The last free German elections took place in 1932, in an atmosphere of violence and intimidation provided by the Nazi thugs. Despite the intimidation in 1932 Presidential elections Hitler received only 30.1% of the vote. In 1932 the parliamentary elections, the Nazis received only 37.4% of the vote. This means that in the crucial free elections the majority of the Germans voted against Hitler and against the Nazi party. Two thirds of the Germans rejected Hitler.

It was Stalin, the fellow dictator, who helped Hitler to gain power. It seems strange but this is true. During the crucial years of struggle for power in Germany, the left was split into fighting factions: the Communists and Social Democrats. The Social Democrats the former communists, who broke with Lenin, moved toward the center. The united labor parties had enough strength to stop the Nazis, but Stalin ordered the Communists, to concentrate their attacks on the Social Democrats and disregard the rising fascist movement. The paranoid Stalin was more afraid of competition with Labor parties than of the fascist movement. This was a fatal error. At this time,

the high unemployment rate and the economic hardship caused the radicalization of the electorate, the two extreme parties the Communists on the left and the Nazis on the right. A parliamentary stalemate developed, and between 1930 -1933 no government could secure a parliamentary majority in the Reichstag. Governments were established by a decree by President Hindenburg, and tolerated by the Reichstag. In 1933 when a new governmental crisis erupted, President Hindenburg reluctantly entrusted Hitler with the formation of a government in coalition with the Nationalist party. The lack of cooperation between the labor parties helped Hitler in gaining power, against the wishes of the majority of Germans.

After Hitler was sworn-in as Chancellor in January of 1933, he immediately unleashed a rein of terror, terrorizing the opposition delegates and obtaining from the Reichstag the right to govern by decree. Hitler achieved power through semi-legitimate means.

After Hitler gained power, he instituted a rein of terror, coupled with demagoguery and created a totalitarian state, with a pyramidical power structure, and all Germans had to march to the beat of his drums. The rude awakening came only in 1945, when Germany lost the war.

kimel@systec.com