I actually think Angela and the CDU have never won an election (especially if you exclude the CSU) - she just managed to get more votes than the SPD. If she led a coalition before an election that then won then I would consider her the winner, but just putting together a coalition after the election rather undermines any majority support.<p>Having said all this Hitler did manage to work the Weimar system so he was able to grab total power - he always seemed to be proud that his rule was &quot;legal&quot;.