In January 1933 an Austrian born corporal was sworn in as the Chancellor of Germany under President Paul Hindenburg. That man was Adolph Hitler who in the coming years commanded absolute loyalty of 70 million Germans as he set Europe on a path of absolute and unmitigated destruction.
For the past 70 years Historians have constantly grappled with the question: Why was Hitler able to command so much power that he did?
An orator of unparalleled talent, Hitler elevated himself to a deity/godlike stature. Loyalty to Hitler was superimposed on loyalty to Germany. Moreover, after the death of President Hindenburg the offices of Chancellor and the President were combined into the office of the Fuhrer. The German Reichstag was stripped of all but symbolic power as every German swore an oath to Hitler personally. The roles of the military and the bureaucracy were clouded such that Hitler remained the final arbiter.
Perhaps the combination of all the above factors ensured that Hitler remained unarguably the most powerful executive figure in recorded history.
For the past 70 years Historians have constantly grappled with the question: Why was Hitler able to command so much power that he did?
An orator of unparalleled talent, Hitler elevated himself to a deity/godlike stature. Loyalty to Hitler was superimposed on loyalty to Germany. Moreover, after the death of President Hindenburg the offices of Chancellor and the President were combined into the office of the Fuhrer. The German Reichstag was stripped of all but symbolic power as every German swore an oath to Hitler personally. The roles of the military and the bureaucracy were clouded such that Hitler remained the final arbiter.
Perhaps the combination of all the above factors ensured that Hitler remained unarguably the most powerful executive figure in recorded history.
4 comments:
I fail to understand how Hitler was able to gain support from the masses to engage in such acts of utterly horrendous cruelty. Some say he was gifted with the ability to lead - that he had charisma. Others say he promised the people what they wanted and so they followed him. What I find hard to believe is that in order to have their purely materialistic demands fulfilled, people were willing to wipe out an entire religious group.
I agree that Hitler is one of the most powerful executive figures in recorded history, but there have also been others who have commanded legions (in ancient history, think Xerxes or Alexander the Great, in the middle ages think of Genghis Khan, or more recently Mao Zedong and Stalin) and arguably have had just as much power and authority. In fact, recent U.S. Presidents have become some of the most powerful executives in history, as they are able to wage war above and beyond any constitutional limits.
In response to your question Mahnum, Hitler didn't become the what we think of as the evil Hitler until later on. In 1933, he was helping the German Reich. His brutality (Holocaust, etc.) really didn't start until 1941. Think about this point: Tyranny happens not through one act but through the gradually centralization of power. Liberties are gradually stripped away, more power is given to a charismatic figure who has a vision, and then liberty and justice is stripped for all (think America in 2015...)
In my opinion, the reason Hitler was able to gain such massive support from the Germans and be treated in a God-like manner was because he was depicted that way. The state built a personality cult around Hitler and used the media, music, literature, and other forms of art to portray him in a heroic and respectful manner.
Secondly, your claim that Hitler is "unarguably the most powerful executive figure in recorded history" can be debated upon. I agree that he may be one of them, but there are also others that can be considered. For example, Peter the Great, who ruled the Russian Empire before his death. Not only did he expand the territory into a major empire that was recognized as one of the most powerful in Europe, he was also the leader of a cultural revolution that managed to eradicate the medieval and traditionalist political and social system.
Some people would even argue that Russian president Vladimir Putin is one of the most powerful executives the world has seen. For one, the man has a remarkable grip on power. He became prime minister in 1999 till 2000, then he switched to president, which lasted until 2008. Then he became prime minister again until 2012 and then went back to being the president of Russia. During his regime, he annexed Crimea and started the proxy war in Ukraine and currently commands one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world, all of which show the remarkable amount of power he holds.
Excellent comment.
Post a Comment