Originally Posted by GregE

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.




Never a majority, but by 1932 they were the largest individual party in parliament.




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.




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.