Hitler's Appeal

He was the new Kaiser. He was the "good old days" before the Weimar Republic, mass inflation, unemployment and hunger. His rise paralleled the rise of the economy and he took credit. He told the allies to shove it; openly rebuilt the army and navy, reoccupied the Rhineland... And France and Britain backed down at each step. Of course they cheered him.

And don't forget, when not frothing at the mouth he could trot out the Austrian charm and then everything was all strudel and chocolate.

 

To piggyback off KB's post, Hitler brought pride back to the German people because of the reasons you stated above. Power is an amazing aphrodisiac to people who have endured struggle. It was the perfect environment for disillusionment.

 

The circumstances and individuals are certainly not exactly the same but ask yourself why the Russian people love Putin.

He has presided over and fostered a period of great economic growth. He is extremely strong in foreign policy and most aspects of government.
He has returned pride to the Russian State and it's people.

 

hope.

here was a man that promises to solve your problems, and what easier thing to do than to give him your vote and he will take care of the rest.

Unemployed? he solves.
Versailles unfair treatment ? he solves.
Threat of communism ? he solves.
Reinstate german pride facing the world ? he solves.

And you don't have to do nothing yourself, just give him your vote.



Hey? works the same in today's democracies...



Note: the NSDAP never got over about 30% of voters (230 of 577 seats) , so not "all" germans voted nsdap, ever.
And of course he never put in his program that he would stop democratic voting if he feels confident to stage a coup.

 

Baaaa-aaaa....

 

morning my freunde---short answer<>history is full of fools following ''fools''...JIm Jones/Heaven's Gate cult/David Koresh/Manson....humans ''fall'' for all kinds of foolish scams, so I see them easily going for a ''savior'' in 1930s Germany....and they said hitler was a great orator.......look at today, the media can put a false theme on anything...so the masses will believe the sky is not blue....then you have some that are not very bright<>you can mold them easily.... ...very interesting subject...ty

 

Freedom and Bread!

 

Bronk, you bring up a good point: media. Even nowadays, as others have mentioned above, in the rampant age of social media, people still buy into beliefs of polarizing state heads. Media outlets were sparse compared to the present. Look at the entire propaganda organizations created during the Second World War. Many of these reporters/propagandists were attached to units and weaved these subliminal leaflets (black propaganda) that were remarkably condescending. Just another weapon to be utilized.

 

yes KJ, I was going to mention how much media we have today compared to then.......how these ''media controlled'' countries don't have it so easy anymore because of the web...you can still use media to paint the picture the ''false'' way and people will believe anything still, but it's a little harder.....ty for your reply...

 

Going back to 'Mein Kampf' Hitler intimated that most of the German people were fools and could be managed by clever propaganda with an undercurrent of violence where needed.

 

is this a fact?? isn't that what politicians do today?? ever see US election ads?? o my!! without the violence! ....just recently I saw a news article that was super misleading....and people read it and believed!! what was JGoebbels proper title<>Minister of Propaganda??

 

Correct Bronk, J Goebbels was the driving force of keeping Hitler's shell firmly nailed on the German People.

 

While I agree with everything posted above, to some degree at least, It was in my opinion Hitler's ability to be whatever any particular audience he was in contact with most wanted him to be. Hence the opinion that many had that they could 'control' him as needed when the opposite was the case.

Though not generally known as such, he was a consummate actor in the manner that great (as in popular) political leaders tend to be.

 

I think what's missing here is looking at the alternatives.
The Sparticist business was a mess, ending in more essentially unwanted post WW1 bloodshed, and poisoned any traditionally leftist cause's chances in Germany
Weimar was an uneasy alliance that at best kept a rattling lid on further widespread bloodshed in what was still a young country. Uneasy alliances characterised 'Germany' at it's core. There was a vacuum of anything that could be described as a 'progressive ideology and for c.20 years the men with the hands on power appeared to be increasingly pompous German imperialists with very little empire to be imperialist about. (Whether they really were fools is a different matter, but perception is all in populist politics).
In the period, Soviet style communism or militaristic fascism were the two 'non-traditional' choices for tired or cynical populations. With communism a dirty word in Germany for more recently experienced reasons than it was in other states, Fascism had a much better chance of popular acceptance.
So, along comes a damned fine public speaker (in an age when public speaking meant far more than it does today) who has learnt to wear a top hat and bow tie when society demands, but also has a slightly more racy image than the fat old men who looked like, behaved like, and in some cases were, the same as those who presided over the great catastrophe of WW1.
He's been imprisoned for his passionate beliefs! (By the fat old men.)
He has so many new ideas! (Unlike the fat old men.)
He is modern! The new way!
Never mind he is a small man physically, look what he offers us. Him, and only him!
And he comes from nothing! Like us. So brave to stand up to these great names. To move among them so confidently. To run rings around them.

Vacuum.
Disillusionment.
No decent alternative.
Charisma.
Oratory.
Non-aristocratic.
Well hello, Adolf.

That, and being a remarkably good political liar.




Dare say that without hindsight I'd have been on the streets with my arm in the air...

 

The NSDAP got 44 % of the votes in 1933

 

As an European, I do understand : imagine the US losing a war,resulting in 10 million dead,resulting in parts of the US being occupied by foreign countries and other parts being annexed,resulting in millions of people losing their savings in hyper inflation and as final result : 30 million unemployed?

And than,John Smith arrives promising a better live and to make the US a world power again .............

 

Hitler and his actions would be like the perfect example of a lesson on psychology of a person from past actions. His abuse as a kid, attachment to mother, a loner, all resulted in him wanting total control, to use fear and suppression, but holding women in a positive role unless you were a subversive or Jew. He didn't want women working in factories because he felt they should be at home with the family to keep morale up. The sadistic torture and killing of innocent people also stems from the abuse and negativity he suffered, along with the Occult views that were all over Germany, Austria, Europe in general. All of the top Nazis had some kind of Occult influence, Himmler was all Occult, Hitler tried to hide it after he came to power and even had the guy who gave him the Mandrake Root for some Occult superstition murdered in the Night Of The Long Knives. From quotes and transcripts I've seen, it seems as he was genuine when he wanted the best for the German people, wanted the youth to learn morals, discipline, respect, etc., (Except when he didn't care if they all died if they lost the war) but went the totally backwards approach to get there, A mix of delusion, occultism, a damaged psyche.