In 1945, war raged across most of the world. The players: Hitler, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. Germany, led by Hitler, was on the verge of world domination. The success of that campaign was no accident. This essay will show how Adolf Hitler came to be one of the most infamous and powerful dictators of all time. Hitler got to where he was due to the weakness of the former government, the economic state of Germany, and the traditionally autocratic rule of Germany.
The first, and perhaps easiest way Hitler gained power was the weakness of the former government, the Weimar Republic. This government wasn't doing too well, which was probably not their fault. The economy was in shambles and the people were in need of aid, and they didn't quite have the strong hand to help. Hitler, however, quickly pushed over the pushovers and gained the upper hand. Consequently, he did a better job at taking care of the Germans than the Weimar Republic did.
Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in Munich, Germa...
Mussolini (left) and Hitler sent their armies to N...
English: Adolf Hitler as a soldier during the Firs...The second factor that allowed Hitler to take control was the sorry state of the economy at that time. After World War I, Germany was in a serious debt and the people were paying for it. An aspiring leader named Hitler took advantage of the situation and the German peoples' need for structure. With a craving for vengeance, he resumed building Germany's war machine. And, as we all know, nothing jump-starts an economy like a nice, expensive war.
The third reason we know Hitler so well is Germany's tradition of autocratic, or dictator-like, rule. For much of German history, dictators and rulers with absolute power have governed the people. So, when Hitler came along with his ideas for rebuilding Germany, it felt natural to go along with it. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? And since he was also helping the economy and giving the government a good healthy shake, why not? Adolf Hitler was certainly someone to be reckoned with. Using the weakness of the Weimar Republic, solving the problem with the economy, and becoming the traditional German leader, he accomplished the great feat of restoring Germany as a superpower and threatening the state of the free world. In short, fulfilling every developing dictator's dream.
Karte des Deutschen Reiches, »Weimarer Republik/D...
Adolf Hitler addressing the Reichstag with his spe...
The architects of the purge: Hitler, Göring, Goeb...