[ops33]

Actually, that's not true. There were many parties during that election and several won seats in the Reichstag, including the Communist Party. Part of the election strategy of the Nazi's was to encourage so many parties that the Nazis would win. Under a Parlimentary system, a party does not have to have a majority of the seats to win the election. The Nazis won the most number of seats in the Reichstag and together with other parties formed a coalition that gave them a majority. And the majority chose the next Chancellor. No offense, but it is the same system in Israel and other countries that use a Parliamentary system. Most Israeli Prime Ministers are from parties that do not have a majority of seats in the Knesset but form coalitions with other parties to gain a majority. My source for the election that gave the Nazis their majority in the Reichstag, and allowed Hitler to become Chancellor, is the history "Hitler" by Joachim Fest.

[ConservativeStLouisGuy]

Actually, that's not true. There were many parties during that election and several won seats in the Reichstag, including the Communist Party. Part of the election strategy of the Nazi's was to encourage so many parties that the Nazis would win. Under a Parlimentary system, a party does not have to have a majority of the seats to win the election. The Nazis won the most number of seats in the Reichstag and together with other parties formed a coalition that gave them a majority. And the majority chose the next Chancellor. No offense, but it is the same system in Israel and other countries that use a Parliamentary system. Most Israeli Prime Ministers are from parties that do not have a majority of seats in the Knesset but form coalitions with other parties to gain a majority. My source for the election that gave the Nazis their majority in the Reichstag, and allowed Hitler to become Chancellor, is the history "Hitler" by Joachim Fest.

The way you describe it is sort of the way the last federal election went up here in Canada last year: The Liberals got (I think) 135 seats, the Conservatives 99 seats, the Block Quebequois 77(?) seats and the NDP 40(?) seats. Apart there was no "majority party". The only difference is that up here no one has (yet) formed a coalition with the Liberals as (I believe) the the other parties know that the Liberals do not have an effective governing power by themselves -- and that another election is in the offing....(hopefully soon!)

[antiRepublicrat]

Actually, that's not true.

I just have a German history book, not an American book about German history, but a German history book in German. It shows the seats gained in parliament for each election, and one election the NSDAP was a large minority, but the next they were 100%, with a footnote to show these weren't fair elections.

I think our differences are probably semantics.

Most Israeli Prime Ministers are from parties that do not have a majority of seats in the Knesset but form coalitions with other parties to gain a majority.

Interestingly, that's the same exact situation Germany is in now, with the SPD in a coalition with the Greens. Watching the Greens' growing pains as these airhead hippies actually became part of government power was hilarious at times. Schröder had to bitch-slap them often in the early days.