Was the Nazi party the only party in Germany in the 1930's and 1940's?

Answer 1

The Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, or "Nazi" Party for short, was never the only political party in Germany. (In English, it was the National Socialist German Workers' Party.) Especially through the Weimar years (1919-1933), there were dozens of other political parties throughout Germany, some national in scope, some regional or local. The Nazi party itself began as a small workers' party mainly in Munich and surrounding areas. Hitler's first grab at power -- the ill-fated "Beer Hall Putsch" of 1923 failed primarily because Nazi influence had not yet effectively extended beyond Bavaria.

Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazis, was never elected to any office. He was appointed Chancellor of Germany in January 1933 by the ailing German president, Paul von Hindenburg. Elections later that year gave the Nazi Party a significant presence in the Reichstag (the German version of the US Congress), but not a majority. By forming partnerships with other parties and their representatives in the Reichstag, the Nazis were able to establish enough power to get their way. After Hindenburg died, Hitler quickly assumed the title, "Chancellor and Reich President," or more commonly, Der Fuhrer, meaning "The Leader." Soon after that, the Reichstag was effectively (but not officially) dissolved, and all meaningful power of state was placed in Hitler's hands.

The following years are well told in the history books, and reflect the domination of Germany by the Nazi Party. But even in the depths of World War II, the Nazi Party was never the only political party in Germany.