[mkjessup]

The Presidency was not the key to this process: the Chancellorship was.
The President was not permitted dictatorial power, but he was permitted to give the Chancellor dictatorial power.
Hitler did not want to grant someone else dictatorial power - he wanted to have dictatorial power.

OK, I get that. But maybe you can help me out here: if an elected official can 'grant' another elected official 'dictatorial power', does that not mean that the first official already HAS such power?

How can one grant such powers unless they first possess said powers themselves?

[wideawake]

How can one grant such powers unless they first possess said powers themselves?

The Weimar Constitution tried to remedy this contradiction by making the Chancellor the only person who could wield dictatorial power and the President as the only person who could grant it.

In the US today we have a panel of nine judges who literally hold the power of life and death without review, but who are dependent upon the president and senate to nominate and confirm them in their power.

In the Weimar Constitution this division between appointment and office was supposed to operate as a check.