Hitler's Position Before the Fire
You might think Hitler was already in control by 1933, but he was actually in a pretty weak spot. Sure, he led Germany's largest political party and had clever allies like Goebbels handling propaganda and Göring controlling the police. But here's the catch - he was still trapped by the rules.
Hitler only had 2 Nazis out of 12 cabinet members, and he didn't have a majority in the Reichstag (German parliament). Even worse, President Hindenburg could sack him whenever he wanted. Hitler needed a game-changer.
On the evening of 27 February 1933, that game-changer arrived when the Reichstag building went up in flames. A Dutch communist named Marinus van der Lubbe was caught red-handed with matches and confessed to starting the fire.
Quick Tip: Remember that Hitler wasn't a dictator overnight - he had to work within the system at first, which made him vulnerable until the fire changed everything.
