Nazi Policies
Following their dramatic loss in the First World War, the people of Germany were suffering greatly, both emotionally and physically during the period of the 1920s and into the 1930s. The harsh stipulations of the Treaty of Paris forced the German government into a fragile and fragmented institution which was ripe for the abuse of power-hungry would-be tyrants. The people, eager for a strong figure to look up to, would have accepted almost anyone with perhaps any political agenda so long as the person said the right things and gave the people hope. Enter onto the world stage one Adolph Hitler. Between 1932 and 1933, Adolph Hitler was able to rise from the position of relative insubordinate in the government, to fuehrer and leader of the entire country of Germany. The only way that one man could have achieved such political success in so quick a time has to be because of the support he received from the populous for his rhetoric and aggrandizement of Germany. Seeing how well the people received Hitler, other members of the political elite were pressured into giving him further support, lest they go out of favor with the people themselves. Hitler's rise to power was not a final strike of brilliant political strategy, but rather a series of events spearheaded by a charismatic speaker with the voice of the majority behind him and a more educated political faction who were unwilling to take strides against the popular voice. Between 1933 and 1940, Hitler's policies focused on unifying Germany under the banner of nationalism but in the last five years of his domination, the country's policy instead became focused on international domination and the extermination of enemy populations including the Jewish...
Early on, the Nazis became aware that the best way to manipulate the masses was to instill in them a sense of pageantry and enthusiasm for the new governmental regime. To serve this end, the Nazis went from one end of Germany to the other organizing parades and rallies which were designed to further the goals of the Nazi party (Bergen 72). The Nazis pledged that once they were able to achieve power, then they would follow the word of the people. This would include returning Germany to its supposedly rightful place as a world power which would be unparalleled. Nazi leaders promised that the people of Germany would no longer suffer, that they would no longer go hungry, and that they would no longer be subservient to any weaker and less fit population of peoples.
Germans have always had a strong sense of nationalism and pride in their heritage going back to at least the early nineteenth century (Fichte 1). Before the Nazis took control, Hindenburg was the President of Germany. When it became apparent that he would not be able to hold on to his political position, the president turned over the government to the emerging Nazis. The Nazi party realized from an early period that it would be the will of the people which would determine the future of the people. Thus, this group more so than any regime before utilized the art of propaganda to convince the people and excite them, thereby inciting them to act. Nazis toured all over Germany, organizing rallies and marches which would engross the masses and…
