Account for the Rise of Adolf Hitler
...of political and economic hardships such as hyperinflation and the Great Depression. These crisis forced society to loose hope in the failing republic and they looked to the Nazi party who appeared to have solutions to individual problems and promised success through the return of order and traditional values that the Weimar Republic seemed to have lost. Adolf Hitler’s achievement of bringing his Nazi party into power would never have been possible without his powerful charismatic personality. **His oratory abilities as well as his effective use of propaganda also added in the rise of his popularity throughout the German people especially those classified as Aryan. Hitler was born in the small Austrian town of Braunau on the 20th of April 1989. In his book Mein Kampf or (My Struggle) published in 1924 Hitler suggested that his family was poor and his boyhood was a time of hardship. The young Hitler had the ability but performed poorly at school described by a teacher as “wilful, arrogant, and bad tempered. He had obvious difficulty fitting in at school. Moreover he was lazy…He demanded of his fellow pupils their unqualified subservience, fancying himself in the role of leader. This comment shows us already that at such a young age Hitler portrayed signs of powerful leadership skill an attention seeker. Adolf Hitler was orphaned at the age of 17 with his mother’s death that struck him deeply, and by 1910 now aged 21 he was forced to live in a shelter for homeless men. It was at this time that the unemployed Hitler became interested in politics, spending hours reading in libraries and many of Hitler’s views of the world were shaped at this time such as his belief that struggle was a core feature of life, the idea that the strong survive and the weak do not and where he also first came into contact with the anti-Semitism that existed in Vienna. Hitler moved to Munich in 1913 and with the outbreak of war in 1914 he became a member of the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment. Serving throughout the entire First World War and receiving two Iron Cross awards Hitler later wrote that war was “the greatest and most unforgettable time of my life.” Many Historians are fascinated at how this man rose from utmost obscurity, without any real education or formal training, to become to the master of Germany and then master of much of Europe. The British historian Alan Bullock, who wrote one of the major biographies of Hitler, refers to the absolute belief Hitler had about himself, his sense of mission, his determined willpower, and his single-mindedness. But no historian can deny that Hitler also had considerable political gifts. When he wanted to, he was capable of bursts of sustained energy and concentration. He possessed many abilities that helped him greatly. He had a very good grasp of history and military strategy. He had an excellent memory and an ability to quickly understand technical facts and details. He was a skilful opportunist who also had a brilliant sense of timing. He could perceive opportunities faster then most and knew just when to move. He had qualities of persistence and patience, and a rare ability to read his political opponents. It was these skills that helped Hitler into power and also one other, which is still considered to be his utmost compelling ability. His ability as an orator. Hitler was perhaps the greatest demagogue of modern times and he understood the psychology of the masses. As an orator and public speaker Hitler had the power to control and convince his audience. One historian wrote **“He put into words what they were longing to hear, feeding on their hidden resentments, playing on anxieties, unleashing elemental passions and forcing his listeners to surrender their will to that of the leader…he was a man possessed, a mass psychologist of diabolical genius.” Hitler never reasoned with an audience, he simply demanded that they believe. He is widely regarded by historians as a master orator; his speeches would begin very slowly and gradually build up to an almost ecstatic and frenzied climax that would drive the massive audiences absolutely berserk. **(MOVIE). In October 1919 Hitler delivered his first speech to a large audience attracting over 100 people to hear him. A few months later over 2000 people crammed into a Munich Beer hall to hear this new voice. Over the years to come Hitler used massive organized rallies known as the Nuremberg rallies to spew his megalomaniac promises and dogma to the masses. **Hundreds of thousands of people would attend these rallies, which have been described like attending mass religious ceremonies. Hitler would hold the people spellbound as they listened to promises of a thousand year empire and a brave new world, a brave new world led by an Aryan race. With nighttime rallies, with torch light parades, the Nazi's were able to create a magical atmosphere, which would engulf the participants. A witness of Hitler’s public speaking abilities stated “I do not know how to describe the emotions that swept over me as I heard this man. His words were like a scourge…I forgot everything but the man.” Hitler could entrance his audience, and the sea of worshippers would respond by treating him like some "God" like creature. Through the force of his personality, his organising ability and his brilliant capacity as an orator, Hitler quickly rose to become the dominant figure in the Nazi Party. He understood the power of the spoken word and knew how to arouse the emotions of his audience. **Effective use of propaganda also played a role in Hitler’s ascension to power. In 1926 Hitler appointed Dr Joseph Goebbels as Minister for Propaganda and Public Enlightenment. Goebbels became one of the most influential figures in the aid of Hitler’s rise. Propaganda was one of the essential elements of the state as it sought to influence the German people to accept the Nazi regime. One of propaganda’s main roles in Hitler’s rise was the promotion of the image of Hitler as the heroic leader of the German people. Goebbels achieved this by exploiting mob emotions and employing all modern methods of propaganda. **He masterminded the Nazi’s use of the media; organised large well-orchestrated rallies were arranged and filmed, such as the annual Nuremberg rallies at which Hitler promoted his ideologies. This meant that the wider population were given the impression that the Party was strong, well organised and well supported. These rallies, along with the use of the recent addition of the radio, made great use of Hitler’s ability as a public speaker whose content focused on things such as Nationalism, anti-Semitism, Lebensraum (living space) and his own image. **Posters were also used to convey these messages. This strong use of Propaganda turned the German people away from the failing Weimar republic and caused a growing awe and respect for Hitler and his Party. Another vital factor contributing to the rise of Hitler was the role of the party’s army – the SA, to later be succeeded by the more structurally organised and dedicated SS. **By 1921 the young Nazi Party that Hitler had been invited to join when the founder, Anton Dexler, heard him give a stirring speech of nationalism, had its own private army, the Sturm-Abteilung or Storm Troopers (SA for short). Dressed in their distinctive uniforms they became a highly visible presence in Bavaria promoting the Nazis, protecting the Nazi leaders, and physically attacking their political opponents. By 1923 because of, and to aid Hitler’s drive and determination, the SA had risen to 15000 members. An important event that began Hitler’s rise to power was the Munich Beer Hall Putsch on the 8th November, 1923. **This was strongly supported by his army with an account from the modern historian, Joachim Fest, claiming “Trucks full of SA men roared up and the troops swarmed out to cordon off the building”. On the evening of the Putsch heavily armed storm troopers encircled the Burger Brau Keller Beer Hall, where Hitler announced that the Bavarian and National Government were disposed and that a new national government had been set up, led by himself. Although the Putsch failed and Hitler along with his fellow conspirators, including Ludendorff, stood trial, he never completed his 5 year sentence and was out on parole after six months. However the Putsch was also a major turning point for the Nazi movement. No longer was Hitler an unknown politician but a national figure. Also Hitler learnt one all important lesson. That power could not be achieved by force. From that day on Hitler was committed to coming to power legally, according to the constitution. In 1933, ten years after the failure of the Munich Putsch, he did just that and was legally appointed chancellor of Germany. In the late 1920’s the SA under the control of Ernst Rohm, became more aggressive and there was a danger that Hitler could lose control of his private army which Rohm had turned into an effective military force. As a result once Hitler had come to power he overthrew the SA murdering many important officers including Rohm using his more disciplined army the Schutzstaffel or SS. This elimination was named the Night of The Long Knives taking place on the 30th of June 1934. Although for Hitler the SA was needed early on to maintain momentum of the party he also knew that the violence they displayed worried middle class Germany and consequently...