Hitler Myth
Encyclopedia
The Hitler Myth is a concept which embodies two key points in Nazi ideology
; firstly it presents Hitler
as a demigod
figure, who both embodies and shapes the German people and thus giving him a mandate to rule. Secondly it presents Hitler as a mighty defender of the German people against its foes, who merely wanted to redress the imbalance evoked at the Treaty of Versailles
. These two elements were demonstrated in propaganda
of the time and have helped to 'plaster over' early cracks in the Nazi Regime's facade, though by no means de-fusing all tensions in Germany at that time.
The myth of Hitler as the Saviour of Germany from conspiracies directed against it by the Soviet Union and the West - especially France - was an extremely powerful tool in binding together the German people in loyalty and submission. The German people were left embittered by the ineffective and unstable party politics of Weimar
Germany which had failed to rescue its people from the humiliation administered by Europe at the close of the First World War.
Thus, as Ian Kershaw
states,
According to Albert Speer
, by around 1936 the Hitler Myth was under threat, with officials having to organise cheering crowds, presenting a stark contrast with Hitler's spontaneous crowds of old. 1938 saw a rise in Hitler's popularity, which dipped sharply with the outbreak of the Second World War. Only the victories in the West during 1940 revived it, and even then the campaign against the Soviet Union led to a dramatic decline in Hitler's popularity.
In his book Last Train from Berlin, Howard K. Smith
wrote:
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
; firstly it presents Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
as a demigod
Demigod
The term "demigod" , meaning "half-god", is commonly used to describe mythological figures whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was human; as such, demigods are human-god hybrids...
figure, who both embodies and shapes the German people and thus giving him a mandate to rule. Secondly it presents Hitler as a mighty defender of the German people against its foes, who merely wanted to redress the imbalance evoked at the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
. These two elements were demonstrated in propaganda
Nazi propaganda
Propaganda, the coordinated attempt to influence public opinion through the use of media, was skillfully used by the NSDAP in the years leading up to and during Adolf Hitler's leadership of Germany...
of the time and have helped to 'plaster over' early cracks in the Nazi Regime's facade, though by no means de-fusing all tensions in Germany at that time.
The myth of Hitler as the Saviour of Germany from conspiracies directed against it by the Soviet Union and the West - especially France - was an extremely powerful tool in binding together the German people in loyalty and submission. The German people were left embittered by the ineffective and unstable party politics of Weimar
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
Germany which had failed to rescue its people from the humiliation administered by Europe at the close of the First World War.
Thus, as Ian Kershaw
Ian Kershaw
Sir Ian Kershaw is a British historian of 20th-century Germany whose work has chiefly focused on the period of the Third Reich...
states,
"Hitler stood for at least some things they [German people] admired, and for many had become the symbol and embodiment of the national revivalThe myth was lent much credence by Hitler's huge successes in the regeneration of Germany's economy over just a few years, recovering it from what seemed like unredeemable circumstances. In 1932, one year before Hitler's rise to power, unemployment had been at over five and a half million, but by 1938 Germany was producing at record levels, and unemployment was below 200,000 and real wages were up for the first time since authoritarianism.Romantic nationalismRomantic nationalism is the form of nationalism in which the state derives its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs...
which the Third Reich had in many respects been perceived to accomplish."
According to Albert Speer
Albert Speer
Albert Speer, born Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, was a German architect who was, for a part of World War II, Minister of Armaments and War Production for the Third Reich. Speer was Adolf Hitler's chief architect before assuming ministerial office...
, by around 1936 the Hitler Myth was under threat, with officials having to organise cheering crowds, presenting a stark contrast with Hitler's spontaneous crowds of old. 1938 saw a rise in Hitler's popularity, which dipped sharply with the outbreak of the Second World War. Only the victories in the West during 1940 revived it, and even then the campaign against the Soviet Union led to a dramatic decline in Hitler's popularity.
In his book Last Train from Berlin, Howard K. Smith
Howard K. Smith
Howard Kingsbury Smith was an American journalist, radio reporter, television anchorman, political commentator, and film actor. He was one of the original Edward R. Murrow boys.-Early life:...
wrote:
I was convinced that of all the millions on whom the Hitler Myth had fastened itself, the most carried away was Adolf Hitler, himself.
Sources
- The Hitler Myth - Ian Kershaw - 1998 - ISBN 0-19-280206-2
- Storm Troopers of Satan - Michael FitzGerald - 1990 - ISBN 0-7090-4260-4
- Adolf Hitler: A Portrait - Michael FitzGerald - 2006 - ISBN 1-86227-322-7