Whilst Ayse was writing the above, I was composing a slighter longer epistle. This is aimed at those who think that we couldn't become a dictatorship, because it doesn't happen overnight. So, a little history lesson. which I'm sure most of you know but obviously some don't.
Losing the Great War came as a shock to most of the German and Austrian populations. they felt betrayed by the surrender of their leadership as the Kaiser fled the country.
Whilst revolutionaries fought for control of Berlin a new government was formed in Wiemar - a democratic republic.
War hardened young men returned to their countries, amongst them Adolf Hitler, who had volunteered to fight in the German army. Like thousands of others, in 1919 he was disillusioned by the defeat and unsettled by the political revolutions. He found his answer in the German Workers Party, which changed it's name in 1920 to - for short, - the Nazi Party. Apparently Hitler had a gift for public speaking and rose rapidly in the organization.
By 1923 hyper inflation was rampant. Money was losing value every hour, every day and the middle class was wiped out. That year Hitler with about 2000 supporters attempted to stage a coup in Munich. This failed and he was charged with treason and imprisoned. When he came out he spent most of the mid 20's building up the political organisation of the Nazi Party. In 1929 he gained 2.6% of the national vote.
By the mid 20's unemployment and inflation rates were down and Germany seemed to be on the road to recovery.
Then, in 1929 the stock market crashed and with it came economic disaster.
In 1930 the NP won 18% of the vote and by July 1932 they were up to 37%. At this time their rhetoric was not about Jews, but about how the system was broken and didn't know how to fix what was wrong.
In 1932 Hitler ran for office against the current president, Hindenberg. With the NP's 37% he did not get the majority that he needed. The elite around Hindenberg persuaded him to chose Hitler as Chancellor. They thought that they would be able to control him but sadly they were wrong.
The rest is history.
It took Hitler 13 years to reach the position of power that he needed to govern the country. Dictatorships don't happen out of the blue. There are usually circumstances that allow this to happen (although not in the countries where the army takes power) and the population is not always aware if what is happening. Had there not been a stock market crash in 1929 or had Hindenberg not been persuaded by the coterie around him to to chose Hitler as Chancellor the latter may not have gained the power that he needed.