Final answer:
The Third Reich primarily based its power on fear, using the SS, legal manipulation, and propaganda to maintain control.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Third Reich, also known as Nazi Germany, primarily based its power on fear, as evident in their practices of violence, widespread propaganda, legal manipulation, and the establishment of concentration camps. The regime utilized a combination of intimidation and propaganda to coerce and control the population, while leveraging the law, through measures such as the Nuremberg Laws and the Reichstag Fire Decree, to suppress and eliminate opposition. The overarching presence of the SS (Schutzstaffel), with their almost unlimited police powers, alongside the Gestapo and the intensive propaganda campaigns, ensured a climate of fear that prevented significant resistance.