Martin Niemller's incorrect implication.

[Odoreida]

You know:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist ... etc

Whatever may have been his personal experience, it was not people failing to speak out that "allowed" the Nazis to take over (the usual implication).

The Nazis took over because nearly a majority knew what the Nazis were and wanted it.

[struggle4progress]

1. The Nazis never won a majority in the Weimar Republic.

The July 1932 election handed the Nazis 230 seats in the Reichstag, the Democratic Socialists 133, the Communists 89, the Catholic Center 75 seats, the German Nationals 37, and the Bavarians 22

The final free election November 1932 election handed the Nazis only 196 seats in the Reichstag, the Democratic Socialists 121, the Communists 100, the Catholic Center 70 seats, the German Nationals 52, and the Bavarians 20

Weimar was destroyed deliberately through shrewd maneuvering by its anti-democratic elements, who exploited the political effects of the impoverishing inflation some years earlier and used political terror to silence their opponents, while building temporary coalitions with the well-meaning but naive

[dalton99a]

5. +1.

[JHB]

8. +1. The "Hitler was elected" canard has been around too long...

It's a zombie factoid. Not true, but never dies.

[Nitram]

2. Your post is ahistorical. The Nazis did not have "nearly a majority."

[Odoreida]

3. I looked it up. 44%.

My point stands.

[struggle4progress]

9. The election of 5 March 1933 occurred after the Reichstag fire on 27 February

and the resulting "Reichstag fire decree," which eliminated freedom of the press and freedom of assembly, as well as giving the government broad unspecified powers of arrest.

The terror had already begun: through February, brownshirts attacked Catholic Center and Social Democratic party meetings; a number of opposition newspapers were shut down; and in Prussia, for example, Goring ordered police to shoot government opponents on sight. With the "Reichstag fire decree," thousands of Communists were imprisoned. Social Democratic leaders fled to Czechoslovakia before the election

With this context, one can easily guess the meaning of announcements across Germany that Nazi party members would "monitor" the election. The outcome of 5 March 1933 therefore cannot be regarded as any accurate window on public opinion

Similar tactics were employed in the Reichstag itself several weeks later to ensure passage of the "Enabling Act" granting dictatorial powers: the Communist deputies were simply arrested before the vote, while various Social Democrats were prevented from attending

[whistler162]

4. MARTIN NIEMLLER

[Straw Man]

6. Spelling.

Martin Niemöller

Is autocorrect doing something weird with his name? With or without the umlaut, there should be an o before the double-l.

[Expecting Rain]

7. No majority for the NAZIs

Instead, in the face of clear fascism, the Communist-left decided it was better to attack the liberal center than to make common cause and defeat Hitler.

You'd think humanity would have learned the lesson of 1933. But history keeps repeating itself.