Several things I have read on the internet make me wonder how many people know how Hitler actually came to power in Germany in the 1930's. Hitler was a locally elected official. He was sent to the German Reichstag, or congress, to represent his district--in much the same way that we elect congressional representatives in the United States. No one in this parliament could form a majority--there were more than two political parties, and no set of people had enough influence with more than half of them to form one majority. This is how most European parliaments or congresses still operate. When no one can form a majority, new elections may be called, and it all starts over again.
When Hitler was elected to the German congress, something different happened--the Reichstag (parliament or congress building) burned down, in an act of what we would call domestic terrorism today. Hitler and his allies in parliament blamed the German communists and their socialist and trades-unionist allies. Hitler's increasingly hysterical speeches helped get them expelled from the congress--leaving a majority for the Nazis and their friends, since the people who had been opposing them were gone. Most people now think that Hitler or his friends set fire to the Reichstag--but no one has proof of who did it, or why. We know that Hitler took advantage of the opportunity--and of the fear and excitement caused by the fire--to take control of Germany. The majority in parliament meant that Hitler was the chancellor--like a prime minister in some countries. The first thing Hitler did was to ask for special powers, because of the emergency terrorist situation. He got them. The rest is history.
No comments:
Post a Comment