power overnight, but Hitler's path was surprisingly methodical. On 30th January 1933, German President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Chancellor - not through force, but through a calculated political deal.
Conservative politicians convinced Hindenburg to make this appointment because they wanted to use the Nazi Party's popularity for their own goals. They made a massive miscalculation: they believed they could control Hitler and use him as their puppet.
Here's the key point - Hitler wasn't immediately a dictator when he became Chancellor. Germany still had its democratic constitution in place. However, Hitler cleverly manipulated the existing democratic system to destroy democracy itself, using legal methods to gain absolute power.
Remember: When President Hindenburg died in August 1934, Hitler declared himself Führer (Leader) and became Germany's complete dictator.