A number of candidates stood in the first round. Hindenburg was not included among them as he would not be nominated as a candidate until the second round. Instead, the most popular candidate of the political right was Karl Jarres of the German People’s Party (DVP), a former Minister of the Interior, Vice-Chancellor of Germany and mayor of Duisburg. Otto Braun, the SPD’s candidate, was a former Minister-President of Prussia and a well known and respected figure. The Centre Party’s candidate, Wilhelm Marx, was the chair of the party and a former chancellor.
The other significant candidates were Ernst Thälmann of the Communist Party (KPD) and Willy Hellpach of the German Democratic Party (DDP). The German Völkisch Freedom Party (DVFP) put forward Erich Ludendorff but secured only a negligible share of the vote.
My point with the above is if someone besides hindenburg had won then hitler may not have been appointed. Also it was the first general election of the nation so not exactly a rock solid democracy at that point.
I can see the hairs you’re trying to split, but Hitler was appointed Chancellor because his political party gained power through elections, it was not some random appointment.
It was Hitler leading the Nazi party in elections that led to his chancellorship: winning a few seats in 1928, then winning 107 seats in 1930, then winning 230 seats in 1932, leading to his appointment as Chancellor in 33.
Elections continued after that, furthering support for the Nazi party, 288 seats in 1933 allowed the Nazis to form a coalition government, then in November the Nazis received over 90% of the vote and all seats and again in 1934, when he declared himself the leader rather than just the chancellor, that referendum passed with 88%.
Voting is important, Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power through valid elections and then consolidated power with less valid elections.
No, he wasn’t.
Brief recap:
And Hitler wouldn’t have been appointed if he or his party didn’t get many votes. IIRC it was the strongest party in the parliament.
It was the loudest, but without the aid of the conservatives, they wouldn’t have had enough votes to form a government.
A number of candidates stood in the first round. Hindenburg was not included among them as he would not be nominated as a candidate until the second round. Instead, the most popular candidate of the political right was Karl Jarres of the German People’s Party (DVP), a former Minister of the Interior, Vice-Chancellor of Germany and mayor of Duisburg. Otto Braun, the SPD’s candidate, was a former Minister-President of Prussia and a well known and respected figure. The Centre Party’s candidate, Wilhelm Marx, was the chair of the party and a former chancellor.
The other significant candidates were Ernst Thälmann of the Communist Party (KPD) and Willy Hellpach of the German Democratic Party (DDP). The German Völkisch Freedom Party (DVFP) put forward Erich Ludendorff but secured only a negligible share of the vote.
My point with the above is if someone besides hindenburg had won then hitler may not have been appointed. Also it was the first general election of the nation so not exactly a rock solid democracy at that point.
I can see the hairs you’re trying to split, but Hitler was appointed Chancellor because his political party gained power through elections, it was not some random appointment.
It was Hitler leading the Nazi party in elections that led to his chancellorship: winning a few seats in 1928, then winning 107 seats in 1930, then winning 230 seats in 1932, leading to his appointment as Chancellor in 33.
Elections continued after that, furthering support for the Nazi party, 288 seats in 1933 allowed the Nazis to form a coalition government, then in November the Nazis received over 90% of the vote and all seats and again in 1934, when he declared himself the leader rather than just the chancellor, that referendum passed with 88%.
Voting is important, Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power through valid elections and then consolidated power with less valid elections.