Was hitler elected to power

Answer 1

In a way, yes.

Germany uses a form of parliamentary governance, similar to what many other countries, including Britain and Canada. In a parliamentary government, the party that holds the most seats in the parliament typically gets to choose one of their members to be the prime minister. It is very different from the United States, where Congress and the President are almost totally separate.

In short, Hitler made a political alliance with two other right-wing parties in 1933. Under this coalition, on January 30, 1933, Hitler was appointed chancellor (prime minister) by the President (who functions similar to the Queen in Britain- largely ceremonial but technically very powerful). After the appointment, Hitler arranged for elections in March.

Just before the elections, the Reichstag (Parliament) building was set on fire. Hitler convinced the President that Communists were about to start a rebellion, and the President made a special emergency law that allowed Hitler to arrest Communists. Hitler did so, but abused the law, and also arrested political opponents. He also had his own Nazi "Brownshirts" attack and intimidate people into voting for the Nazi Party.

When the elections were held, Hitler's coalition was able to win a super-majority in the Reichstag; winning the election meant Hitler was now secure in his position as chancellor. With a super-majority, the coalition could pass any laws they wanted- including amendments to the constitution. The coalition almost immediately passed the "Enabling Act", which amended the constitution to basically give almost all government power to Hitler himself.

At this point, Hitler had become the dictator of Germany. He still had to consolidate his position, and eliminate any remaining political opponents (including the other right-wing parties that he had just been allied with; and even some Nazis who he distrusted). He also changed the government to better fit his political views. Once the President died in August 1934, Hitler was the undisputed master of Germany. He did not hold elections for a new president- instead, he merged the office of chancellor with the office of president, creating a new position, "Fuehrer" ("Leader"), which only Hitler himself held.