Rise and fall

As a society it is important to revisit the tragic events of history so that we are able to see things in the present times with objectivity and not let history repeat itself

History tells us that the subjective perceptions of large groups of humans have been massively exploited by political opportunists. By the time the truth emerges, it already becomes a dark chapter in the history of mankind. Winston Churchill rightly said, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.”

As a society it is important to revisit the tragic events of history so that we are able to see things in the present times with objectivity and not let history repeat itself.

Adolf Hitler was chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and dictator of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. He founded Nazism and started World War II and the Holocaust. Hitler joined the German Workers’ Party, precursor of the Nazi Party, in 1919, and became leader of NSDAP in 1921. Hitler was responsible for the death of an estimated 21 million civilians and prisoners of war. In addition, 29 million soldiers were killed in the European theatre by systematically putting fear in the minds of the majority population against the Jews. His brand of German nationalism saw unprecedented support.

Hitler’s foreign and domestic policies had the goal of seizing living space for the Germanic people. He motivated invasion of Poland in September 1939, resulting in the outbreak of World War II. Under Hitler’s rule, in 1941 German forces and their European allies occupied most of Europe and North Africa. In 1945 the Allied armies invaded Germany. Hitler’s supremacist and racially motivated policies resulted in the systematic murder of 11 million people of his own country, including an estimated six million Jews.

In the final days of the war, 0n April 30, 1945, Hitler committed suicide to avoid capture by the Red Army. Hitler’s oratory earned him DAP’s membership in September 1920. DAP soon became NSDAP. By 1921, Hitler gained notoriety for his effective speaking ability to large audiences. He gave rowdy, polemic speeches. Historians have noted the hypnotic effect of his rhetoric on large audiences. Kessel writes, “Germans speak with mystification of Hitler’s hypnotic appeal. Hitler is said to have mesmerised the nation, captured them in a trance from which they could not break loose.”

Alfons Heck, a former member of Hitler Youth, described: “We erupted into a frenzy of nationalistic pride that bordered on hysteria. For minutes on end, we shouted at the top of our lungs, with tears streaming down our faces: Sieg Heil, Sieg Heil, Sieg Heil! From that moment on, I belonged to Adolf Hitler body and soul.”

The effect of great depression of 1929 in Germany was catastrophic. Hitler exploited this by targeting his political messages specifically at people who had been affected by its effect, such as farmers, war veterans, and the middle class.

On February 27, 1933, the Reichstag building was set on fire. He blamed the communist. At Hitler’s urging, Hindenburg suspended basic rights and allowed detention without trial. Activities of the German Communist Party were suppressed, and some 4,000 communist party members were arrested. Historians found that the Hitler’s party itself was responsible for starting the fire.

In 1934, Hitler became Germany’s head of state with the title ‘leader and chancellor of the Reich’. Within months, the other parties were disbanded. A number of Hitler’s political enemies, even from his own party were executed. While the international community and some Germans were shocked by the murders, many in Germany saw Hitler as restoring order.

Hitler oversaw one of the largest infrastructure improvement campaigns in German history, leading to the construction of dams, autobahns, railroads, and other civil works. He sponsored architecture on an immense scale. In 1936 Hitler opened the summer Olympic games in Berlin. Hitler was Time magazine’s Man of the Year for 1938. It may be significant to state here that Hitler was on the cover of Time for as many as seven times: in 1931, 1933, 1936, 1938, 1941 and 1945. The May 7, 1945 issue came out after the discovery of Hitler’s body on May 2 with the iconic cross on his face. A war memorial at Hitler’s birth place there is a stone with inscription: “For peace, freedom and democracy, never again fascism, millions of dead remind us.”

It is fascinating to know Hitler’s personal choices. Hitler wore designer clothes. He loved to be filmed and photographed. Hitler followed a vegetarian diet. He despised alcohol and was a non-smoker. He promoted aggressive anti-tobacco campaigns throughout Germany. To the public, Hitler promoted his own image as that of a celibate man without a domestic life, dedicated entirely to his political mission and the nation through documentaries.