The Nazis come to power in a Germany hobbled by treaty restrictions and the worldwide economic depression. To frustrated citizens, the Nazi Party represents a way out, offering a renewal of national pride, a rebuilding of German military might, and the subjugation of the widely unpopular Jewish minority. German voters elect enough Nazis to the Reichstag to take over the government and begin a draconian program of revival on Nazi terms.

Once in power, the Nazis turn their energies toward economic reform, remilitarization, and suppression of the Jewish people. The economy is slow to revive, while anti-Jewish laws and violence appall the conscience of many Germans, who grow restless. The Nazis respond with shock arrests, public beatings of dissenters, spot inspections, and continuous surveillance. These actions sow fear in the minds of the German populace, intimidating them into acquiescing to Nazi abuses.

By the time the Germans realize they have voted themselves into a dictatorship, it is too late, and the new regime’s policies of terror and intimidation keep the populace in line. National pride came before the dictatorial fall.