The 45 Steps to Hitler's Germany

A comparison

It became high treason “punishable by death” to call for a general strike.

These steps are derived from The Coming of the Third Reich by Richard J. Evans. It was instructive to look at every step taken by Hitler and the Nazis in seizing power to discern vulnerabilities on both sides.

Quick takeaways:

• The Nazis feared a general strike the most,

• Nazi response to unfavorable court orders was violence,

• Hitler needed the money of big business,

• Social Democratic response to Nazi violence was very weak: a stoppage of public meetings,

• Non-Nazi publications were attacked by Nazi supporters, not people in authority. Nothing happened to them,

• Nazi power depended on local police helping them with enforcement,

• They started with suppressing Communists, and then the suppression moved to other groups.