What if the Reichstag Fire had never happened, or happened a month later? What effect would this have had on the 1933 elections, and on the fate of Germany?
The nazis would rig the elections in any way. They might simply forbid the Social Democrats or something like that.
They didn't forbid the SPD running, but they threw some of their parliamentaries into prison, and later forbad them too.
The Communist party was forbidden a few days before the election, but still gained 12% of the votes (and thus, mandates). Their people were sacked first.
Don't forget: Hitler was already chancellor and head of Germany's strongest party (unfortunately)
Had the Nazis seized power, you might very well have seen the SPD, KPD, and labor unions resist. Civil war, I think, would be a likely outcome.
They wouldn't resist too much. The labor unions couldn't do much - Germany had six million unemployed, a general strike would be too risky. The Communists were soon decapitated, for their decentralized structure. And the SPD, I don't know either.
Had the Nazis seized power, you might very well have seen the SPD, KPD, and labor unions resist. Civil war, I think, would be a likely outcome.
What if the Reichstag Fire had never happened, or happened a month later? What effect would this have had on the 1933 elections, and on the fate of Germany?
Or what if it happened in during the Beer Hall Putsch instead?