Freitag

James Freitag
Professor Collins
ENGL 1302
03 July 2016
A Dictators Defense
On June 22, 1941, leader of the German Reich Adolf Hitler gave a speech to members of
his National Socialist party. His purpose was to defend his implementation of Operation
Barbarossa against the Soviet Union. Ethos, pathos, and an either or fallacy in Hitlers
Barbarossa Proclamation assessed the need for Germany to violate its non aggression pact with
the Soviet Union or face annihilation from its eastern neighbor.
Before making his argument for an invasion of the Soviet Union, Hitler facilitates ethos
to gain credibility in his status as a worthy leader of the German Reich. Hitler begins his speech
by discussing the British declaration of war in 1939. Against all odds, he claims that he did
everything in his power to negotiate peace with the British, but to no avail. Nonetheless, his
army had won victories against the British and Hitler himself had worked for his country to
ensure the falsehood of a French statesman claim that there were two million Germans too
many and that the number would have to be reduced by hunger, disease, or emigration.
(Hitler par. 4). The National Socialist movement under Hitler began to work to unify the German
people and to take steps to heighten prosperity in the nation. Hitler cleverly began his speech
with words of victories against the British and other accomplishments on the home front of his
National Socialist regime. This set up his audience with admiration of their leader, increasing the
chance of his people finding trust in his plans. Hitler continues later in his speech by contrasting
his world view with that of the Russians. He describes the consequences of the Soviet regimes as

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nothing but chaos, misery, and starvation in all countries. (Hitler par. 9). Hitler on the other
hand had been striving for two decades to better the German regime. He had accomplished this
by arriving at a new Socialist Order, one that doesnt just reduce unemployment but also allows
the productive worker to receive a greater share of the fruits of his labor. Hitler claimed that the
achievements of his national, social and economic reconstruction overcame rank and class
divisions and were unique for the time (par. 11). By laying out his accomplishments, prior to his
argument defending an invasion of the Soviet Union, Hitler gains the respect of his people and
portrays himself as a trustworthy leader who can make sound decisions for his country.
To entice fear in the National Socialist members and to gain sympathy for his actions,
Hitler constructed pathos in his Barbarossa proclamation. He describes the difficulty in his
decision to invade, for the German people had never harbored hostile feelings towards that of
Russia. However, for more than two decades the Jewish Bolshevik rulers in Moscow had
been endeavoring to set aflame all of Europe. (Hitler par. 9). Hitler portrays the Soviets as
warmongers, thirsty for power and with desires to conquer all of Europe. Germany, Hitler claims,
never wanted to push their National Socialist ideals on the Soviets; yet the Jewish Bolsheviks of
Russia craved to force their domination upon Germany through ideological and military force.
The dictators aim in these allegations was to draw upon the fear of the people of the National
socialist party, backing his claim that an invasion of their eastern neighbor was the only option.
He continued to apply emotional appeal by discussing Russias aim to take over Germanys ally
of Romania. Russian forces amassed twenty-two divisions in the Baltic area to attempt a military
coup of the Romanian country. Hitler tells how he intervened to help Romania who was virtually
defenseless against the super giant of Russia (par. 15). Russia demanded that territory in the
Baltic region be ceded to them. Hitler regrettably accepted the terms with a heavy heart to save

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their Romanian ally. This drew upon the sympathy of the National Socialists, for they felt sorry
for their poor Romanian allys. Hitler used this to his advantage by pitting the Romanian nation as
a helpless victim against an evil Soviet Union, and he himself interfered and was forced to
negotiate unfavorable terms for peace. He played upon the emotions of his National Socialist
party by narrating the Soviets as behemoths thirsty for power, thus instilling in them a need for
an invasion to defend their nation from the growing threat from the East.
Hitler enlists either-or fallacy to draw the conclusion that the only logical choice for his
nation was to invade the Soviet Union or be taken over from the East. At the end of his speech,
Hitler assesses the threat that the Soviet Union posed on Germanys eastern border. He tells of
Soviet units moving into German territory and only retreating after heavy fighting ensued. This,
in itself, showed an act of war against the German nation, but this would not mark the end of the
threat that the Soviets posed. Hitler continues by acknowledging the fact that the Russian army
formed 160 divisions just outside of Germanys eastern border frontier. For weeks, constant
violations on the frontier had become troublesome for the dictator to remain silent against. The
violations of the frontier in question did not only affect Germany, but also its ally Finland.
Russian airmen consider it sport nonchalantly to overlook these frontiers
(Hitler par. 47) which, according to Hitler, foreshadows a full on invasion by the Soviets. Hitler
declares that no other course of action could be taken but a preemptive strike against Russia, else
his country would be taken over from the East. He reassures his people that a deployment of
German forces being prepared, united with their Finnish comrades, would be the greatest the
world hitherto has seen. (Hitler par. 49). Finding acceptance of a two front war can be difficult
for a leader to conjure, but the dictators fallacy instills the need for action against the Soviets in
his German people.

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Hitler utilized multiple appeals in his defense of an invasion of the Soviet Union to his
National Socialist Party. Establishing ethos to gain credibility in his past actions as leader of the
German Reich. Using pathos to summon fear of the Soviets in his German people. Finally,
employing either-or fallacy to ingrain the need of preemptive measures against Russia or face
destruction from the East. The dictator tactfully laid out a successful defense of Operation
Barbarossa that could be accepted by the members of his National Socialist Party.

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Works Cited
Hitler, Adolf. Barbarossa Proclamation. Institutehistoricalreview. World Future Fund, n.d.
Web. 16 June, 2016.