He left active military service and in Breslau, Hitler appointed Hanke to the position of "Gauleiter" of the newly formed Gau Lower Silesia on 27 January 1941. On 1 February, he was appointed "Oberpräsident" of the Prussian Province of Lower Silesia, thus uniting under his control the highest party and governmental offices in the province. Finally, on 9 February Hanke was named Reich Defense Commissioner for "Wehrkreis" (Military District) VIII, which included his Gau as well as Gau Upper Silesia and the eastern sections of Reichsgau Sudetenland. On 20 April 1941, Himmler promoted him to the rank of SS general (SS-"Gruppenführer"). Hanke was a fanatical enforcer of Nazi policy: during his rule in Breslau more than 1000 people were executed on his orders, earning him the nickname "Hangman of Breslau". On 16 November 1942, the jurisdiction of the Reich Defense Commissioners was changed from the "Wehrkreis" to the Gau level, and Hanke remained Commissioner only for his Gau. On 30 January 1944, Hanke was promoted to SS-"Obergruppenführer".