Decades after the fall of the Third Reich, it feels impossible to understand how Adolf Hitler, the tyrant who orchestrated one of the largest genocides in human history, could ever have risen to power in a democratic country. So how did it happen, and could it happen again? Alex Gendler and Anthony Hazard dive into the history and circumstances that allowed Hitler to become Führer of Germany.

Jason Kottke shared this excellent video which gives a high-level overview of Hitler’s rise through the ranks of German government in the run up to World War II. As chance would have it, I’ve recently been reading up on the very same subject (thanks, Wikipedia).

The video is part of a TED-Ed lesson that includes additional links and resources.