Numerous factors contributed to the support of the German people for Adolf Hitler during World War II. In assessing the causes for this support, it's important to look back to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party following the economic crash of 1929. Germany was hit hard by the Great Depression. There was a drastic fall in industrial production and widespread unemployment. Hitler used this to his advantage in attaining power.
After his appointment as chancellor of Germany in 1933, Hitler suspended Democratic processes through a measure called the Enabling Act. This gave him virtually dictatorial powers. He used this to attack Jews, communists, gypsies, and political opponents. The existing bias against these minority groups allowed Germans to exploit them as a scapegoat.
After World War I, the terms of the Treaty of Versailles had left Germany deeply in debt and with its national identity shattered. Hitler restored pride in "Aryan" identity and prompted people to unselfishly serve the state.
One of the most important factors in German support of Adolf Hitler was the Nazi Party's propagation of the myth of the Fuhrer. Hitler was presented as a superhuman who could do no wrong. He came to represent the German nation and its ideals. Hitler had particularly strong support among the German upper classes, youth, churches, and military.
It's also important to note that not all popular support for Hitler was genuine. The Nazi secret police, known as the Gestapo, kept an eye on everyone, and dissidents were at risk of being killed. Many people, therefore, supported Hitler out of fear, not out of devotion.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/nazi-party
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/how-did-hitler-happen
https://www.thoughtco.com/who-supported-hitler-and-why-1221371
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Why did anyone support Adolf Hitler during the atrocities of WWII?
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