It is in fact a very accurate description. Goebbels spelled it out quite explicitly. Another quote from him in 1928:

"We enter the Reichstag to arm ourselves with democracy’s weapons. If democracy is foolish enough to give us free railway passes and salaries, that is its problem. [...] We are coming neither as friends or neutrals. We come as enemies! As the wolf attacks the sheep, so come we. You are not among your friends any longer. You will not enjoy having us among you."

Goebbels is an unreliable narrator who had strong incentive to promote the idea that freedom of speech makes a nation weak.

The problem is not that the Nazis were allowed to speak (in fact, hate speech against Jews was often punishable under German law and Goebbels was imprisoned twice for it), but that they were allowed to be violent with no real consequences. Hitler only served eight months for his violent coup attempt in 1923.