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To explain the construction of the Third Reich and Hitler's Role in it, it is a good start to go back to the origins of his political career.
When he joined the \"DAP"(German Workers Party) in September 1919, the first thing he did subsequent to being elected as the Head of this Party on the 29th of July 1921, after he had been working for this position with determination, was to change the Party in that way, that he was the one and only man with absolute power; the executive of the party wrote "The committee is willing ,..., to give you dictatorial authority..." . After the failed Putsch of 1923 he refunded the "NSDAP" on the 26th of July 1925 and organized his Party as an effective Instrument by introducing of the \"Fuehrer Prinzip\" which gave absolute Power to him.
After the Elections of 1932 it seemed that the Party would loose Power, because Hitler was not willing to join a cabinet as a minister, he wanted \"everything or nothing\".
During this period the left wing of the Party under Georg Strasser was speaking up against him, because they wanted to take part in the Government in a Coalition; after Hitler had found out that Strasser already was in secret negotiations with Kurt von Schleicher (former Reichskanzler) about joining the Government, he was able to overcome the opposition and this last try to limit his power failed.
After he was chosen as \"Reichskanzler\"(Chancellor of the Reich) on the 30th of January 1933, he followed the legal way, but on the 1st of February he convinced the Reichspraesident von Hindenburg to send new elections on the way.
In the period up to the election day , the 3rd of March, Hitler showed very clear that he was looking for more power and showed that he was able to use every chance that seemed useful to him. After the Reichstag was burned on the 26th of February 1933, Hitler reacted at once, and on the next Day the "Reichstagsbrandverordnung" was signed by the Reichspraesident. These "Notverordnung" limited certain "basic - laws"(like freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press,..., ), it has been suggested that the NSDAP was involved into the burning of the Reichstag, but it seems that Marinus van der Lubbe was the only one involved. (This Question is of no real importance, the important thing is how Hitler was able to use this incident). I would say that it was right at this point where Hitler transferred from a "Reichskanzler" into a Dictator . The "Ermaechtigungsgesetz" from the 23rd of March was only a way to legalize the Dictatorship that already was existing
The first thing that followed was that the structure of the state was changed during the "Gleichschaltung"(7.4.1934), and the political Situation in the Laender was transferred over to the "Fuehrer - Prinzip".
This structural change was never completed, but it is fair enough to say that if Hitler really would have wanted such a change, he would have ordered it .
A very good example that shows that Hitler was willing to react as brutal as necessary to preserve his power is the killing of the Leader of the SA, Ernst Roehm, and the whole leadership of the SA in the Night of long knives on the 30th of June 1934, as a reaction to what the Goebbels - Propaganda called the "Roehm - Putsch". Recent research has shown that there never was a serious attempt of the SA for a Coup d 'Etat , the only reason was that the SA wanted more influence and Hitler was not willing to give them more Power; from now on the "Machtergreifung" was finished, as no opposition in his own party or in the state System existed anymore or had any power. From now on Hitler was the the powerful dictator of a Terror - Regime.
In the part of the practical politic it has been shown that Hitler used his power totally to influence the actions in his way. Till the Collapse of the Third Reich Hitler was able to preserve his position within the Regime as the central "Bezugspunkt"(~ point of reference), as a Fuehrer with unquestioned and practically undisturbed Power. How strong Hitler's position was becomes very clear when you remember that Hitler ignored all the warnings of his Generals who wanted him to order a retreat of the German troops in Russia to stabilize the front, and instead ordered the "Geheime Kommandosache Nr.1736/41"(~ Secret Order ) which had the essential, that the Officers and Commanders had to force their troops to fanatic resistance in their positions. With this order Hitler finally took complete Control over all the military decisions, and after he had changed all the important positions with loyal people, no one tried to did resist him.
3. Conclusion
Directly after the second World War the large majority of historians and people, but especially the people who had been prosecuted during the 12 years of the National-Socialist-Dictatorship had the impression that the Third Reich was a rational organized, perfect System of a Terror - Dictatorship; but these Idea was changed partly as it became clear that it was instead a existence of rivaling Departments in the State and Party .
In this Chaos Adolf Hitler was the integrating and with unquestioned power leading Person. Of course, there cannot be a one and only answer, it always depends on which school the author is writing for.
As early as 1956 Karl Dietrich Bracher said " The antagonism of the Powerpositions is only in the omnipotent Keyposition of the Fuehrer abolished. Exactly in this Fact, and not in the working of the State per se, lies the deep Idea of the not at all perfect Gleichschaltung. Because the Keyposition of the Dictator is founded especially in the confusing existence of several powergroups at the same time and the personal loyalty."
If you look on the Documents about the National-Socialist Intervention in the Spanish - Civil War it becomes very clear, that not Goering, Ribbentrop or Hess had the last word; Hitler listened to their Arguments but decided absolutely by its own. And their is not a slightest idea that Hitler's Orders, or something that Hitler wanted was delayed or not followed. In this Context the delaying of the Fuehrer - Order to destroy the German - Economy and everything that could be of use for the "Enemy" (19.3.1945) by Albert Speer can certainly not be used as a example for the "weakness" of the Dictator, as at this time the whole state was already collapsing.
It is not as easy as it seems to decide what you take as essential for a "strong/weak" dictator, but if you look at all the different facets of the Structure of the Third Reich I think that it is very clear, that the one figure that was in the center of all the political action and decisions who had the last word in the important decisions was Adolf Hitler, and that he indeed was "the Master of the Third Reich".
The German Historian Rainer Zittelmann wrote to this Topic : " Before you decide about Hitler's strength and weakness the standards which are used to measure Hitler's power and his limitations should be laid down and also compared with other Dictators. Then you probably could consider e.g. Stalin as a weak Dictator with the same right."
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