The history the Nazis left behind is undoubtedly full of horrors and tragedies, yet somehow they had the steadfast support of the majority and the trust of the people German in their hands. It is difficult for me and other historians to believe that the horrors of the Holocaust could have happened without the support of the majority of the German population. In the words of Professor James Glass “The Holocaust conquered the collective faith in Germany.” When considering the legitimacy of the Nazi Party, often all we consider is the Holocaust, but for the Germans there was much more. In just under twenty years the Nazi Party managed to gain sole leadership thanks to the popular vote in Germany. This tells us that there must have been some advantages to “voting Nazi”. The fact that the Nazis were a successful political party comes as a shock to most people, especially when we only teach/learn about the terrible deeds they committed. William Brustein highlighted the horrific social and economic life of Germans at the time and why a party like the Nazis had to come forward. “Only an account of interest-based action” reveals the Nazi Party's clearly broad appeal as a logical choice for millions of Germans. “The Nazi Party attracted a large percentage of workers, cattle ranchers, and independent artisans to its ranks.” . Politically, the Nazi Party offered a third way between Marxist centralized state planning and laissez-faire capitalism.” William Brustein's book exposes the popularity of the Nazi Party in a way that makes it clear that Germans supported it. The popularity of the Nazi Party spread among all groups of Germans, making it even easier to win elections. The First World War laid the foundation for the politics of Weimar Germany and helped c...... middle of paper ...... 05% of voters turn out to the polls. In 1933 in Germany Adolf Hitler managed to win his elections by an incredible 26%. He also had five other opponents who together got only 57% of the vote. Even with only one opponent Hitler would have had the advantage, as he won all but two districts. This type of victory would be unheard of in the United States. In the United States, in the same period in 1932, Franklin Roosevelt managed to win only 17.5% and lost seven states. In 1936, 1940, and 1944, Roosevelt received a smaller percentage of the vote and won fewer states. The only two elections that could be compared were Johnson's election over Goldwater, caused by a political commercial, and Reagan's election over Mondale, due to short-term economic success. However both of these presidents were unable to display popularity through vote totals as Hitler was able to do.