On Jan. 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was named Chancellor of Germany. While this was certainly an important historical moment, it's worth noting that Hitler was not yet a dictator. He faced a number of legal and practical limitations on his power, and many contemporaries expected him to quickly fail. And yet, just five months later all other political parties - even those closely allied with the Nazis - no longer existed. This episode walks reader through the why and how of the story, discussing events such as the Reichstag Fire and the passage of the Enabling Act. 

At the same time, it also comments on the nature of dictatorship, tragically noting how so many individuals and organizations in German society traded belief in the rule of law for promises of security and a return to normality.  But as Benjamin Franklin once noted, "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."  As we'll see, many Germans would learn this lesson the hard way.

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