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Hunter Smith
Hon English IV
Coach Smith
3 April 2015
The Demise of an Effective Leader
Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe It.
This was one of numerous tactics used by Adolf Hitler in his rise to power. Hitler was able to
successfully take a nation of people and brainwash them into believing his ideologies. He was
an effective speaker, and his message struck a chord with many. He often criticized communism,
the Treaty of Versailles and promoted the strength to restore the glory of the country (Darby 3).
His political and military abilities were all consistent in his triumph to power (Ayer 110). Before
his rise to power, he was influenced in various ways, both psychological and sociological, which
created an understanding for his engagements that led to the Holocaust and his death at the end
of World War II. Adolf Hitler was an effective and motivational leader, but his moral values and
ego led to his demise along with the Nazi Party.
One of the countless logs that were added into the burning fire through which Germany
became motivated was the Treaty of Versailles. It was a direct smack in the face of the slight
self-confidence Germany still had after going through depression. A quote Kathiann M.
Kowalski, the author of After Versailles uses from the Treaty states, Article 231 of the Treaty of
Versailles required Germany to accept reparations or responsibility for causing all the loss and
damages suffered by other countries as a consequence of the war imposed by Germany and her
allies (Kowalski 1). Damage estimates exceeded $40 billion. Rather than set a firm figure for
payment, the treaty required huge payments, and Germany felt that they would never get out of

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debt. (Kowalski 1). This outraged the German people and became another primary motivation
leading up to Hitlers availability to take power. While in service there was no soldier braver
than Hitler. He was awarded the Iron Cross First Class for personal bravery and general merit
(Ayer 34). He would soon use his military intelligence and the countries burning heart to raise
the nation.
Due to multiple characteristics, Hitler can easily be declared an effective and
motivational leader. Even as a child, Hitlers teacher praised him. One said, He reacted with illconceived hostility to advice or reproof; at the same time he demanded of his fellow pupils their
unqualified subservience, fancying himself in the role of leader in schooling deals (Freeman
11). Before his rise to power, Hitler would even send out personal invitations and delivering
them personally to increase his group meetings during war time (Marcovitz 27).
After failing to take over the government with the Munich Putsch, Hitler was trialed and
sent to prison. During Hitlers time in jail, he wrote a book depicting his views on society and
his plan of action for the country. Mein Kempf [My Struggle] showed how he gradually came to
believe that Jews were responsible for the evils of the world. He also wrote in Mein Kempf about
two political figures who made a significant impact on him: Georg Ritter von Schnerer and Karl
Lueger. Their movements and speeches were often solely concerned with anti-sematic beliefs
(Kjelle 28). Before making speeches to soldiers, Hitlers duties in the army included spying on
local political groups. This definitely led to his active role in the German Workers Party, later
known as the Nazi Party (Roberts 16). Charles Freeman said in his book The Rise of the Nazis,
At the first Germans Workers Party meeting, Hitler intervened so effectively in an argument
that he was asked to become a member of the executive committee and then proceed to run the
party (Freeman 12).

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Due to good fortune and sly personal skills, Hitler was able to rise to power somewhat
easily. Without the support of the German people, his success would have never been completed,
legally. Analysis still hold true that the bulk of Nazi support did come from the protestant
middle class of Northern Germany, a third of Nazi vote was from the working class (Darby 3).
After the upheavals and humiliation since 1918, it was all too easy to succumb to a man who
promised restoration of the country (Freeman 43). After lack of success in the Beer Hall Putsch,
his attempt to seize government power, Hitler gained a better intelligence of how to better
prosper to power. Hitlers aim was to stir fear of Communism among the people. He ordered
Nazi-controlled newspapers to print exaggerated stories and radios to espouse Nazi doctrine.
(Marcovitz 39). To gain the majority of his support, Nazi propaganda was popular. Hitler
specialized in creating remarkable speeches, rallies, advertising, flags, and also marching
columns (Darby 2). To fully grasp the propaganda side of his campaign, he linked up with
Alfred Hugenburg in 1929, a major film producer (3). Also after being convinced of the
movement, news editor Edward Scharrer donated 1 million marks to the party, which contributed
tremendously to Hitlers Party (Marcovitz 32). Being extremely political powered, Herman
Goring and Heinrich Himmler were both very vital to Hitlers rise to power and leadership, and
were later both named to be part of his Secret Police (SS) (Freeman 22).
Even as the country was deep in hopelessness, Hitler and his well-organized party were in
the perfect place at the perfect time. Increased public speeches that were drawn towards
particular audiences were an immense role in gaining more support (Freeman 25). Due to the
fact he gained vast amounts of knowledge on military technology and strategy, he was able to
use that as a source starter in his points (Roberts 12). Hitler gained even more notability because

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Germans believed their old leaders had given in to pressure of industrialist, being mostly Jews;
thus he had yet another reason to magistrate the Jews (Marcovitz 21).
Of the partys first recruits, several consisted of young men who came from the streets of
Munich. By 1923, fifty thousand members became present (Freeman 14). Due to the vast
amount of people, Hitler appointed Goebbels to organize the partys campaign during 1930
summer. He was a master campaign manager (Roberts 38). Also Hitler developed the
(NSDAP), National Socialist Germans Workers Party and adopted the swastika as the partys
iconic symbol. He designed the flag to represent for the victory of Aryan Man (Ayer 38). The
power of this party was a difficult task to conquer, so Hitler took leadership actions and
developed various plans. To create the image of disciplined power, Nuremburg rallies became
extremely crucial, the rallies showing the nation what the New Germany meant. In doing so,
Hitler collectively brought in over a 100,000 motivated members (Freeman 27). The nation now
believed in Hitler. Before Nazis came to power, they were bankrupt six million marks. Now,
millions of jobs had been created for young men, unemployment was lowered to 1.7 million and
resources and stock were skyrocketing (Woolf 20). Controlling the wealthy Germans was
another key to Hitlers movement, and without their donations his influences would have died
quickly (Marcovitz 32). At the end of his campaign, approximately 6.5 million Germans had
voted for the Nazi Party. The Nazis and more specifically Hitler himself had finally arrived to
power (Roberts 39). Hitler would soon start another campaign, not just for the betterment of the
country, but a less moral route against the Jews.
The effects of Nazi rule would soon be one the greatest tragedies known to mankind.
Roughly 6 million Jews and others would soon die due to a single immoral thought, antiSemitism. Anti-Semitism is hostility toward or discriminations against Jews as a religious or

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racial group (Rice, The Final Solution 12). In Vienna, coming off of an age of hardship and
squalor, he would soon doctrine a hatred that would shape his destiny, along with millions of
others lives (17). Hitler had proven as an adolescent to become skeptical towards Jews as a race.
One of Hitlers first meetings with a Jew in Viennas inner city left such a lasting impression on
the future dictator, that he later describe it in great detail in his book. Influence from elders left
Hitler extremely negative and disrespected toward the Jew race (18). His plan involved four
main procedures. The first phrase was internal cleaning, which meant to clean the Jews and
other unwanted group out of the central cities. Healing of the German people was next. Due to
the depressed economy and hardships faced before his rule, he needed the country to be
enthusiastic about their succession to power.
Next up was further aggression and influences that pushed Jews out of inner cities for
good. Only the wealthy and respectable Jewish people were able to stay. This all was leading up
the last phase, famously known as the Final Solution--extermination of the Jews (Kjelle 53).
Hitlers main principle of the plan questioned whether it would benefit the country as a whole.
To gain vast control was made easier due to wealthy sponsors and propaganda. To complete this
task, he had to exterminate crucial resources to drive the Jews out of their hometowns. Hitler
had to induce large number of different killers to carry out the Final Solution (Rice, The Final
Solution 15). Doing all of this led Hitler into the beginning of the Holocaust.
From the faults created by himself, Hitlers demise became a real factor. Factors leading
to his fall included personal failings, flawed alliances, a war on two fronts and a lack of moral
authority among himself and his leaders (Rice, The Third Reich Demise of the Nazie Dream 17).
At first, Hitler tried to impose a new morality on the world- one rooted in hatred, racism,
barbarism, and terrorism- and he failed. And so would the Nazi dream (89). One of his major

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flaws was his self-ego. He was blinded by power and carried a Napoleon complex in his
character, in his mind he saw no defeat. Hitler saw himself as a military genius and exercised
fully his absolute authority to make strategic decision that often ended in disasters (26).
According to Rice Jr., He didnt know the meaning of humanity (112). Due to the lack of
softer human qualities and morals, he was the cruelest but most progressive and efficient
conqueror the world has ever known (112).
Hitlers personality itself affected the people. Personal obsessions, drawn from hatred,
presented itself in his preaching of violence. Also his misguided morals was a struggle he carried
with him all his life. These reasons, were why he was not only seen as the Superman redeemer
of the country but as a wild man (108). A major flaw of the Nazis were that they saw
themselves better than everyone. Rice depict, Nazis saw themselves as members of a racially
pure raster race and dreamed of dominating the world (11). Hitlers relations with allies was
also a drawback. Hitlers generals even frowned at the alliance between him and Mussolini.
Both men wanted something different, so they would never bond to fight for a common cause
(22).
The effect of Hitler overlooking the Russians was devastating; by the end of April, they
had almost taken Berlin (55). Fighting through the icy Russian winter, Hitler and his comrades
found themselves caught by Mother Nature. On the other front, Americans and allies were
marching forward, planning to beat the Russians to Berlin. He was unable to stop either force.
Hitler wanted more power, and was flawed in his timing to attack the Russians. Hitler sensing
defeat, soon shot himself to avoid torturing (55).
Even with his huge notoriety for being an effective leader and motivational speaker,
numerous obstacles led to his downfall from boundless power. His early lifestyle and

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experiences with military and the Germans Workers Party were most of Hitlers main influences
that led to most of his accomplishment made during both the World Wars and his campaign
reign. Also the ability to create an enormous powerhouse, The Nazi Party, will never be
forgotten. His misled moral and egotistical tendencies also lead to the deaths of countless,
innocent people, mostly Jews. Adolf Hitler had various negative incidences in his life, but out of
them portrayed his true role as a motivational leader for Germany.

Works Cited
Ayer, Eleanor H. The Importance Of Adolf Hitler. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, Inc., 1996.
Print.

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Darby, Graham. "Hitler's Rise and Weimar's Demise." History Review (2010): 42-48. Print.
Freeman, Charles. The Rise of the Nazis. London: Lucent Books, 2005. Print.
Kjelle, Marylou Morano, ed. Hitler and His Henchmen. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven
Press, 2005. Print.
Kowalski, Kathiann M. "After Versailles." Cobblestone (1998): 34. Print.
Marcovitz, Hal. The Rise of the Nazis. San Diego, CA: Reference Point Press, 2015. Print.
Rice, Earle, Jr. The Final Solution. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 1998. Print.
. The Third Reich Demise of the Nazie Dream. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, Inc., 2000.
Print.
Roberts, Jeremy. Adolf Hitler A Study in Hate. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.,
2001. Print.
Woolf, Alex. Nazi Germany. London: Smart Apple Media, 2005. Print.