Was Hitler a Strong or Weak dictator?

by coop813 (student)

International Baccalaureate History

Sierra Cooper

Period 4

IB Contemporary History

1/17/12

Was Hitler a Strong or Weak dictator?

Adolf Hitler, born April 20, 1889, son of Klara Polzl and Alois Hitler spent his youth in Austria but then moved to Germany as a way of avoiding the Austrian army draft. And after a failed career in Art he joined the German military but only ever made it to the position of corporal but he turned out to have a very manipulative personality that was perfect for creating propaganda and excelling him to the position of Fuehrer. As a dictator he succeeded in rallying the German public to his point of view, gaining territory for Germany, and maintaining complete militaristic and political control.

At the time of Hitler’s rise to power Germany was experiencing a state of financial and political unrest brought upon by the end of World War 1, the Versailles Treaty, and the Great depression. Through the Treaty of Versailles Germany was forced to accept all responsibility for WW1 through article 231 and required to pay full reparations to France and Belgium per article 232, these stipulations brought great shame and financial stress to the people. The new government, The Weimar republic, also set up by the Treaty of Versailles was destined to fail seeing as no party could gain a majority of the votes and as a result of that President Hindenburg used article 48 to pass the laws that he deemed necessary which took the voice of the public away which lead to the Germans resenting their republic. However the new government was truly brought down by the Great depression, which left a majority out of work and starving to death. With the people infuriated and starving it was a perfect opportunity for Hitler to gain power. He gave work to starving veterans, provided them with a common enemy to blame their current situation on, the Jews and outcasts, and offered Germany hope. He gained the peoples trust and devotion and maintained it by fulfilling his promises of German territorial advancement.

Hitler policy of Lebensraum called for food and living space for the excess of the German population, which meant that territory must be gained at all costs. However, the cost of these desired lands was not high. The Great Powers trying to avoid another World War followed the path of appeasement and granted Hitler his every wish. He started by demilitarizing the Reinland of all French and Belgian troops, and eventually taking the land in the name of Germany. He then proceeded to take the Sudetenland, then the rest of Czechoslovakia, followed by Poland before the Powers decided to try ...

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Hitler policy of Lebensraum called for food and living space for the excess of the German population, which meant that territory must be gained at all costs. However, the cost of these desired lands was not high. The Great Powers trying to avoid another World War followed the path of appeasement and granted Hitler his every wish. He started by demilitarizing the Reinland of all French and Belgian troops, and eventually taking the land in the name of Germany. He then proceeded to take the Sudetenland, then the rest of Czechoslovakia, followed by Poland before the Powers decided to try and stop him. His power and strength was on display at this time, which only made his Dictatorship and militaristic control more absolute.

As Fuehrer Hitler strived for complete consolidation of militaristic and political control. He started this by creating two powerful military groups, the SA or storm troopers that was made primarily of ex German soldiers that were unemployed. This gave the people a purpose and fulfilled their needs, which only strengthened their devotion to Hitler. At the time Hitler also created the SS, or his own personal bodyguards that eventually ran his Nazi death camps, this military group became the sole German army that remained. In addition Hitler created a three phase agenda that guaranteed him complete power. First he set fire to the Reichstag building then blamed it on the communists, which lead to the “ordinances for the Protection of the German state and Nations” this kept any Nazi opposition from getting their press out to the public and allowed the Nazi party to take the majority of the vote. He then had the Enabling Act passed which allowed his cabinet to pass all the laws for the nation for four years without the consent of the Reichstag. He then insured his power by outlawing all other political parties and created the Gestapo, or secret police to keep them suppressed.

In the process of becoming a strong dictator, Hitler gained the publics trust and united them behind himself and his party, initiated his policy of Lebensraum, and suppressed all other militaristic and political opposition. Though Hitler showed some weakness in military knowhow he made up for it with his charismatic personality and indisputable declarations.