¶ … reign of Hitler and the actions of Nazi Germany are a dark page in human history. It has been well established that Hitler studied the tactics and policies of different dictators to create a regime that spread terror throughout Europe and the world. The purpose of this discussion is to examine how Bismarckian and Prussian Conservative/Authoritarian polices provided a stepping stone to Nazi Germany. First, we will explore the parallels between Nazi Germany and the policies and tactics that were used by Bismarck. In addition, our investigation will focus on the manner in which Prussian Conservative/Authoritarian policies influenced Nazi Germany.
Bismarckian Influence
Otto Von Bismarck is the notorious leader for which Bismarckian politics is named. The historic and controversial figure is essential to European history. Bismarck is credited with national unification and creating policies that changed Germany and the rest of the world forever. Initially, Bismarck's approach to foreign affairs was revolutionary and encouraged solidarity with Russia and Austria. Eventually this solidarity was challenged and Bismarck felt the need to focus on the unity of Germany.There are many different tactics and policies that Bismarck utilized in an effort to control his subjects and support his ideals of unity.
Bismarck ruled for almost three decades and became the most central figure in European and German politics during his reign. There are differing opinions of Bismarck's policies. One school of thought asserts that his policies were borne of his profound patriotism. This school contends that his motives were not evil and were "that of a conservative German nationalist, to whom Bismarck was the apex of German political achievement."This school of thought also asserts that Bismarck was not at all like Hitler. They argue that unlike Hitler, Bismarck was motivated "by a sense of ethical responsibility, grounded in an intense religious faith and earnest submission to a personal, all-powerful God. This inner piety preserved him from the "demonism of power." In other words, this school believes that while some of his tactics were brutal and unconventional his intentions were not evil. Bismarck did not desire to kill everyone that was not of German descent, rather he wanted the nation to be unified and respected throughout Europe.
The other school of thought asserts that Bismarck's policies were indeed the stepping-stone for Nazi Germany. The contention is that the policies created by Bismarck created and perpetuated the idea of nationalism, which was later taken to the extreme by Hitler and the Third Reich. Indeed, some parallels can be drawn from Bismarck's approach and Hitler's approach. For instance, prior to 1871 Bismarck was infamous for using any means necessary to unify Germany, including violence. In addition, he viewed individuals that resisted the unification as enemies of the Reich and was notorious for using coercive and paternalistic tactics to bring people into compliance.
Although, Bismarck was not as extreme as Hitler was, Hitler certainly saw the power that Bismarck possessed and desired to create that same kind of power for himself. Hitler took Bismarck's policies and tactics used them to spread an evil message and to kill millions of people that he viewed of as undesirables.
Although Bismarck may not have intended to create this type of evil through the policies that he practiced, his regime certainly contributed to the tactics that were used in Nazi Germany.
Certainly, when we seriously examine the policies and tactics that were used in Nazi Germany we can see that Hitler was influenced by Bismarckian policies. Like Bismarck, Hitler came to power at a difficult time in German history. Unemployment was at an all time high and the nation had collapsed. The people looked to the government to solve the problem. When it was apparent that the government was not going to solve the problem many citizens turned against the government. In addition, when reparations were severed in 1932, even greater hostilities were created and a revolt seemed inevitable.
In the midst of this turmoil arose Hitler and he used the failure of the government as a catalysts for his reign. A book entitled Hitler and Beyond, a German Testament explains the manner in which Hitler manipulated the situation. The authors explain that Hitler was effective because he recruited individuals that had been ignored by the government.
The book explains that these recruits "did not understand anything, and they did not want to understand anything. But now they were roused from their indifference and discouragement by Hitler's trumpet blasts, more ringing than any ever heard before."Hitler was able to give hope to the downtrodden and the poorly educated. Their vulnerability...
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