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From: charli@cylixd.UUCP (Charli Phillips)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: Edwin Meese
Message-ID: <659@cylixd.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 6-Jan-86 13:55:55 EST
Article-I.D.: cylixd.659
Posted: Mon Jan  6 13:55:55 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 8-Jan-86 19:48:57 EST
References: <1945@psuvax1.UUCP> <39000046@ISM780B.UUCP> <464@whuts.UUCP>
Reply-To: charli@cylixd.UUCP (Charli Phillips)
Organization: RCA Cylix Communications , Memphis, TN
Lines: 28
Summary: 

>Chancellor Hitler was elected by the overwhelming majority of Germans.
>          tim sevener   whuxn!orb

Tim, I'm surprised at you.  Really!  This bit of "folk wisdom" is so
blatantly false that I can hardly believe it came from you.

First, Germany had a parliamentary system.  As I'm sure you know, in
a parliamentary system, one votes for a party, not a person.  Second,
in November 1933, the first time the National Socialist Workers' (Nazi)
Party received a majority of any kind in a parliamentary election,
Hitler was *already* Chancellor.  Hitler became Chancellor in January
1933.  Because *no* party had a majority in the Reichstag at that time,
President von Hindenburg asked Hitler to form a coalition government.

Hitler's first step as Chancellor was to call for a new election.  He
thought it would strengthen his position.  It did, to a limited extent.
Nevertheless, the Nazis still won only 44% of the seats in the
Reichstag, not a majority.  Hitler was then able to manipulate the
Reichstag into passing the Enabling Act, which allowed him (among other
things) to ban other political parties.  By July 1933, the Nazi party
was the only legal party.  In November, Hitler called for another 
election.  In this one, the Nazis did win an "overwhelming majority"
of the seats in the Reichstag.  Hardly an overwhelming endorsement of
Hitler by the German people.  It's hard not to win when you're the
only one on the ballot.

	regards,
		Charli