At noon on January 30, 1933, President Paul von Hindenburg, the president of Germany, appointed Adolf Hitler, leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party), to be the country's chancellor. Hitler took the oath of office immediately, and convened his cabinet four hours later. Europe's nightmare had begun.

That night the Nazis celebrated their victory with a huge torchlight parade of brown-shirted SA [Sturmabeitlung] storm troopers in jackboots, shown on this postal card as they marched in formation through Berlin's Brandenburg gate.

One year later, Germany commemorated the Nazi seizure of power by issuing a 6-pfennig picture postal card, with Hitler and Hindenburg in the stamp imprint indicium and the torchlight parade at the left. This example was canceled on January 29, 1934, the first day of issue. next >>