The Nazi State: Government and Opposition

The Nazi state was a chaotic system of competing power centres, all subordinate to the Fuhrer's will. Understanding how it functioned is essential for evaluating the nature of Hitler's power and the extent of opposition.

Key Definition: The Fuhrerprinzip ('leader principle') held that the Fuhrer's authority was absolute, deriving from his personal qualities as embodiment of the national will.

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Polycratic vs Monocratic Debate

Intentionalists (Bracher, Dawidowicz) argue Hitler was a 'strong dictator' directing policy from above. Chaos was deliberate 'divide and rule.'

Structuralists (Broszat, Mommsen) argue Hitler was a 'weak dictator' — avoiding decisions, allowing subordinates to compete. Policy emerged through 'cumulative radicalisation.'

Feature	Intentionalist	Structuralist
Hitler's role	Active, directing	Disengaged, reactive
Policy-making	Top-down directives	Bottom-up competition
The Holocaust	Planned from the start	Evolved cumulatively
State structure	Deliberate divide-and-rule	Administrative anarchy

Ian Kershaw synthesises both views: 'working towards the Fuhrer' — officials anticipated Hitler's wishes and competed to implement them, creating radicalisation without direct orders.