Hitler S Rise To Power Essay Research

Hitler S Rise To Power Essay, Research Paper

Adolf Hitler began his career as a starving artist in Vienna in 1908. He was later appointed, by the President of Germany, to Chancellor of Germany in 1933. However, from 1908 1922 is when he devised most of his propaganda that he used to become successful. He also developed his extraordinary oratory skills at this time (that he would later use on the German people). During these crucial years Hitler absorbed the necessary knowledge he felt he needed to become an effective leader. Hitler s rise to power was due in part to his ability to convince thousands of German people to join his regime. He was able to convince the German people through various tactics, such as his masterful use of propaganda and his superior oratory techniques that he used at mass meetings. In addition, he was able to attain power during a time of economic crisis and destitution of a nation.

Hitler used every way possible to attract the attention of the German people. Hitler felt the intelligence of ordinary people was small, and that all effective propaganda must be limited to a very few points and must harp on these in slogans until the member of the public understands what you want him to understand (Ellis and Elser, 779). Painting walls, and using signs and posters with simple Nazi slogans and images was a ploy that Hitler used as a weapon for appeal. He geared his programs toward the German working class, because he was aware that he could win their support and use them as material for political manipulation (Bullock, 75). His programs promised to end reparations, create jobs, and re-arm Germany. Since the people in these classes were frustrated, due to the state Germany was in, Hitler offered them their own brand of extremism, radical anti-semitism, and social respect and prestige of the past to win the minds of the people.

Hitler learned to lie with conviction, and he was not concerned with the objective truth of an idea. He was only concerned with what was politically useful to gain power. Consequently, most of the German people ignored the heinous side of Nazi rule because he preached what the people wanted to hear. Hitler spread his racial hatred, hatred towards democracy, and challenged the Versailles Treaty. He promised to rebuild Germany, and he appealed to nationalism to gain power. Hence, he successfully increased his popularity in Germany.

Hitler knew that a successful leader must gain the support of the masses. Through mass meetings he was able to appeal to the German peoples emotions rather than to reason and to eventually gain their trust and support. This he felt was the most important principle for political action. Hitler openly explains this in Mein Kampf, The movement must avoid everything which may lessen or weaken its power of influencing the masses, because of the simple fact that no great idea, no matter how sublime or exalted, can be realized in practice without the effective power which resides in the popular masses; . . . to be a leader means to be able to move the masses (Bullock, 69).

In 1920, Hitler was put in charge of the German Workers Party to organize its first mass meeting. This was just the beginning for Hitler. He used clever advertising, and he drew nearly two thousand people to attend the 1920 mass meeting (Bullock, 66). For example, he painted walls, and hung signs and posters appealing to the German people. The 1920 meeting was when Hitler announced the Party s new name along with its twenty-five-point program earning him support of the masses. Hitler s idea to go to the masses was ingenious because the mass meetings rallied German people to support the Nazi regime.

Hitler had the ability to move masses of people through his impressive speaking ability. He preferred the spoken over the written word , and in Mein Kampf he explains that, The broad masses of population are more amenable to the appeal of rhetoric rather than to any other force (Bullock, 71) . He deliberately used verbal violence, physical exertion, passion, zeal, and repetition when delivering his speeches to captivate his audience. However, he used repetition as the essential element in his table thumping deliverance believing, only constant repetition will finally succeed in imprinting an idea on the memory of the crowd (Bullock, 70) . The same style and elements are found in every one of his speeches and they all foster to the same effect. For instance, the speeches were always delivered at the same time of the day, had examples, and conjured up the fear of attack in the people.

Hitler lied to and deceived the German people, corrupted their minds with his views and beliefs, and brought them together as they longed. They longed to be led toward a simple resolution and goal. He knew how they were feeling, the problems they were facing, and that he would be the one to take control and convince them that there could be a way to get out of all their problems. He directed his negativity at Slavs and other inferior races. These lesser races, he believed, must bow to German needs. In his recipe for revival he took the appropriate steps to expand and gain living space for Germans, and he urged Germans wherever they lived to unite into one great nation. His goal was to bring all German speaking people into the Third Reich. He delivered a solution, and was aware that the German people would follow him. They we