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Originally Posted by Jesus H Christ
Hitler was appointed Chancellor under President Hindenburg on January 30, 1933. Hitler was never actually elected, but he did take power legally under the laws of the then-Weimar Republic when Preside Hindenburg died in 1934.
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Hitler was elected in the sense that the Nazi party was by then the largest single party in the German parliament and, in a parliamentary democracy, that's the way it works.
In truth, Hindenburg only appointed Hitler after appointing the leaders of each and every one of the other German parties (except for the communists), all of whom failed dismally.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jesus H Christ
Before that Hitler ran for President but lost due to the communist party pulled away a lot of the vote. Until Hitler was appointed Chancellor, the Nazis never held any actual majority in the government or the parliament.
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Never a majority, but by 1932 they were the largest individual party in parliament.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jesus H Christ
Also, in 1934 Hitler carried out a series of political executions that killed the leaders of any military backed political parties ie., the brownshirts.
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The German army didn't back the brownshirts, they feared them. They feared them because the brownshirt's commander wanted to replace the army with his own people. Hitler disposed of the brownshirt leadership to appease the army and also because he recognized that a loyal army would serve his purposes better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jesus H Christ
Finally, it was forbidden for German populace to own military grade rifles due to the First World War armistice Germany had to sign when they lost.
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Germany was swimming in rifles, and machine guns too, in the post WWI years. The army distributed them freely to the dozens of homegrown militias that sprang up immediately after the war. They did so for the purpose of defending Germany's eastern frontier from land grab raids by the Poles and Lithuanians, a task they themselves were forbidden to undertake by the victorious western powers.
The frontier skirmishes eventually came to an end but the guns remained in general circulation.
On the day Hindenburg appointed Hitler Chancellor those guns remained silent because the German people, like Hindenburg, saw Hitler as their last best hope.
MaDalton was correct when he said this wasn't about an unarmed citizenry.