Adolf Hitler was not directly elected to the position of leader of Germany. Instead, he was appointed Chancellor on January 30, 1933, by President Paul von Hindenburg through legal political maneuvers, following significant Nazi party gains in parliamentary elections. While his party was the largest in parliament, Hitler never held a majority in a free election.
That’s how government leaders are usually appointed in parliamentary systems with proportional representation. In the Bundesrepublik it happened only once, that the chancellor’s party had the absolute majority of votes (50.2% in 1957). Our current chancellor’s party has only been elected by 28.5% of the people, the previous one only got 24%.
No amount oft hair splitting is going to change the simple fact that the Nazis gained power through complicity of a large proportion of the electorate, and more so, the political caste. Through a formally legal and democratic process. Which can happen again.
Adolf Hitler was not directly elected to the position of leader of Germany. Instead, he was appointed Chancellor on January 30, 1933, by President Paul von Hindenburg through legal political maneuvers, following significant Nazi party gains in parliamentary elections. While his party was the largest in parliament, Hitler never held a majority in a free election.
That’s how government leaders are usually appointed in parliamentary systems with proportional representation. In the Bundesrepublik it happened only once, that the chancellor’s party had the absolute majority of votes (50.2% in 1957). Our current chancellor’s party has only been elected by 28.5% of the people, the previous one only got 24%.
No amount oft hair splitting is going to change the simple fact that the Nazis gained power through complicity of a large proportion of the electorate, and more so, the political caste. Through a formally legal and democratic process. Which can happen again.