Hitler was born in the Austrian village of Braunau Am Inn on April 20, 1889, to Klara and Alois Hitler. During his early years, he used to have great disagreements with his father over his choice of career in arts instead of civil service. That was until his father died of natural causes in 1903 when Hitler was only 14 years old.
However, he later fled Vienna to Munich so as to avoid mandatory military service.
Hitler was invited to join the German workers part after the founder of the party was pleased with his oratory abilities and therefore saw that they could use him to their benefit. Hitler’s oratory abilities make him have a great influence on the party (The rise of Adolf Hitler, n.d.).
Hitler realizing that some people within the party were plotting his downfall, resigned from the party. Due to their great influence, he had the party saw the need to retain him and therefore took him back as the leader of the party a term which he had offered the party if he was to become back the party.
Hitler was later accused of treason, a case that was highly publicized. During the court hearing, he used the courtroom to spread his propaganda. Hitler was later found guilty but sentenced to only five years but was paroled after nine months due to the influence which he had on the people and the judges who were sympathetic towards him. He came out of jail to reorganize the party and consolidate his position as the leader of the party.
The great depression led to many political problems in Germany which provided the right opportunity for the Nazi to enter parliament during the preceding election through the use of Hitler’s speech-making abilities and ability to manipulate the masses. The election made the Nazi party be the second party in Germany with 18 percent of the votes and 107 seats in parliament.
Hitler ran for president against Paul von Hindenburg, the incumbent president only to get 36 percent of the votes after a run-off with von Hindenburg garnering 53 percent of the votes.
Kurt von Schleicher, an army officer who had the ambition of getting to power himself schemed the downfall of the chancellor and other members of the government after the chancellor had banned SA and SS all across Germany. Prior to the downfall of the government officials, Schleicher had made an agreement with Hitler seeking his support. Kurt von Schleicher would later be appointed the chancellor by the president.
Schleicher later resigned due to his inability to run the government and the lack of trust of the other members of the cabinet. This paved way for the appointment of Hitler as the Chancellor of the republic, though the President did not like the idea.
Soon after Hitler was announced Chancellor, he persuaded the president to let there be elections so as to ensure the Nazis had an outright majority in parliament which Hitler greatly needed. However, after the election, his party got 44 percent of the vote. To avoid a runoff and establish himself as a dictator and bring an end to the democracy in the country, he orchestrated constitutional change which gave him dictatorial powers(The rise of Adolf Hitler, n.d.).
During the reign of Hitler as a dictator, he put forth orders which led to the exodus of many Germans as they feared for their life(The rise of Adolf Hitler, n.d.).
Hitler’s hatred of the Jews had in fact brought him to power. After getting the ultimate power that Hitler craved for initiated a series of events that led to the large-scale execution of the Jews.
This paper seeks to investigate and compare leaders of countries that were “single party states” (Weinberg 23, par 2). Therefore Hitler who ruled Germany and Stalin who ruled Russia about the same time will be compared in terms of the leadership styles and the overall effects they had on their respective societies.
Hitler led by Nazism which can be identified as a form of fascism while Stalin was a communist, however, their effects on their respective societies is significantly comparable (Bullock 3). It is important to note that both countries (the USSR and Germany) were single party states.
Summary of evidence
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin “(1878-1953) was the General Secretary of the communist party of the Soviet Union’s central committee for 31 years since” 1922 to 1953. (Gellately 57) He won this elective position mainly due to the important role he played in the Soviet Revolution.
Initially the post of General Secretary was not so powerful in the party; however, following the death Vladimir Lenin who had led the communist party from 1917, Stalin strengthened the opposition by eliminating opposition within the party (Bullock 4).
During his semi retirement times, Lenin had written disparaging statements about Stalin. He was particularly against Stalin’s rise to power due to his behavior, which he described as being rude, ambitious and power hungry (Harrison 137).
To strengthen his influence in the party Stalin formed an alliance with allies Zinoviev and Kamenev who were members of the central committee in the party. After the death of Lenin, Zinoviev and Kamenev began to disagree with Stalin, thereafter they found themselves isolated as Trotsky (Bullock 45).
In the years that followed, Stalin gained a lot of power such that he begun to run the party as a one man show. In the 1930s he spearhead radical economic reforms that saw the Soviet Union take a U turn from the near capitalist state it was becoming (Kuper 134).
His policies are thought to have been the main cause of the deadly famine that caused millions of deaths between 1932 and 1933. As time went by Stalin consolidate a lot of power, he orchestrated the expulsion of several members from the party, subjecting some of them to banishment and execution (Lewis 34).
For instance, he executed Kirov because he was becoming more popular. Later in the same year Stalin passed a new law on “Terrorist organizations and terrorist acts” (Harrison 138, par. 2).
After the passing of the law, multiple trials followed by torture, deportation or execution took place in Moscow and elsewhere in the USSR by operatives of the NKVD. Most of the original members of Lenin’s cabinet were executed during this purge.
The NKVD detentions and executions grew to include all opposition groups, all foreigners and the peasant farmers who were seen as an outlawed class (Snyder 135). An estimated number of between 3 and 30 million people are thought to have been killed during the terror. Stalin died in 1953.
Adolf Hitler (1889- 1945) “was the leader of the National Socialist German workers party (NSDAP) or Nazi and the Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945” (Kershaw 5, par.6). Hitler begun to rise after the First World War in which he had excelled as a fighter. He ventured into politics as an extremist angered with the way Germany was being ruled.
Hitler later took part in an attempted coup, imprisoned for five years but later released after a year. Following his release Hitler decided to follow the long legitimate path to power. While in prison Hitler wrote the book “Mein Kampf”, a book that played major role in his rise(Payne 23).
The Nazi party had no solid philosophical basis and its ideology was much likened to fascism. It however had some basic principles which depicted it as being; socialistic, totalitarian, anti democracy, anti communist, anti Semitic and anti international capitalism (Weinberg 34).
A series of conspiracies, manipulations, threats, promises, alliances and betrayals saw Hitler become an all powerful head of state. Hitler moved fast to effect national socialism in Germany. Sweeping reforms were undertaken to boost industry and agriculture to win support for Hitler.
The education system was changed to favor National Socialism. Judges and other workers were only employed if they favored Nazism. The Arrests and punishment of political prisoners was undertaken by the SS (a special security force) (Bullock 169).
The persecution of Jews in Germany begun after Hitler took power in 1933. It started by wide spread arrests and public humiliation by members of the SA or the brown shirts (Harrison 65). Initially the Jews were excluded from the civil service, their shops and buildings smashed or looted and boycotted.
The final solution for the Jewish problem was organized by the Nazi in 1941 through mass deportations into extermination camps. At the end of Hitler’s reign up to five million Jews had been killed (Snyder 35).
Hitler’s quest to regain all German speaking nations led to the Second World War in which over 50 million people were killed. Hitler committed suicide in 1945 following the Germany’s defeat in the Second World War (Weinberg 201).
Evaluation of sources
Two important books were used in this analysis. The first book which is titled “Conflicts the Twentieth century” offers a precise account of all the conflicts that took place in the last century (Harrison 1). The book written by Scott Michael Harrison offers a detailed factual description of the events surrounding conflicts in the last century.
The book has visual illustrations that have been carefully selected. The illustrations indeed clarify and provide more evidence to the written accounts.
The book is also reinforced by direct quotations from written accounts by individuals who witnessed the events. On Hitler and Stalin, the book provides a detailed account of events complete with the dates, pictures and description of the symbols.
For instance, the four arms of the Swastika are described as meaning: Nationalistic; Totalitarian and anti-democratic; Anti-Semitic; socialistic and against foreign nationalism. The book provides accounts of what the leaders ideologies were about. For instance, the Chapters on Adolf Hitler have several excerpts from his book “Mein Kampf” (Harrison 68, par. 8).
For instance, to show how Hitler hated the Jews, this quote has been lifted from the book, “Was there any shady undertaking, any form of foulness, especially in cultural life, in which at least one Jew did not participate?” (Harrison 68, par 9)Similar detailed accounts are given on Stalin.
The book is not biased in its approach but it gives a sort of summary of the events that took place. The second book used for this analysis is titled “Hitler and Stalin: Parallel Lives” (Harrison 46). The book which is written by Allan Bullock offers a detailed biography of the two men who can be described as the most evil in the 20th century.
The book offers a precise description of how the two lives are indeed parallel. In different chapters, the book describes how the two sought, achieved and then used power for their own evil nature (Bullock 2). Through the chapters that are reinforced by quotes from first account sources the book describes how the two men legitimately rose to power.
This book is a valuable source as it concentrates on the two leaders who are coincidentally the focus of this investigation. However, the book may be biased as it is mainly seen to draw comparisons between the two leaders. A list of other vital sources has been used in this investigation to support what has been identified in the two main books.
Analysis
There is no doubt that the leadership of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin are comparable in many aspects. Hitler can be said to use the Fascist political ideology to wage war on the Jewish population in Germany and elsewhere.
However, he did not stick with the Fascist principle that requires the commitment to the interests of the nation, and thus he is seen to have been hell bend in seeking to control the entire Europe (Harrison 69, par 5).
Nazism, which can be described as a variety of fascism was the main ideology with which Hitler’s Nazi party ruled. It was characterized by biological racism and anti-Semitism (Bullock 23).
The Nazi ideology that proclaimed the supremacy of the Aryan race was hell bent on creating a powerful pure Aryan nation. Thus the Jews were seen as the greatest stumbling block in the attainment of this object. Stalin did not stick to the basic principles of communism that entails free association and common ownership of means of production.
Stalinism betrayed the communism ideology by hiding into the fact that he was adapting to the changing needs of the Soviet society (Kuper 5). Stalin applied the theory of class struggle to repress hi political opponents. It’s important to note that both Hitler and Stalin had secret security agents or forces, the SS and the NKVD respectively (Overy 56).
The SS was mainly used to; instill fear in people and discourage opposition, and systemically perpetuate atrocities against the Jewish. The NKVD was initially used to crush opposition but was subsequently expanded to commit atrocities against civilians, especially those of foreign origin.
The analysis of Hitler and Stalin cannot be limited to there adherence to party ideology a lone as the two are arguably remembered as the most evil leaders of the twentieth century. The two leaders committed crimes against humanity which can be described as wholesale destruction of civilian life in their societies. However, there rise to power was similar in many fashions.
Both were veterans of war in their respective countries. Hitler was a war Veteran in the First World War while Stalin had played an important role in the Soviet revolution. They were also master politicians who, in their quest for power adhered to the rule of law and endured years of patience with precise strategies and manipulations (Weinberg 5).
A clear distinction comes in the nature of their ambition. Whereas Hitler seemed to be obsessed with keeping Germany pure while expanding his rule into other neighboring countries, Stalin was more concerned with consolidating power within the USSR and with timid foreign ventures.
It’s easy to point out that the two men were so much attached to what they perceived as their important historic roles in the realization of new order in their respective nations (Bullock 112). Stalin was particularly skeptical about the motives of other political figures and he would detain torture or execute them.
In the end both Hitler and Stalin caused a lot of suffering for their own people and were responsible for the deaths of millions of people they were supposed to safeguard as leaders (Bullock 120). It’s imperative to note that the two leaders ruled in same time and even signed a pact, and fought each other in the Second World War.
Conclusion
This paper sought to investigate how Hitler compares to Stalin in terms of leadership style and effects of their leadership to their respective societies.
It has been identified that Hitler and Stalin were leaders of single party states namely Germany and Russia respectively. Hitler ruled by Nazism which can be identified as a form of Fascism while Stalin’s Russia had communism (Kuper 33). Both leaders came to power through legitimate means but ended up being dictators who caused untold suffering to their own people.
Their leadership was characterized by systematic elimination of civilians by terror squads that operated as special security forces. In the end each of them had committed crimes against humanity in their countries and beyond and the two were responsible for the deaths of millions of people (Bullock 44).
Works Cited
Bullock, Allan. Hitler and Stalin: Parallel Lives. London: HarperCollins Publishers, 1993. Print.
Gellately, Robert. Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler: The Age of Social Catastrophe . London: Knopf, 2007. Print.
Harrison, Scott Michael. World Conflict in the Twentieth century . London: Macmillan, 1987. Print.
Kershaw, Ian. The Nazi Dictatorship: Problems and Perspectives of Interpretation. New York: Arnold publishers, 2006. Print.
Kuper, Leo. Genocide: Its Political Use in the Twentieth Century. Yale : Yale University Press, 1982. Print.
Lewis, Robert. The Economic Transformation of the Soviet Union. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press., 1994. Print.
Overy, Richard. The Origins of the Second World War Reconsidered . London: Routledge, 1999. Print.
Payne, Stanley. A history of Fascism. Madison: University of Wisconsin, 1995. Print.
Snyder, Timothy. Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin. New York: Basic Books , 2010. Print.
Weinberg, George. A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press., 1995. Print.
A country can benefit from analyzing its past. By doing so, a country can be able to analyze how their past leaders or events have shaped their present lives. Similarly, through this analysis a country can be able to correct historical injustices.
In the Book Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler asserts that he was able to develop interest at propagandist activity after analyzing past political events in his country (Hitler & Ralph 57). He states that through his analysis he realized how Socialist-Marxist adopted and applied propaganda with amazing proficiencies. In history, the Nazis under the leadership of Adolf Hitler are believed to have been the masters of propaganda.
Before the holocaust, the Nazis made use of the available media, cinema, and radio to create and propagate propaganda aimed at undermining the minority communities in Germany. The effectiveness of Nazis propaganda largely depended on the methodologies implemented by Hitler and Joseph Gobbles. This paper seeks to highlight how Hitler used stories of German past and propaganda to manipulate the Germans into believing they were a superior race.
Hitler’s propaganda together with wartime ideologies are the chief revelatory means of understanding why holocaust transpired. Between the years 1919 to 1939, Hitler launched several defamatory messages against the Jews communities (Hitler & Ralph 12). In one of his speeches before the onset of the Second World War, Hitler promised to eliminate all the Jews in Europe. Through propaganda, Hitler linked most of the German’s past misfortunes with the presence of Jews in Europe.
During the same period, Hitler mentioned of International Jewry. International Jewry referred to a political subject that was unfriendly to Germany. According to Hitler, the German’s defeat in the First World War, the Bolshevik Revolution, German’s post war inflation, and the economic crisis of the year 1929 were accredited to International Jewry. By analyzing and highlighting these past events to the public, Hitler laid way for the war and the holocaust.
Through propaganda, he was able to brainwash many Germans into believing that he was actually reacting to the plans, injustices, and threats of others against the Germans (Hitler & Ralph 50). Notably, Hitler’s propaganda against the minority communities such as the Jews, Africans, Bolsheviks, the paralytic, and other people considered undesirable by the Nazis were used to manipulate how German masses perceived these individuals.
Through propaganda, the Jews were illustrated as greedy, ugly, filthy individuals who had sided with the Germans’ enemies. The Nazis propaganda activists were very proficient in their art. They were able to identify disagreeably prejudices against the Jews communities. Through these initiatives, these activists were able to able to apply selection bias to bring out numerous cascading biases against the Jews. By taking advantage of these prejudices, the Nazis were able to represent unpleasant Jewish images in the Aryan Germans’ minds.
As such, through propaganda the Aryans were able to see repulsiveness in the Jewish community despite the fact that these repulsiveness never existed. All these propagandas together with Nazis’ depiction of Aryans as non-Jewish, manipulated the Germans into believing they were a superior race. As a result, the Nazis were able to associate their past successful events to the Germans and all the letdowns to the minority populations in Germany.
Over time, this propaganda enhanced an environment, which discarded any proof opposing the notion that Aryans were more superior to other races (Hitler & Ralph 64). Astonishingly, the Germans without query accepted Nazis’ propaganda against the Jewish as inferior compared to Aryans even in some cases where the propaganda contradicted logics. In some instances, Hitler employed elites who duped the Germans public into believing that human civilization originated from the Aryans going against archeological facts (Pringle 3).
To enhance superiority in the Aryan community, Hitler’s team adopted the US Verses Them theme. Through this campaign, posters portraying perfect Aryan mothers and children were printed and contrasted with other posters portraying emaciated Bolshevik family. This portrait was so effective that they were later used in justifying the enactment of laws that prohibited Jewish communities and other minority communities from mixing with Aryan communities.
Through similar tactics, the Nazis were able to combine Bolsheviks and Jews’ images in single portraits to formulate a notion that the Jews were to blame for communism. When Germans’ opponents such as England and the USA were portrayed, the Nazis ensured that Jewish artistic elements were attached to these portraits to enhance the feeling that Jewish were responsible for Germans misfortunes.
It is surprising to note that several Germans accepted Hitler’s ideas without queries to the point that they ignored the fact that millions of people had disappeared because of persecution. Several factors contributed to this situation where Hitler’s ideas were unchallenged. Before Hitler took over the country’s leadership in the year 1933, the country was faced with several economic challenges. In the year 1919, Germany signed Treaty of Versailles.
Through this treaty, the country lost much of its iron ore reserve plunging the country into economic crisis. Before Hitler took over, Germany’s unemployment had increased to 6 million. With no hope, people believed in Hitler’s propaganda and associated their misfortunes with the Jewish communities. When Hitler became the Country’s chancellor in the year 1933, he formulated and implemented tough economic policies that saw a reduction of unemployment rate by 95% in the year 1939.
With this economic miracle, Aryan Germans were made to believe that Hitler was the answer to their solutions hence accepted his propaganda without questions. Similarly, through media censorship Hitler’s propaganda managed to brainwash the Aryans into believing that they were a superior race. During the early 20th century, radio and film were the only form of media technologies available.
The Nazis censored these forms of media and determined what were to be broadcasted. As such, they were able to broadcast anti-Semitic messages to its population. Over time, the masses were brainwashed and were made to believe in Hitler’s propaganda. In schools, Nazis dispersed Hitler’s articles and books to German children for learning purpose. Through this, the youth were indoctrinated. These initiatives brainwashed the youths’ minds into believing that Hitler was great and that the Germans were superior to other races.
In conclusion, Hitler’s propaganda was successful in spearheading racial purity and anti-Semitic campaigns. The success of this propaganda was eminent in the way Germans perceived and treated other races. By censoring the media, use of intimidation, and political arrests, Hitler ensured that his propaganda was accepted by the masses without questions.
When he entered into power, Hitler shut down several newspaper presses to ensure that his leadership style and propaganda was unchallenged through the media. Equally, German’s economical and social conditions before Hitler took over the country’s power made them vulnerable to his propaganda. Therefore, Hitler having been aware of these conditions took advantage of the Germans desperation and made them to believe in his propaganda.
Works Cited
Hitler, Adolf, and Ralph Manheim. Mein Kampf,. Boston : Houghton Mifflin company, 1943. Print.
Adolf Hitler was a Nazi dictator who was based in Berlin, German. He was a German ruler for over a decade despite being one of the cruelest dictators of the century. The fall of Hitler was imminent since the Western Allied forces had started to engage and push the German soldiers towards Berlin. These pushing forces on the soldiers prompted some military commanders to plot how to assassinate Hitler. The assassination failed and he ordered the execution of those who tried to execute him. The siege of Berlin by the Soviet soldiers marked the end of his rule. His purported reports of death were met with skepticism across the globe. Hitler took his life on April 30, 1945, while in an underground bunk at the Reich Chancellery after the Soviet army closed in on where he was holed (Sommerlad). In the process, conspiracy theories have come to play with others stating the likelihood of the Nazi leader failing to take his life. Despite different versions of the stories behind his demise, most sources suggest the German Nazi ruler, Hitler, committed suicide by shooting himself while in the bunker.
It is believed the Nazi ruler took his life by shooting himself through the right temple. The suicide is believed to occur on April 30, 1945, while he was holed beneath the Reich Chancellery’s underground bunker (Sommerlad). To dispense the likelihood of arising questions about his survival, Hitler took a capsule of cyanide before shooting himself. His death would force him to abandon his dreams of building an empire likely to last thousands of years. Hitler and his wife took their lives to avoid being captured and made answerable for the performed unprecedented atrocities by the Third Reich, who were following the ruler’s directions (Sommerlad). Therefore, Hitler took his life by shooting himself to avoid being made answerable for the atrocities he initiated under his watch.
Bodies of Hitler and his wife Eva Braun were found in the Reich Chancellery underground bunker. Their bodies were found at 3.30 pm on the same day by the individuals close to him (Sommerlad). The people included Joseph Goebbels, Otto Gunshe; Hitler’s adjutant, Heinz Linge; the leader’s valet, and Bormann. They found the Nazi ruler’s body to have disorganized and fell a vase containing daffodils and tulips as it stumbled from the gunshot. Hitler’s wife Eva followed the ruler’s action and took her life too. The two feared being captured and later prosecuted for the crimes committed against humanity (Sommerlad). The individuals mentioned herein, therefore, provide proof of the leader’s act of committing suicide.
The research was conducted on the fragments of the Nazi ruler’s skull to establish how he died. The study was performed by pathologists from France who not only examined the skull but also the teeth. These remains were kept in Moscow after their recovery from Berlin in the earlier periods of May 1945. The teeth corresponded to one of the features of Hitler’s dental characteristics since they failed to reveal any traces of meat consumption. This was consistent with the dictator’s traits of being a vegetarian. The skull analysis established an existing probable bullet hole on the left side (Frost). The study concluded Hitler had committed suicide in the underground bunker of the Nazi ruined capital (Frost). The French-based pathologists’ research dispensed the myths alleging the survival of the dictator and provided proof of his death through suicide.
Various authors have published numerous materials over the years explaining and proving the demise of Adolf Hitler. Most sources have revealed the German ruler was never captured as some people purport. The research documented as proof of his death mainly includes the studies done on his remains. The research on the teeth revealed the presence of deposits on the false teeth, a probability of a chemical reaction between dentures metals and the cyanide. It was claimed Hitler took cyanide before taking his life (Frost). Hitler had four remaining teeth, with the rest being miss-shaped, flecked with white residue deposits, and brown on the base levels. These results from the analysis of the teeth availed proof of the death of the Nazi leader through committing suicide.
Similarly, according to Chase, the killing of Hitler’s associate Benito Mussolini by the Italians prompted Hitler to offer instructions on how to dispose of Braun’s and his bodies. He wanted their corpses to be burnt outside the bunker. Chase further alludes to the nature of the leader’s dental formula made it easier in identifying his corpse for forensic analysis. Comparing the corpse teeth was done by the Soviets after descriptions were provided by dental assistant Kathe with Hitler’s dentist, confirming the information to the allies (Chase). The confirmation of the teeth to be of the ruler proves he died in the bunker.
However, in one of the conspiracies formulated theories, the Nazi leader escaped to South America. The theory believes the dictator did not take his own life, but he fled to South America in Argentina in 1945, together with his wife (Robinson). He evaded being captured by the Soviets and spent the rest of his life in exile. This is the best act of disappearing despite the escape story seeming to depend on its mainstream inoffensive penetration ability. This theory seems to have an unanswered question that dispenses the idea purporting Hitler escaped to Argentina in South America. Therefore, pathologists have moved to analyze the skull of the Nazi ruler to facilitate the dispensation of such arising conspiracies theories. However, some of the research has also been flawed because despite failing to tell us in which form, he died.
In conclusion, Adolf Hitler, who was a Nazi ruler, committed suicide. The German ruler had ordered and presided over committing a lot of atrocities by the Third Reich. Similarly, it is believed he considered the option of fleeing that is a dishonorable act and, therefore, stayed in Berlin as a sign of remaining loyal to his ideologies until the end. The fall of his regime destroyed his vision of creating an empire for himself. The Western Allied Forces, together with the soviet’s army exposed him to assassination attempts by his troops. The siege of Berlin City by the Soviet soldiers played a vital role in ending his rule. When the signs and fears exhibited by him losing the battle and being captured became evident, he decided to take his own life. As proven by the analysis conducted by the French pathologists on his skull and teeth, it is proven Hitler took his own life. These results from the research assist in dispensing the conspiracy theories which argued for the possibility of the Nazi leader failing to take his life.
For Hitler, community-building efforts and establishing a Nazi state were based on the principle of Volksgemeinschaft which means ‘the community before the individual was part of the broader goal of achieving absolute supremacy. In Mein Kampf this idea is often discussed, with the motto being Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer (one people, one empire, one leader). Volksgemeinschaft or the people’s community was an attempt by the Nazis to found a nation-state that dismissed all prevailing class, religious and sectional differences and replaced them with increased national awareness. The aim was to restructure German society and the Nazi regime made a number of changes in line with their community-building efforts (Kershaw, 1987; Lee, 1988).
Hitler believed that people should not forget how completely dependent they were on their nation, that their past, present, and future was Germany, which has given sense and meaning to their lives. However, Germany was faced with a problem: it faced the possibility of being harmed by external forces, who wanted to see its demise. Hence, National Socialism was the solution Hitler came up with to prevent Germany was breaking into pieces, by working to unite the German people and bring them together into one invincible whole. For this purpose, all social and class divisions were done away with and a ‘national community’ was built, based on ethnic unity and true German values (Welch, 2004).
Mass media and art, in general, we’re used to informing people about the government’s activities and extol reasons why it needed the people’s unity and support. Press, radio, newsreels as well as film documentaries all publicized the welfare schemes the Nazis had implemented such as the National-socialistic Volkswohlfahrt, Strength Through Joy, and Winter Aid. Charitable appeals were aired on the radio while there were newsreels that showed content laborers enjoying the ‘People’s Theatre’ and cruise holidays. Newspapers constantly emphasized the value of a ‘national community’ and the need to put the interests of the state ahead of one’s personal wants. The status of the ‘ordinary’ worker was elevated and May Day became the ‘National Day of Labor’, a symbol of the national community where all workers, as well as their employers, would participate in a parade all over Germany and listen to a speech given by Adolf Hitler, who played a key role in raising the status of the labor force. Nazi feature films and documentaries also portrayed a Germany where social conformity was the norm and class barriers were rapidly disintegrating (Welch, 2004).
Volksgemeinschaft‘s premise was that every ‘pure’ German, his social or professional background notwithstanding, had a right to claim equality, and the Nazi efforts to build a national community were successful to an extent because they did lead to a heightened sense of national awareness. People, even if they did not view this as a fundamental social change, made use of this to secure employment, or as a route to self-advancement. Even if workers were aware of the intentions behind Volksgemeinschaft, they took advantage of the schemes and benefits introduced by the regime and gave credit for the regime. All in All, the regime was successful in building support for itself by uniting the public into one unified whole, as was their intention (Welch, 2004).
Joseph Stalin is also a leader who is celebrated for his attempts to revive e nationalism in Russia. Stalin and his comrades wanted to build popular support for a communist state and even though Stalin himself was a Marxist, which called for an international order with the class as the defining criteria, the worldwide, as well as domestic emergence of nationalism, caused Stalin to turn to nationalism as a means of combating the ominous Nazi threat (Fitzpatrick, 2001).
In the middle of the 1930s then, the regime started celebrating the rich Russian history. The military and cultural personalities of the pre-revolution era were the new heroes and Stalin championed Russia as “first among equals”, and the natural heir to the Tsarist empire. Aside from promoting heroes from the tsarist era, the Stalinist leadership also made prominent figures from the revolution and the civil war role models for the Russian people. But the purges of the 1930s led the emphasis to be more on figures from the pre-revolution era. The Russian people were not concerned with the motives or intent behind this shift in Stalinist ideology and embraced Russian nationalism and the national Bolshevik promoted by the regime (Fitzpatrick, 2001).
The people strove to develop the public Soviet identity which was promoted by the Stalinist regime, which had as its characteristics an utmost devotion to the public good and the abolition of a private sphere independent of the public. The Soviet citizen was told to not just speak Bolshevik but also think and act Bolshevik so that he internalizes his national identity. Through this ideology, Stalin was successful in promoting national identity and a sense of unity among people and managed to mobilize popular support in 1941. During World War II, citizens, as well as members of the military, propagated language and imagery which were symbols of their nationalist spirit. The Stalin regime was successful in creating Russian nationalism as the Russian national character developed and laid the ground for modern Russian nationalism (Fitzpatrick, 2001).
References
Fitzpatrick, Sheila. The Russian Revolution. Oxford University Press, 2001.
Kershaw, Ian. The “Hitler Myth”: Image and Reality in the Third Reich. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987.
Lee, Stephen. European dictatorships 1918-1945. London: Routledge, 1988.
Welch, David. Nazi Propaganda and the Volksgemeinschaft: Constructing a People’s Community. Journal of Contemporary History, 39.2 (2004): 213-238.
Franklin Roosevelt and Adolph Hitler, although represented opposed political parties, had more things in common than it seems. They came to power simultaneously in 1933 and faced challenges of governing the countries weakened by World War 1 and its consequences. Both Germany and the United States needed new effective leadership to solve many post-war problems related to unemployment, banking, finance, agriculture, and foreign policy. This paper aims to reveal the cause of the problems faced by the United States and Germany as identified by their leaders in inaugural speeches and the ways Roosevelt and Hitler were planning to solve these problems to return prosperity to their countries.
The Cause of the Problems in the United States and Germany According to Roosevelt and Hitler
Both Roosevelt and Hitler acknowledged the post-war problems of their nations. Roosevelt spoke about the shrunken values, increased taxes, the decrease of paying ability of the country, reduction of income, ruined industries, and the lack of markets for farmers. Roosevelt claimed that the major cause of these problems was in the fact that “the rulers of the exchange of mankind’s goods have failed, through their stubbornness and their incompetence, have admitted their failure, and abdicated” (“Franklin D. Roosevelt,” 1933, para. 4).
Thus, he considered thoughtless economic policies to be the reason for the problems, which the United States faced after World War 1. He also stated that “practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men” meaning that these policies were not supported by the population (“Franklin D. Roosevelt,” 1933, para. 4). Thus, his new policies were expected to be appealing to Americans.
At the same time, Hitler focused on other issues. He appealed to German people claiming that there was no fault of the country at the start of the war and that their only desire was “to defend the Fatherland” (“Berlin: Proclamation to the German nation,” 1933, para. 2). He spoke about the impoverished and starving industrial proletariat and problems of the middle class. Moreover, peasants were also under threat.
Hitler claimed that Communism was to be blamed for the current problems of the country. He stated that “communism with its method of madness is making a powerful and insidious attack upon our dismayed and shattered nation. It seeks to poison and disrupt to hurl us into an epoch of chaos…” (“Berlin: Proclamation to the German nation,” 1933, para. 4). He also mentioned that 14 years of Marxism devastated Germany, and “one year of bolshevism would destroy her” (“Berlin: Proclamation to the German nation, 1933, para. 4). Consequently, he introduced changes in the country’s policies.
Ways to Deal with Problems
Despite the huge volume of the existing problems, both new leaders suggested the ways to deal with them to provide restoration and development of their countries. For example, Roosevelt considered unemployment to be a serious problem for the United States and claimed that putting people to work was the greatest primary task. One of the ways to resolve the problem was “by direct recruiting by the Government itself, treating the task as we would treat the emergency of a war” (“Franklin D. Roosevelt,” 1933, para. 10). This approach was expected to make the use of natural resources more effectively.
Also, the new American President spoke about the lack of population balance in industrial centers and rural areas. Thus, people could be stimulated to work on the land, which was expected to contribute to the solution of the unemployment problem.
Hitler also defined unemployment as one of the leading problems in Germany of that period. He stated that “a concerted and all-embracing attack must be made on unemployment so that the German working class may be saved from ruin” (“Berlin: Proclamation to the German nation,” 1933, para. 12). He expected to overcome the problem of unemployment within the following four years.
He introduced “compulsory labor-service and the back-to-the-land policy” as the major principles of the suggested program” (“Berlin: Proclamation to the German nation,” 1933, para. 20). Moreover, he claimed that the National Government would reorganize the business sector, as well as fiscal and administrative systems. Finally, Hitler promised “the promotion of employment, the preservation of the farmer, as well as in the exploitation of individual initiative” as the necessary steps of the Government to return the country to prosperity (“Berlin: Proclamation to the German nation,” 1933, para. 22).
Conclusion
On the whole, both countries had similar economic problems. Moreover, Roosevelt and Hitler suggested similar ways of solving these problems. For example, both acknowledged that unemployment was a serious threat to economic development and was going to find a solution to this issue. Thus, both of them saw the leading role of the government in dealing with unemployment. Moreover, both Hitler and Roosevelt suggested that attention to the development of farming could contribute to counties’ prosperity and increase employment rates. I suppose that their vision is to attract supporters among the population because people were tired of war, economic problems, and ineffective leaders.
The book “Hitler: A Study in Tyranny” is written by Alan Bullock, an outstanding British historian who devoted greater part of his life to the study of people who had made valuable influence on the European history in the twentieth century. It should be mentioned that for the first time Bullock’s biography of Adolf Hitler was published in 1952, and this book is considered to be was the first biography of the Fuerer. Later it was republished in 1962 and in 1991 the abridged edition published by HarperPerennial appeared. The latter is the book under our consideration.
The subject of the book under study is the historic personality of Adolf Hitler, the person who managed to change the flow of the European history of the twentieth century, the person who caused the most devastating, murderous and expensive war in the history of mankind, the World War II. Speaking about the factual material and the sources that were used by Bullock while writing the biography, two key points should be mentioned. The first one is that the first edition was written almost immediately after the end of the World War II and this meant that a lot of genuine materials were available at that time. The second fact that should be taken into account is that, fortunately, Adolf Hitler suffered a defeat and he had no opportunity to falsify the truth and make influence on the documents or any other sources of information, in comparison with, for instance, Joseph Stalin. Thus, Bullock referred to “Mein Kampf” by Adolf Hitler (1939), which may be considered a primary source of information and, moreover, it is evident that the value of this book is great as it contains the elements of the Fuerer’s autobiography and information about his ideology. What is more, the author made use of Hitler’s speeches and writings: “Die Reden des Führers nach der Machtübernahme”, “Hitler’s Words” (Speeches, 1922-43), etc. Besides, Alan Bullock used a lot of other first-hand sources, such as memoirs of the people from Hitler’s milieu and of those who took active part in the war (Otto Dietrich, Josef Goebbels, K.W. Krause, etc.), articles and the materials of the Nuremberg Trials. The author resorted to secondary sources only in that case, if they covered the materials that had not been published earlier. On the whole, this bibliography seems to be complete and impressive, the only thing to mention is that the author should have included the memoirs of Albert Speer (1970), an interesting and quite controversial figure on the arena of World War II.
On reading the Fuhrer’s biography, a reader may observe that Alan Bullock had the intention to give the reading audience the full portrait of Adolf Hitler. The historian wanted to throw light on all periods of his life from the moment of his birth to his decease and to show the process of disappearance of a person with the name Adolf Hitler and immediate appearance and terrible route of the Fuhrer that is marked by millions of dead victims. Furthermore, Bullock wanted to describe the way how one person, “a man without a name” and “not even a citizen of the country he aspired to rule” could inspire the whole country to awful actions with the help of excellent skill of manipulation human mind (Bullock 485). It is worth mentioning that, obviously, the biographer wanted to be impartial in order to create an unbiased historical picture, though his hatred towards Hitler may be read between lines. Bullock wanted to warn humanity about the possible tragedies connected with dictatorship, though dictatorship is not the subject of the book, but the dictator himself is. In order to support the subject of the book, the author brings forward several key ideas and concepts of the work: to a large extent, Hitler got his power due to intrigues, though his charisma was unquestionable; Hitler was the symptom of malaise of the whole Europe, though it was most remarkable in Germany. It is unjust to accuse only one person of the war, though enormity of his guilt is unquestionable, but his actions were to a certain extent inspired by the political mood of the time.
All three books that compose the biography create the impression of a continuous flow, the process of Fuhrer’s disclosure. The “Party Leader” informs the reader about Hitler’s youth; the second book, “Chancellor”, prepares us for the beginning of the war, it creates the atmosphere of anticipation of the beginning of the military actions. In the third book, “War-Lord”, Bullock describes the flow of war and presents dual image of Hitler as risky and violent military leader, but at the same time stresses the awkwardness of his orders and decisions that became fatal for him and German army in the end of the war. It must be mentioned that in comparison with the first and second book, “War-Lord” is a bit intricate and difficult for understanding due to numerous military details.
Consequently, the biographer successfully manages to prove his theses throughout the book. This may be proved by numerous examples, one of which is as follows: “whoever lights the torch of War in Europe can wish for nothing but chaos” (Bullock 187). This quotation is taken from Hitler’s speech and vividly characterizes him as second to none cynic, eloquent, mesmerizing but mad tyrant with immense thirst for power over the whole world.
Now let us tackle the advantages and disadvantages of the book under consideration. Among its unquestionable merits we would like to mention unbiased presentation of information, that was an uphill task for Bullock, Hitler’s contemporary. The author has no intention of imposing his views on the reader, his leaves it to him to make a final decision and to draw a conclusion about the personality of the Fuhrer and his actions.
What we especially liked about the book was the information about Hitler’s childhood. We are firmly convinced that a person’s character is mainly formed in his/her childhood; this is why many causes of Hitler’s actions may be traced in his early years of life. Absolutely unexpected was the fact that young Adolf had dreamt about becoming an artist and that he had “a dramatic conflict between himself and his father over his ambition” (Bullock 4). His father is described as a person of fierce and despotic temper, and they say, like father like son. Still, to tell the truth, in the first chapter and the first book we would like Bullock to present more references to the interviews with people who knew young Hitler well and remembered him as a child and young adult.
As we have already mentioned above, the author presents the unbiased view of the situation, and this is, certainly, an advantage, but the thing that is practically absent in this book is psychological description of the Fuhrer’s portrait. The book throws light on historical situation on Europe, military actions and other details, what we would like more is a bit of psychological analysis.
Holocaust, as one of the greatest tragedies, atrocities and absurdities of the World War II, has always aroused strong emotions in everyone’s soul. Still, only several pages are devoted to it in the book. Besides, the concept of “pure” race was one of the key concepts of the Nazis ideology (Bullock 229). Bullock, certainly, did not underestimate the importance of holocaust; he should just have presented more information on the topic.
In conclusion, let us say that we consider the book “Hitler: the Study in Tyranny” to be a work of great talent, that satisfies all the requirements of the genre of biography. The author did his best to disclose the thesis and draw a clear and accessible picture of the image of the greatest tyrant and murderer of the twentieth century, and, it must be confessed that he succeeded in doing it. At the same time, the book cannot be put into the category of books for pleasure reading, because of the monstrosity of the deeds, events and thoughts described. In fact, it is plain impossible to write about the Fuhrer in the light manner and Bullock achieved the best of all possible results. As it is natural that every educated person should know about the man who had almost destroyed the world, “Hitler: A Study in Tyranny” should be read at least once for no one to repeat Hitler’s mistakes any more.
Bibliography
Bullock, Alan. Hitler: A Study in Tyranny. NY: Harper Perennial, 1991.
Hitler, Adolf and Royal Institute of International Affairs. The speeches of Adolf Hitler, 1922-1939. Oxford: Oxford University press, 1942.
Hitler, Adolf. Mein Kampf. Berlin: Eher, 1939.
Speer, Albert. Inside the Third Reich. New York: MacMillan, 1970.
Adolf Hitler was born in Austria in 1889; he became the ruler of Germany and one of the most reviled persons in history. When Hitler was three years old, his family relocated from Austria to Germany. Adolf constantly fought with his father; therefore, he grew alienated and reclusive. His father disapproved of his preference for fine art above business. Additionally, Hitler displayed an early passion for German nationalism, challenging the authority of Austria-Hungary, and subsequently, it became Hitler’s driving motive in life. Hitler participated in World War I; moreover, the pacification imposed on Germany after that conflict infuriated him; hence he spent the entire time attempting to restore the peace that had ridiculed his adoptive nation. Ideally, the denial of one to pursue their desired career choice can ultimately lead them to develop undesirable characters such as seclusion that will finally lure to them to be tyrants.
Adolf Hitler’s Career and Leadership
Hitler’s political career took shape during his participation in World War I; thence, he formed the National Socialist Workers’ Party in 1919. However, due to the catastrophic economic crisis which Hitler attributed to the Jews, and began a campaign to evacuate them from Germany. Using his movement to fuel his plan against the Jews, he further gained numerous representatives in the German parliament in 1930. Importantly, Hitler employed tactics to exercise his power effectively. For instance, simple and efficient propaganda accomplished the trick. A wide spectrum of individuals and their issues became the Nazis’ goal.
The propaganda is intended to manipulate people’s anxiety about the future. In particular, ‘Bread and Work’ targeted the middle class and the dread of joblessness, while ‘Mother and Child’ portrayed Nazi views about women. Nazi propaganda painted Jews and Communists as enemies of the German nation. Moreover, he used other personalities; Joseph Goebbels was instrumental in the Nazis’ use of propaganda. Hitler appointed Goebbels Gauleiter for Berlin in 1926. Goebbels exploited contemporary and traditional media to reach as many people as possible, including cinema and radio. Moreover, Hitler’s Nazi propaganda employed positive imagery to laud the administration’s officials and actions, creating a rosy picture of the “national community.”
Germans battled to comprehend their country’s unclear destiny in the wake of World War I. Unstable economic circumstances, soaring joblessness, political turmoil, and deep social transformation plagued the populace. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party promised easy answers to Germany’s challenges, capitalizing on fears and prejudices, frustrations, and ambitions to gain widespread support. Furthermore, Hitler was a charismatic and flamboyant leader; hence such attributes bolstered him to power. Adolf Hitler charmed his listeners with significantly convincing speeches, promising them that his empire would rule for a thousand years. Adolf Hitler did not rant against the judges until the Nazis took power in 1933. This was because the German legal system was both federal and profoundly rooted in an independent court’s western Art legal heritage.
However, Hitler’s leadership style was similar to Stalin’s; they were both dictators and killers who shared racial hate for Jews and other ethnic groups. Thus, both tyrants repressed dissent with brutal force and manipulated the press, the police, and the government to become ultimate rulers with complete control over their people. Their egotistical and psychopathic mindsets, combined with extreme paranoia, required absolute obedience from their subordinates. If there is one factor that added to their brief effectiveness as tyrants, it was the propagation of terror.
Conclusion
In summary, Hitler’s political agenda and ideologies, which belittled the Jewish, led to the Holocaust. Theence, it ravaged and impoverished Central, Eastern Europe, and Germany. His actions led to the death of approximately 40 million persons, including around 27 million in the Soviet State. Hitler’s downfall heralded the conclusion of a German-dominated period in European history and the triumph over fascism. Following World War II, a new theoretical global battle, the Cold War, developed.
References
Aslan, Mahmut Mert. “Hitler’s Way of Propaganda.” ASOS Journal 5, no. 52 (2017): 374-382.
Bailey, Helen. “Transformational Leadership: An Analysis of Adolf Hitler and His Ability to Charismatically Connect with Followers.” Graduate capstone project. Granite State College, 2020.
Graver, Hans Petter. “Why Adolf Hitler Spared the Judges: Judicial Opposition Against the Nazi State.” German Law Journal 19, no. 4 (2018): 845-878.
Husain, Mir Zohair, and Scott Liebertz. “Hitler, Stalin, and Authoritarianism: A Comparative Analysis.” Journal of Psychohistory 47, no. 1 (2019).
O’Shaughnessy, Nicholas. “How Hitler Conquered Germany.” Slate, 14 2017.
Simms, Brendan. “Against a ‘World of Enemies’: The Impact of the First World War on the Development of Hitler’s Ideology.” International Affairs 90, no. 2 (2014): 317-336.
Takala, Tuomo, and Tommi Auvinen. “The Power of Leadership Storytelling: Case of Adolf Hitler.” Tamara: Journal for Critical Organization Inquiry 14, no. 1 (2016).
Hitler had unexceptional political vocation in World War I. However, by 1930s, he had turned out to be a powerful person in Germany. There is no specific factor that can be attributed to the rise of Hitler, but a variety of factors that happened either subsequently or concurrently. Investigators responded to queries concerning aspects that gave rise to Hitler’s regime in Germany.
The Great Depression is observed as an overriding cause that gave rise to the fallen dictator, Hitler. The agreement made at Versailles was forced by allied authorities on Germany in which Germany was to bear weighty war damages. Joint authorities engraved their own regions of control inside Germany by inhabiting particular provinces.
The disappointment of Germany to recompense war damages from time to time led to armed battle. The Treaty of Versailles argued in editorial 232 that “The associated and connected administrations postulated that Germany should accept and facilitate payment for all injuries done to the national inhabitants of the united and connected authorities and to their belongings during the episode of the belligerency” (Anon 45).
At the time when the government began publishing receipts, hyperinflation ruined the German financial system. The Great Depression was an influential occasion that piloted the rise of Hitler. Hitler achieved massive civic backing subsequent to his tryout after the collapse of the Munich Putsch regime in 1923.
He spent some months in prison where he held the opinion that the only method to seize authority was to operate within the organization. Moreover Hitler did not take pleasure in supporting the German privileged class that vetoed his collapse at that echelon.
Mein Kampf
Through the 1930s, Hitler’s enigmatic individuality and talking had given him the support of the German military and manufacturing zone. Hitler’s publication Mein Kampf turned out to be an outline for his philosophy of abhorrence and discrimination.
He accused Jews, communal Democrats and Communists as being opponents of the German state. In the book, Hitler argues that “In the congregation of those years, particularly the exterior of Munich, there were five, six, seven, and eight hundred challengers to fifteen or sixteen public Socialists” (Hitler 45).
He eulogizes the courageousness of the Nazi party in opposition to collective hooligans “And it came to pass more than once that numerous party friends had courageously tussled their way to triumph in opposition to a boisterous thrashing predominance” (Hitler 45). The Nazi party was proscribed in the 1920s as it knocked out.
Hitler’s astounding talent as a demagogue was central to the endurance of the nationwide Leninist Party. These dexterities enabled him to rise to power as he attended to the multitudes in panic. Hitler was a brilliant raconteur as he took a trip in Germany stirring the populace and faulting scapegoats for the inadequacies of the German state.
He formed a bogus sagacity of optimism and certainty in the capacity of the German state to develop similar to a phoenix from the vestiges. Hitler pronounced in the Mein Kampf that “an activist who exhibits the talent to pass on an initiative to the broad masses should constantly be a psychologist, even if he was merely a demagogue.” He believed that leading implies being competent to stir masses (Hitler 65).
The Great Depression provided a channel for leading numerous German electorates to turn to Hitler. The German leader Stresemann’s strategies were endorsed by German individuals prior to the Great Depression as the financial system benefited from extensive expansion.
Conversely, the Great Depression made various citizens to cast their votes to Hitler due to his pledges and potentials. Jews were a suitable scapegoat for the financial predicaments of Germany. Anti Semitism was on the increase following high-ranking posts assumed by Jews as the monetary circumstances in Germany deteriorated. German civilization too contributed to the growth of Hitler. German academicians and musicians such as Hegel had advocated for the qualities of German intrepidness.
The country was to be respected just like a faith by the masses. Allegiance to the state and surrender was overestimated, something that predisposed the facts and thinking of Hitler. Acton Hegel observed that this reason took part in such a huge division in the contemporary world that “the folks and chronological institutions were no longer competent for nourishing people’s uppermost adherence” (Acton 213).
Henrich von Treitschke, a German logician argues that another reason that led to the rise of Hitler was the shame subjected to the background of Hitler as he described the conformity of the masses as imperative for the constancy of a state like Germany.
Friedrich Nietzsche’s viewpoint necessitated the introduction of a race that could generate a sturdy and affluent state. German militarism was never a new incident as the 18th and 19th centuries witnessed soldiers such as Frederick III build Prussia that formed the base on which contemporary Germany was built. Prussia’s armed customs were founded on obedience and stringent following of customary principles.
Jews and Communists
Conventionally in Germany, Jews had been hated on foundations of spiritual and cultural labelling. Jews assumed posts of authority in economic organizations such as reservoirs. They had a background and beliefs that were divergent from other Germans.
Majority of Germans alleged that the Jews were more dedicated to their belief as opposed to the state. Judaism was perceived to be diverse and unfamiliar to the German religious conviction, which was Christianity. The loathing and prejudice to Jews had been an ingredient of German civilization. German logicians, spiritual developers and musicians had dribbled at the Jews for their conducts, faith and high-ranking posts.
German civilization with its record of anti Semitism was an ideal reproduction argument for Hitler’s sadistic information. The societal and financial circumstances of the 1930s offered a prolific position for the surfacing of Hitler. German folks were in a situation of disquiet and panic as regards to the financial and societal inconveniences of the 1920s and 1930s.
Hitler appeared to offer a response to each query as he promised to reinstate Germany to its magnificent precedent. As adversity augmented subsequent to the Great Depression, Hitler’s sermon was listened to by scores of Germans who had no employment.
The feeble Weimar democracy was held responsible for the unfortunate situations of Germany as they had procured the Versailles accord. An additional scapegoat was that of socialism. German workforce that had initiated demonstrations was presumed to be the apparatus and instruments of the Soviet Union.
The Communists were held responsible for several German’s financial troubles. Josephine Herbst correctly observed that Hitler had been victorious in offering the Germans the suggestion that “he hoarded the state and the entire of Europe from bolshevism” (Herbst 32). The philosopher further argues that the phrase bolshevism with a lot of utilization has started to misplace its spiky circumference (Herbst 35).
German Capitalists
Influential entrepreneurs and industries backed Hitler since they apprehended a socialist conquest of Germany. The rustication of employees by Leninism was thought of as a danger to the influential entrepreneurs of Germany. These industrialists perceived Hitler as an influential collaborator who may perhaps restructure the German financial system and hoard it from socialism.
Sutton posits that Hitler’s 1924 Munich tryout capitulated substantiation that the Nazi Party acknowledged $20,000 from Nuremburg entrepreneurs (Sutton 78). Monetary backing by the 1930s augmented to Hitler as numerous conferences were conducted between German industrialists. Sutton points out that “Hjalmar Sehaeht and Rudolf Hess” were key individuals who participated in meetings with German industrialists.
Most of the German industrialists who backed Hitler were “German multi-national firms” that according to Sutton were “built up by American loans in the 1920s.” European organizations like the Schneider group also played an important role in providing weapons to Hitler’s war machine.
Sutton says that “A total of three million Reichmarks was pledged by well-known firms and businessmen” to warrant that Hitler would win the general election of 1933. The financial donations of German bankers and industrialists were followed by the deferment of constitutional rights and the consolidation of authority by the Nazi Party.
Hitler’s high opinion for private assets was one of the chief motives why German industrialists and businesses gave support to the Nazi party. Hitler’s public speaking and demagoguery also stimulated assurance and hope in the German commerce sector that capitalism would be endorsed and the economic problems of Germany would be cracked.
Hitler’s Voting Triumph
The ultimate reason why Hitler became the extreme tyrant of Germany was his appointment by Hindenburg. After Von Papen was nominated as Chancellor of Germany, he wanted to transform the political system of Germany that had been imposed after the Weimar Republic (Papen 99).
He had ideas that Hitler was a perfect option for being the Chancellor because of the latter’s fame. Papen supposed that Hitler would be the front man who could induce the masses with his huge backing. He wrongly believed Hitler could be stage-managed to pursue his policies. According to the Spartacus International, Von Papen supported the maltreatment of Jews as “there can undoubtedly be no objection to keeping the unique quality of a people as dirt-free as possible and to awaken the sense of a people’s community” (Papen 102).
He also applauded Hitler by saying “permit me to say how manly and humanly great of you I think this is. Your audacious and determined intercession has met with nothing but acknowledgment throughout the entire world. I congratulate you for all you have given anew to the German nation by crushing the intended second revolution” (Papen 75).
Papen would be incorrect in his judgment as Hitler could not be controlled. Hitler did not grab power but was instead given the power to shape German fortune. He eventually set free a global conflict in which millions of people’s lives were taken. His policies of hatred and racial discrimination led to the genocide of the Jews, Communists, Gypsies and any race that was considered lesser according to the beliefs of the National Socialist Party.
Hyperinflation
In 1923, a condition cropped up that was encouraging to the Nazis. The French raid to the Ruhr, hyperinflation produced an atmosphere of acrimony. When Stresemann suspended unreceptive confrontation, Hitler was convinced the incidence was accurate to advance on Berlin and grab authority. Hitler wanted the backing of others because he was not sturdy enough on his own. He had the backing of Ludendorff the previous army captain.
He also preconceived to be having the backing of the three most dominant men in Bavaria. Kahr was the leader of Bavarian state government, Seisser was the leader of the law enforcement unit and Lossow was the local military chief. All three were great right-wingers although they vacillated to back Hitler. Hitler attempted to compel the three to take steps.
They were congregating in the Burgerbraukeller (a social hall) in Munich on 8 November 1923 when Hitler and his hurricane troopers ruptured in brandished armaments and asserting that the putsch was in progress. The three friends never adhered to Hitler’s commands, in its place the police force and military stirred in opposition to his 3000 men. Sixteen Nazis passed away and Hitler was detained.
The social hall putsch aborted although it provided Hitler with conquerors that passed on for a reason. He never permitted the Germans to disregard this.
Hitler and Ludendorff were held up for audition pertaining to plotting to overthrow the government. Hitler utilized the audition to achieve exposure in Germany. Ludendorff was proved not culpable and Hitler contracted a squat jail punishment.
In 1924, at the same time as in Landsberg detention center, Hitler inscribed a manuscript, Mein Kampf (My great effort) that positioned his xenophobic, chauvinistic and anti-Semitic thoughts. While in jail, Hitler deliberated on how he may perhaps grab supremacy. He was not to replicate the faults of 1923 but he preordained to succeed authority by competing in ballot voting.
The Nazis as well employed brutality to achieve exposure and to influence the populace that they were the superlative justification in opposition to the communists. The Nazis in addition, utilized propaganda to gain backing intone language, gatherings and the media to extend their thoughts. Joseph Goebbels extended the thoughts in 1930. An SA troop head, Horst Wessels was murdered by a communist in a wrangle over a slat.
Goebbels frequented the narrative that Wessels had passed on as a champion, struggling for the Nazi origin. A song was unruffled regarding Wessels. When the Nazis took over leadership, the Horst Wessels song was declared the succeeding nationwide song of praise.
The Nazis never formulated scores of achievements in the late 1920’s. In the 1928 ballot, they secured merely 12 out of 491 positions in the Reichstag. Five years afterwards, the Nazis were in conundrum.
This spectacular variation was because of the gigantic augment in the number of citizens ready to cast their votes for the Nazis owing to the crumple of the financial system following the Wall Street hurtle in 1929. The cave in of the German financial system that was reliant on American finances, saw joblessness increase hence providing an opportunity for Hitler to sell his anti Jews policies.
Conclusion
There were many reasons that contributed to the rise of Hitler. The flaws of the Weimar Republic were a main factor that helped Hitler to ascend to power. Hitler was a brilliant orator and demagogue who stirred hope and expectation amongst the German masses. The Great Depression had forced the German citizens to lose their posts.
Impoverished and frustrated by the economic and social conditions of Germany, they were prepared to listen to anyone who would resolve their problems. The influential elite of Germany such as the industrialists and businessmen were also influential in helping Hitler gain power.
The Nazis formed a propaganda in which they blamed the Jews, communists, social democrats and socialists for having caused German problems. They regarded the Weimar Republic as betraying Germany by signing the imbalanced treaty of Versailles. Germany lifestyle also played a significant position in shaping the ideas of Hitler. Germany had a habit of militarism in which sacrifice for the state was puffed up.
German theorists had provided ideologies about how a master battle should take hold of power in Germany and work for the establishment of a strong and secure Germany. The Jews were perceived as powerful people who had ruined the economy of Germany.
The Communists were alleged to be an invention of Jews who wanted to tear down German industry. In conclusion, it can be said that the Great Depression was the main reason that endorsed Hitler to become Chancellor of Germany. It is exceedingly doubtful that Hitler would have risen to power if the Great Depression had not taken place.
Works Cited
Acton, Hew. “Hegelian Political and Religious Ideas.” 2010. Web.
Anon. “University of San Diego.” 2008. Web.
Herbst, Josephine. “The German Underground War.” Spartacus International. 1936. Web.
Hitler, Adolf. “Mein Kampf.” 2008. Web.
Papen, Franz von. “Franz von Papen.” Spartacus International. 1934. Web.
Sutton, Antony. “Who Financed Adolf Hitler?” 2000. Web.
After World War I, the treaty of Versailles was drawn, and it was forced upon Germany. The treaty was signed by the allied countries that had won the war. The treaty was drafted and signed in France, the map of Europe was changed, and Germans’ lives were significantly impacted. The treaty had five terms: reduced military, reparations, lost lands, lost colonies, and a guilt clause.
Blames That Hitler Assigned to The Treaty of Versailles
Hitler believed that the treaty of Versailles made Germany a colony to the outside world; he blamed it for the suppression of Germany’s workforce. Hitler blamed the state of the German economy on the treaty. According to him, the reparations that Germany was expected to pay effectively meant that the product of Germany’s workforce went towards paying reparations and not growing their economy (Hitler, 1921). He also blames the treaty for the weakening of Germany’s military and sovereignty. Hitler also argues that because of the Reparations Commission, Germany no longer had an independent Reich.
Blames That Hitler Assigns the Jews
Hitler felt that the Jews profited from Germany’s misfortune. He argued that they were responsible for Germany’s economic misfortunes because they seemed to prosper as Germany’s economy struggled under the weight of financial commitments to the treaty of Versailles (Hitler, 1921). Hitler also blamed the Jews for Germany’s loss and eventual surrender in World War 1. He also blamed the decline of Germany after the war on Jewish influence. Most of Hitler’s blame on the Jews was based on propaganda against the Jews and his antisemitic agenda.
How Hitler’s Comments Foreshadowed World War II
Hitler felt that the treaty of Versailles took away Germany’s sovereignty and independence. His vision of a robust and influential Germany would not be possible under the conditions of the treaty that he felt were meant to pacify Germany. His comments pointed to a siege mentality that he drummed into the German citizenry and his nationalist agenda. It meant that inevitably Hitler would have to lead Germany into violating the treaty, which could only lead to war. Hitler’s comments that Germany had become a colony of the international community and must rise against oppression foreshadowed World War II.
Adolf Hitler also talks about the lands that Germany lost in the treaty and the need to reclaim them to restore Germany to its former glory (Hitler, 1921). His comments about how the treaty of Versailles led to the loss of Upper Silesia foreshadow his attempts to reclaim lands taken from Germany after World War I. It was, in fact, Hitler’s decision to reoccupy Rhineland, a demilitarized zone, that began the violation of the treaty of Versailles that would eventually lead to World War II. Hitler’s comments in his speech about the nationalist agenda also foreshadow the rise of fascism which was a contributing factor in World War II. Hitler’s brand of fascism was racist, specifically aimed at the Jews. This fascism that Hitler alludes to in his speech was the early steps that would result in the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis that became a significant influence in World War II. In his speech, Hitler refers to the treaty of Versailles as a crime. He reminded the audience that he was opposed to it from the start. These sentiments foreshadow how Hitler would eventually violate the treaty and begin the country down the path to World War II.