The widespread intimidation of the population provided the essential precondition for a process that was in train all over Germany in the period from February to July 1933... The Nazi takeover of the federated states provided a key component in this process... At the same time as the state governments were being overthrown, local Nazis, backed by squads of armed stormtroopers and SS men, were occupying town halls, terrorizing mayors and councils into resigning, and replacing them with their own nominees.