(1) Timothy Ryback describes how on August 13, 1932, Adolf Hitler meets President Paul von Hindenburg in Berlin. Despite the Nazis holding 37% of the electorate, Hindenburg refuses to grant Hitler the chancellorship, offering instead a secondary role in a

(1) Timothy Ryback describes how on August 13, 1932, Adolf Hitler meets President Paul von Hindenburg in Berlin. Despite the Nazis holding 37% of the electorate, Hindenburg refuses to grant Hitler the chancellorship, offering instead a secondary role in a coalition government. Hitler, an "all or nothing" leader, flatly rejects the offer, insisting on total control. Hindenburg, a statuesque Prussian aristocrat, disdains Hitler as a "Bohemian corporal" and fears his divisive, radical politics. This pivotal refusal marks the beginning of intense political manipulation as Hitler vows to besiege the state rather than be a prisoner within it.
1910 GERMANY