January 27, 1941, Hitler appoints Hanke to the position of Gauleiter [a political official governing a district under Nazi rule] of the newly formed Gau Lower Silesia on .

February, 1, 1941, Hanke was appointed Oberpräsident of the Prussian Province of Lower Silesia [see my post: Province of Lower Silesia], thus uniting under his control the highest party and governmental offices in the Province.

Finally, on February, 9, 1941, Hanke was named Reich Defense Commissioner for Wehrkreis (Military District) VIII, which included his Gau as well as “Gau Oberschlesien, “Gau Upper Silesia” [see my post] and the eastern sections of Reichsgau Sudetenland - this cemented his Nazi regional control. NB The area denoted Wehrkreis VIII which was headquartered at Breslau contained the territory of the historic province of Silesia.

Wehrkreis VIII was the home district of VIII Army Corps, which was formed in October 1934, initially disguised as “Heeresdienststelle [Border Guard Section Command] Breslau” as Germany’s military capability was diminished under the Treaty of Versaillles.

April 20, 1941, Himmler promoted Hanke to the rank of SS general (SS-Gruppenführer), giving him the second highest status in the SS. Hanke was a fanatical enforcer of Nazi policy: during his rule out of Breslau more than 1,000 people were executed on his orders, earning him the nickname “Hangman of Breslau”.

November, 16, 1942, the jurisdiction of the Reich Defense Commissioners was changed from the Wehrkreis [Military district] to the Gau level, Hanke remained Commissioner only for his Gau.

On 30 January 1944, Hanke was promoted, by Himmler, to SS-Obergruppenführer.

Later, as the Soviet Red Army advanced into Silesia and encircled “Festung Breslau” (Fortress Breslau), [see my post] Hanke was named by Hitler to be the city’s “Kampfkommandant” (Battle Commander). Hanke was fanatical in the defense of Breslau - during what became known as the Siege of Breslau. Goebbels repeatedly expressed his admiration of Hanke, in his diary. During the 82-day Siege of Breslau, the Red Army took more than 40,000 prisoners of war, while suffering themselves 60,000 casualties.

Considering Breslau was under a total siege, the Aviatik tobacco factory in Breslau reportedly produced 500,000 cigarettes a day.

On 6 May, the day before Germany’s unconditional surrender, General Hermann Niehoff surrendered the besieged Breslau to the Red Army. Hanke had flown out the previous day in a small Fieseler Storch plane kept in reserve for him. Breslau was the last major city in Germany to surrender.

Breslau’s destruction by Soviet aerial & artillery bombardment, along with acts of destruction committed by the SS and Nazi Party members, saw up to 90% of Breslau in a state of ruin.

Hanke’s fanaticism & unconditional obedience to Hitler’s orders impressed Hitler, who in his political testament appointed Hanke to be the last Reichsführer-SS and Chief of the German Police, replacing Heinrich Himmler on 29 April 1945.

8-days beforehand, Hanke had been honored with the Nazi Party’s highest decoration, the German Order, a reward for his defence of Breslau against the advancing Red Army.

Hanke’s ascendancy to the rank of Reichsführer-SS was a result of Hitler proclaiming Himmler a traitor for his secretly-attempted surrender negotiations with the Western Allies. Hitler stripped Himmler of all his offices and ranks and ordered his arrest.