In light of current world unrest, let’s look back to Adolf Hitler’s time for today’s historical tidbit. On March 7, 1936, Hitler marched into the demilitarized Rhineland zone (which was a violation of the Treaty of Versailles). To further prove that he was doing the right thing, on this date in 1936, Germany held a parliamentary election. There was one question on the ballot, and there was only one way to respond. Did the people of Germany agree with the reoccupation of Rhineland? Voter intimidation and propaganda led to the 99% voter turnout and a positive response. Forgive me if I think this reminds me of a current event in Russia, but I won’t go into detail here. I’m sure you know my view.
For more info:
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/triumph/tr-rhine.htm
http://www.bytwerk.com/gpa/posters2.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_election_and_referendum,_1936#cite_note-2
