[Dales]

The article is both right and wrong.

The Nazis did come to power mostly through success at the ballot box. They had tried to take power by force (see the Beer Hall Putsch) but had failed. However, they had organized gangs of hoods that were intimidating political opponents using violence as a means, with corrupted police turning a blind eye, that helped forment their ballot successes. These groups (that would later become the SA and the SS) would not have had as much success in intimidating political foes to the Nazis were the populice armed, and the author of this piece fails to mention that.

Further, when General Beck and several others in position to attempt a coup against the Nazis were formulating their plans, which they did fairly often but nearly always got cold feet over, they realized that the people could be no help due to brainwashing by propaganda and because they had no arms. The army was the only hope, and they never felt confident enough in their chances for success. If the people were armed, then a counter-propaganda campaign could have been used to rile up some armed resistance to aid in a potential coup.

Gun control was not enacted by the Nazis. But as someone mentioned above, the Nazis took full advantage of the consequences of gun control. It was perhaps the most poignant example yet of the edict that gun control only disarms the honest and leaves the thugs armed.

[Tailback]

Isn't it great how some things never change

they had organized gangs of hoods that were intimidating political opponents using violence as a means

Here in Oregon the public employees union which is affiliated with SEIU and AFL/CIO has paid "thugs" to harrass and intimidate signature gatherers for ballot measures to prevent anti union measures from going to a vote. Some of the "Horrific" ballot measures include Unions required to get permission in writing from every member to use portions of dues for political campaigns, and requiring the government to pay property owners for loss in property value by a change in zoning or environmental restriction.

[HassanBenSobar]

You are correct, sir. In Munich there were indeed plenty of people who opposed Hitler, in fact, the newspapers at the time were shrill in denouncing Hitler's actions as a political murderer. (Hitler called one particular news outfit the 'Poison Kitchen' and had his thugs kill not a few journalists).

Hitler came to power through intimidation, murder, and the unfortunate fact that the mainstream German press, and the international press, never picked up on the exposes printed in Munich (for example, the death of Hitler's niece, which was clearly a case of Hitler murdering her--shockingly, with incestuous overtones). Not to mention that Hitler had the south German judiciary on his side.

His rise to power had very little to do with gun control.