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How did Hitler gain the powers of the presidency after Hindenburg died?
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Nazi Party
Adolf Hitler addressing a rally in Germany, c. 1933.
Following the death of President Paul von Hindenburg on August 2, 1934, Adolf Hitler consolidated his authority by merging the offices of the presidency and the chancellorship.1
With the agreement of the German military leadership, Hitler assumed the powers of both the head of state and the supreme commander of the armed forces. This transition effectively completed the consolidation of power that Hitler had initiated earlier that summer through the purge of Nazi Party rivals during the Night of the Long Knives. By combining these roles, Hitler established himself as the absolute leader of the Third Reich, holding total control as the head of state, commander in chief, and leader of the only legal political party in Germany.1