Hitler Essay, Research Paper
The name Hitler stirs up many emotions inside the hearts of people. What could have made Hitler so hostile towards the Jews? Could it have been his unhappy childhood, frustrated adolescence, his artistic disappointment, rejection from the Jewish society or merely the wound he received on the front during World War I. Adolf Hitler or the incarnation of absolute evil became dictator of Germany in 1933 and prepared his nation for war and a “Final Solution” to the “Jewish problem”. Hitler posed a great threat to democracy and redefined the meaning of evil for eternity. Hitler’s undeniable hatred for Jews crushed his dream of a “third Reich” and only created more anguish, and enmity among the people of Germany. World War I was a great disparagement to the German people. Despair increased as the army returned to a bankrupt country. Millions of Germans could not find work, and a weak republic had replaced the defeated Germany. The German people were humiliated and full of distress. They were looking for many ways to restore their dignity and pride, but little did they know that things would get much worse. “The rain of inflation fell on the just and the unjust alike”(Flood 313) By 1923, Germany was facing deep troubles. There was major inflation and the majority of the population was poverty-stricken. Problems were beginning to escalate while Germany was in a dismal economic state, shops were closing and, no profits in production resulted in vast unemployment. Hungry and miserable the people turned to Hitler. He was a skillful schemer, politician, and organizer. This was Hitler’s opportunity to preach amongst the German people. Hitler preached German superiority, more precisely to the Aryan race. Since the country was in total and complete chaos after the war, and was forced to pay billions of dollars in reparations, the German people saw some sort of hope in Hitler. Germany lost a large amount of its territory. The Empire was no more. “Hitler saw an opportunity and moved to grasp it” (Alexandria 75). When he took power the economy was basically non-existent. Hitler did not believe in total truth, instead he relied on halve truths, and big lies. For example he believed that the Jews were a sub -human race, that should be treated terribly and be completely disposed of. The German Workers’ Party appealed to Hitler even though they were small, disorganized, and led by a group of misfits. Hitler used this as opportunity to begin his rise to the top, and to start the destruction of all Jews. Hitler wanted “to re-establish the Nazi Party as a political organization which he could seek power exclusively” (Shirer 119). Hitler’s intermingling with The German Workers’ Party was the beginning of the national socialism movement which would soon help Germany become “The ThirdReich”. The Nazi’s offered no program for easing the effects of the depression and no details about how Germany would regaingreatness. “Hitler was shaping his party to take over Germany’s destiny” (Shirer 121). Hitler attacked the government, and declared that only the Nazi Party could assure Germans jobs and greatness for Germany. While spending time in prison for leading a protest in Munich, Hitler wrote a book Mien Kampf (My Struggle), in which he states many reasons why the Jews and communists were accountable for the great losses that Germany had experienced from WW I.He also decided on the “final solution” to the “Jewish problem”, which was to eliminate the so called “Jewish Race”. When he took power the economy was basically non existent. Many Germans looked at him as a solution to all their problems. He promised to rebuild the glorious Germany of the past. First he started rebuild their army. Germany was not allowed to have more than 100,000 troops according to the treaty of Versailles. Hitler broke the treaty, and built up his military way beyond what Germany was allowed. Factories started putting out weapons, which made more jobs for the people. Mass rallies were held, where Hitler continued to use his powers of speech on the German people. At first the allies did nothing about Hitler breaking the Treaty of Versailles. They made acts of appeasement that allowed Hitler to keep on doing what he was doing. All along Hitler was preparing for war. His fight to take over the world. Hitler gave speeches in which he indicated that the German people needed living space. Later he Marched into the Reihnland, an area which Germany had lost. Next he moved into Austria, his home country and annexed it without a shot being fired. Following Austria, he wanted control of the Sudetenland. The Allies didn’t want another war so they let Hitler invade these countries, but when he attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 the allies could no longer stand by and watch. Britain and France declared war on Germany. A few days later, World War II began. The war continued for many years, along with the destruction of many innocent people. Jews were being treated like animals, every terrible thing imaginable was being done to them. The rest of the world was to blind to see it. Hitler hated Jews so much that in early 1945, when equipment and manpower was badly needed on the front during II he insisted on man and equipment staying to continue transporting Jews to the concentration camps.After Hitler became both President and Chancellor of Germany, the Nazi party took control over every aspect of every daily life. Hitler ordered the creation of a special police force (the Gestapo) to make sure that all opponents would be eliminated. He also gaveorders to set up a special force which would be used to transport and take care of all political prisoners and people thought to be inferior. These people were taken to concentration camps where they all faced dehumanizing and inhumane deaths. It has been estimated that two-thirds of the Jewish population was eliminated during the Holocaust.Mass propaganda was used to persuade the German people that Hitler would make the country strong and powerful again. They also used propaganda to discriminate against the Jews and other minority groups which were considered to be sub-human. Teachers were forced to be a part of the Nazi party and were ordered to teach children to hate Jews. Children were taught that Jews very the source of all their problems. Hitler believed “the pure Aryan race” was destined to rule the world. He wanted to build an Empire that would last well over 1000 years, making Germany “the Third Reich”. Hitler publicly stated his views on the Jews. The Jews of Germany didn’t see Hitler as a great threat at first. But soon enough Hitler began to ravage all their rights. Soon they were not allowed to marry anyone who was non-Jewish. They could not hold positions such as teachers, doctors lawyers and so-on. All Jews had to register with the government and wear the star of David on their clothing so they would be more discernible. Many Jews only then realized that there was a serious problem and many of them started flee from the outrage of hatred in Germany. Jews, Communists, gypsies, homosexuals, political figures, Slavs, and others which were viewed as “Inferior” according to Nazi racial theory were, loaded on to trains and traveled the tracks to their cold, cruel death. All the trains were sent to concentration camps, which were set up to implement the “final solution”. Camps such as Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Bergen Belsen were all equipped with gas chambers to make the killing process quick and more efficient. In those camps 6 million Jews and many others were killed by the Nazis.Hitler’s army seemed almost unstoppable until the allies managed to win many decisive battles, which helped destroy Hitler’s dream of a “Third Reich”. Hitler had no reason to live once his dream was shattered. On April 30, 1945 Hitler committed suicide in his bunker and his body was burned to ashes. On May 7, 1945 Germany surrendered unconditionally. Hitler had failed in his attempt to create a “Superior Race” and, to take over the World Hitler was one of the most, if not the most cruel man to ever walk the face of the earth. His belief of superiority of the “Aryan” race made him hate all others. He thought that anyone that wasn’t part of the “Aryan Race” was “Sub-human”. In the end Hitler’shatred for Jews only created more misery and shame for the people of Germany.