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SeokhyunJeon
Mr.Hawkins
ModernHistory,Period3
21March2016
HowdidGermansperceiveHitler?Whywashefollowedsoloyallyandbysomany?
PersonsineverysinglecountryknowaboutHitlerandwhathedid.Thequestionthat
bafflesmoststudentsis,whydidgermancitizensfollowHitlersleadsowillingly?Themost
simplestanswerwouldhavebeendesperation.Howeverthisisnotasimpletopicthatcanbe
explainedbyasingleword.Hadthesituationhavebeenslightlydifferent,oneofthebiggest
genocidewouldnothavehappened.
WhenthenameHitlerwasknowntothepublicofGermany,thecountrywassuffering
fromalackofeverything.TheystillhadreparationtopayfromthelossofWorldWarII.The
TreatyofVersailleswas
extremelyunpopularamongGermans.(Website#2).
Duetothis
thecitizensofGermanywereallsuffering.TheGreatDepressionmademattersworse.Nowthey
hadinflation.Oneofthereason
theNazisweresoattractivetotheGermanpeoplewasthe
extremeeconomichardshipsafter[WorldWarII](Website#2).
Thegermanswere
desperateforanything.ThatswhenHitlersteppedintoplay.Hitlerhadalreadyfailedatan
attemptatarevolution,solearningfromhismistakeshedecidestomakeittothetopthrough
legalways.HeuseshisincrediblespeakingskillstoappealtovariouspeopleofGermany.
ThecitizenshadvariousviewsofHitleraswellastheNaziparty.Bythecommon
people,
Hewasseenasstrong,uncompromising,ruthless.Heembodiedthetriumphof
true

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Germanicvirtuescourage,manliness,integrity,loyalty,devotiontothecauseoverthe
effetedecadence,corruption,andeffeminateweaknessofWeimarsociety.(Website#3).
If
therewasachecklistforwhatthepeoplewantedinaleaderfortheircountry,Hitlerfellright
intoeverysingleoneofthem.NotonlydidHitlerhaveallthetraitsforaGermanleaderbuthe
also
representedmortalstruggleofthelittlemanagainstsocietysbigbattalions,
andmortalstruggleagainstGermanyspowerfulinternalandexternalenemiestoassure
thenationsfuture.(Website#3).
TheyfeltthatHitlerwasamanstronganddetermined
enoughtobringGermanybringbacktotheirformergloryasapowerhouseofEurope.Hisbeing
symbolizedsomanythingsforthecommonpeople,thattheysawhimalmostassomething
aboveaman.ThisbroughthopefortheGermanpeoplewhowerelivinginpovertyand
suffering.TheirviewonHitlerwasfromtheuseofNazipropaganda.
Thatdoesntmeantheyonlysawhiminapositiveway.Around1933,
MostGermans
remainedeitherhostileto,orunconvincedby,theirnewpeople'sChancellor,astheNazi
pressdubbedhim.(Website#3).
SomesocialistandCommunistshadadeephatredofHitler.
CatholicshadsuspicionsofantiChristianintentsofNazism.Howevermostofthepeople,
with
gravedoubtswerepreparedtogiveHitlerachance.(Website#3).
Thechancethatthe
peoplegaveHitlerwasgladlyacceptedbyhim.HisuseofNazipropagandaappealedtothe
wantingofthecitizens.Thefactthat
Nazipropagandaenjoyedavirtualmonopoly...
(Website#3)
basicallyensuredthateveryonewillloveHitler.Notonlythatnowthosewhotook
,

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alessthanfavourableviewofHitlersqualitieswerenowincarceratedorsilencedbyfear
andrepression.(Website#3).
ThisshutallthemouthsofthoseagainstHitler.

HitlersstrategyoftakingoverGermanywasslightlydifferentthanMussolini,Stalin,
Franco,MaoTseTungandSaddamHussein.Howeverthatslightdifferencewaswhatmadehim
outshinethem.
Hitler,bycontrast,enjoyedthebroadsupport,confidence,admiration
indeedtheloveoftheGermansuntiltheveryendofhisdays.(Website#1.
Unlikeother
dictatorsHitlerputpopularityovereverythingelse.Otherdictatorsdidntrealizethepowerof
popularity.WithHitlerspopularityhimpowerwhichwas
,basedontheunconditional
allegianceofthepopulation.TheGermansputtheirtrustinHitler.Andthatishowhewas
abletomakehisworldview,hispolitics,hishate,hiswar,andhiscrimesthoseofanentire
nation.(Website#1).
AnotherbigreasonthatpeoplelikedHitlerwasbecausetheywerescared
ofchange.UnlikeeverywhereelseinEurope,modernthoughtwasntreallydevelopedin
Germany.Thecitizenslikedtheircurrentbeliefsanddidnotwanttochangeit.Hitlerprovided
justthat.
ThevastmajorityoftheGermanbourgeoisiewasmoreinterestedinaligning
itselfwiththenationalistidealismofGermanphilosophersFichteandArndt,orRIchard
WagnersnewlyinventedworldofGermanicmyths.(Website#1).
LikethemHitleralso
didntseeareasonforchangeandstubbornlystucktooldbeliefs.
InconclusionthecitizensofGermanyfollowedHitlerbecausetheyneededhim.They
neededhim,astrongdedicatedleader,totakeleadofthefallingcountry.Hitlerwasthe
glimmeringlightinthedarknessthatwastheGreatDepression.SotheyalllookedupatHitler
withpleadingeyes,askinghimtoleadthem.Whatmadethisevenmoreappealingwasthefact

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thathehadthesamebeliefsasthem.Philosophicallytheydidnotwanttochangethewaythey
werethinkingandsodidHitler.HitlerhatedtheTreatyofVersaillesandwantedtoignoreitjust

likethecitizens.TheythoughtofHitlerasmaninshiningarmorsavingthemfromdarknessand
waswillinglywillingtofollowhimuntiltheend.