Sir,
On August 19, 1934, tens of millions of Germans voted in favor of Adolf Hitler, sending him to the office of Chancellor and President of Germany. One day later, Joseph Goebbel’s Ministry of Propaganda informed that almost 90 % of the voters opted for the concentration of the State powers in Hitler’s hands, with only a 10 % of opposition.
”This is how the process of creating a dictatorship was concluded and the figure of the Fuhrer came to light. Recalling this episode of history has a strong didactic dimension. It proves not only that desperation and fear are lousy advisors, but also that, paraphrasing Winston Churchill, the Republic and its division of powers is the worst among possible systems, with the exception of all the others”.
Dr. Natalio Wengrower
The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation
New York
August 22, 2008
