While I totally agree with the intent of the letter to the editor “Not worth a dictator” in The Salt Lake Tribune, it includes the statement “But, lest we forget, Hitler was voted into power. He would have had no power if only the people had rejected the promises….”
I lived in Germany for several years and have studied pre-WWII German politics a little. This misinformation or misunderstanding of German politics in 1932/33 is repeated over and over.
In fact, Hitler was not voted into power. He was appointed by one man, President Hindenburg. In the July 1932 German federal election the NAZI party won 37% of the seats in the Reichstag and in the November 1932 federal election this actually dropped to 32%.
In neither election was Hitler “voted into power” (elected chancellor) by the German people.
In fact the NAZI representation in the Reichstag decreased between July and November 1932 (and Hitler’s policies were, in fact, rejected by 68% of the German voters in the fall election).
There was political intrigue and political chaos in Germany 1932 and Hitler was appointed to power (appointed chancellor) by President Hindenburg in January 1933 even though the NAZI party had less than 1/3 of the seats in the Reichstag, less than in the summer of 1932.
Donald S. Bloswick, Salt Lake City
