Final answer:
Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power due to the Great Depression's impact on Germany, which led to political instability and the rise of extremist parties. Hitler was appointed chancellor in 1933 and then leveraged the Reichstag Fire to gain emergency powers, which allowed him to eliminate all political opposition and establish a totalitarian regime.
Step-by-step explanation:
The events that allowed Hitler and the Nazi Party to rise to power were multi-faceted and rooted in socio-economic and political discontent following World War I. The crippling effects of the Great Depression decimated Germany's economy, which led to widespread unemployment and a loss of confidence in the Weimar Republic. Extremist parties, including the Nazis, gained traction by promising economic revival, national pride, and scapegoating perceived enemies of the German people, such as the Jews and communists.
Hitler's charismatic oratory, sophisticated use of propaganda, and the promise to overturn the Treaty of Versailles resonated with a beleaguered populace. In 1933, amid political maneuvering and pressure from influential industrialists as well as fear of communist upsurge, President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Hitler as chancellor. Subsequently, the Reichstag Fire Decree and the Enabling Act were instrumental in dismantling the remaining democratic structures, providing Hitler the power to enact laws without parliamentary consent and laying the foundation for a totalitarian regime.
In the ensuing months, all opposition parties were banned or dissolved, media was controlled or censored, and the Nuremberg Laws institutionalized anti-Semitism. Hitler's consolidation of power culminated with the merging of the chancellorship and presidency after Hindenburg's death, establishing Hitler as the undisputed Führer of Nazi Germany.