Hitler's desire to become Chancellor of Germany was not exactly disguised. Even before their rise to power, most of the "Old Guard" knew Hitler would settle for nothing less than a government solely under his control (as opposed to a coalition or the parental oversight of a president.)

However, Hitlers goals were blasted open when he revealed the Enabling Act in the Reichstag on 24th March 1933. This gave Hitler and his government emergency powers for four years (which he never relinquished), and followed after the Reichstag Fire Decree, which abolished civil liberties and gave state powers to the Reich government and transformed Hitler overnight into the de facto ruler of the German Reich. He would not assume the full powers and position of "Fuhrer" however, until President Paul von Hindenburg's death on 1934