Centralisation - GCSE History Definition

Centralisation means that power and decision-making are controlled by one main authority, usually the government or a ruler, instead of being shared with local leaders or regions. In history, this often happened when governments wanted more control over the country. For example, in Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party took power away from local governments and made all major decisions from Berlin. Germany became a one-party state, and opposition was banned. The Gestapo and SS helped enforce Nazi control across the country. Centralisation can help a government make decisions quickly and apply the same laws everywhere, but it can also lead to less freedom and fewer local choices. This idea is important in GCSE History because it helps explain how leaders, like those in the Soviet Union, built strong central governments and reduced the power of local areas to keep tighter control.