Hitler had outwardly emphasized his will for peace, yet once he came to power, he committed his top commanders to a war of extermination that would secure the German Reich's supremacy in Europe and so-called "Living Space" in the East.

How did Hitler succeed in transforming a republic into a "Führer state" in such a short time? How did the "enforced conformity" of society take place? How willingly did the Germans fall in line? How far did the unison of "Führer and people" extend?

"Rise to Power" is the first episode of the three-part documentary "Hitler's Power". How could a nobody become a dictator, bringing down a democracy in just a few years? What were the crucial events that helped Hitler gain respectability and influence? Who were his supporters? Which moods in the populace were in his favor?