Why did the Nazis need support from other parties in the Reichstag?

The Nazi Party required support from other parties in the Reichstag primarily because they failed to secure an outright majority in the elections of March 1933, winning only 288 of 647 seats.12

To achieve their goal of establishing a dictatorship, the Nazis sought to pass the Enabling Act, which would allow the government to issue decrees independently of the Reichstag and the presidency. Because this legislation required a two-thirds majority in the Reichstag, the Nazis could not pass it alone.312

To secure the necessary votes, Hitler and the Nazi leadership used a combination of intimidation and political maneuvering:
* Exclusion of Opposition: The 81 Communist deputies were either arrested or excluded from the proceedings.12
* Coalition Support: The Nazis obtained the required support from the Centre Party and their Nationalist partners through various assurances and promises.12

With these alliances, the act was passed on March 23, 1933, effectively providing the legal foundation for Hitler’s dictatorship while maintaining a veneer of legality.12