Technology

Hitler was elected… by a majority, in a democracy!!

He wasn't. November 32 the NSDAP was down to 33.1% from their previous 37.4% in Juli the same year. Even in the March 33 elections which generally are considered to have been unfree the NSDAP only got 43.9% (widespread voter intimidation). Zentrum (catholic conservatives) offered themselves as stirrup holders, but they still didn't have the necessary 2/3rd majority to pass the enabling act. So they arrested and intimidated people, the whole KPD (Stalinists) was either in prison or fleeing, 26 out of 120 SPD parliamentarians (Socdems), all other MPs fell in line under threat of violence (and/or the party whip), leaving only 94 SPD MPs to vote against, giving them 68.6%. Just before that vote they changed procedure (with simple majority) so that imprisoned etc. MPs would be counted as present as otherwise the vote would not have passed the quorum.

You can say the whole thing was technically legal. It certainly was not morally legal. Letter vs. spirit of the law and everything. Be that as it may it's the reason why the current constitution is written way better, the only way in which something like an enabling act could happen nowadays if there was a free referendum -- actually free, without voter intimidation and everything, replacing the whole constitution.

What's also notable is that the Nazis even bothered with that charade. Similarly to other authoritarian regimes they swing about legalities like a thurible to give the impression of legitimacy. Just in case you're wondering why Russia is going to have presidential elections soon: What they're saying with that is "we have the power to bend law as we please, thus we're in charge, deal with it". In Putin's case in particular it's showing that he has enough power over the state apparatus to have the ballots stuffed.