What happened in the German election of March 5, 1933?

The German federal election held on March 5, 1933, was orchestrated by Adolf Hitler shortly after he became chancellor to secure a parliamentary majority for his government.123

The campaign took place in an atmosphere of intense intimidation and fear, exacerbated by the burning of the Reichstag building on February 27, 1933. The Nazi government used this event as a pretext to suspend constitutional guarantees of individual liberty and assume emergency powers. During the campaign, the Nazis utilized their control over state apparatuses, including the radio, to suppress opposition newspapers, break up meetings, and assault political opponents, while the SA and SS were given free rein to intimidate the public.132

Despite these unscrupulous tactics, the Nazi Party failed to win an outright majority, capturing 288 of 647 seats. However, by excluding or arresting Communist deputies and securing the support of their Nationalist partners, Hitler obtained a bare majority. This result paved the way for the passage of the Enabling Act on March 23, 1933, which effectively granted Hitler dictatorial powers.312