Psychopaths? They Both Seized Power By Abusing Democracy

We know that in the past, kings rose to power through violence. But in modern times, aspiring dictators often take control by using the machinery of democracy against it, turning republics into narrow-minded one-party states.

The Nazis arguably provide this plot’s most famous and frequently cited blueprint. The US Holocaust History Museum revealed that the Nazis had no choice but to accept getting democratically elected after Hitler’s Beer Hall putsch in the early 20s got him detained.

Ten years later, though, a combination of dread of a forceful takeover by German Communists, degeneracy and weakness on the part of the Weimar Republic, and economic sorrows brought about by the drastic terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the Great Depression helped push Nazis into power in the German Reichstag.

And what was Chancellor Hitler’s first order of business? Outlawing political opposition and gaining full dictatorial control. On the other hand, Putin’s rise to power was a bit less sensational. But we can still see some chilling similarities.

The files on his infamous career in the Soviet KGB and his developing political aspirations in 1991 were released. Here’s what we know: Hitler was appointed to the Chancellorship by President Hindenburg, who sought fortification against the rising Communist Party.

Putin was selected as President of the Russian Federation by Boris Yeltsin, who feared criminal prosecution. Also, like Hitler, Putin took advantage of his newfound power, keeping it illegally, and has been known to stuff ballot boxes and continuously silence opposition.