Hitler was the leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazis).
He wanted to be the Chancellor of Germany because that position has the power and authority to make decisions that are able to affect Germany. Finally, in 1933, he was appointed the Chancellor by President Hindenburg and became the dictator of Germany a year later.There are a numerous ways in which Hitler has strategically used to become the Chancellor in Germany despite the initial reluctance of President Hindenburg to appoint him. The first is the use of propaganda which Hitler used effectively and consistently to manipulate the population. These propagandas are usually transmitted through the media such as the radio to brainwash and convince people by repeating itself over and over again.
In Source A, it can be seen clearly that the slogan “Hitler-Our Last Hope!” is stated in the poster.Short and simple slogans were used rather than long and complex ones as they are the ones that make the most impact to people. Through the Nazi Propagandas, Hitler was portrayed as a saviour of the country and some might even claim, Godlike. It also infuriated German people by making them think that they were wronged and were “stabbed in the back” and therefore conquering other lands to regain what was theirs is the only right thing to do. There is no doubt that without the infamous Nazi Propagandas, Hitler would never have gotten the chance to be appointed as Chancellor.It is known that Hitler is a charismatic public speaker and also the one of the greatest orator in history that manages to enchant and apply to Germans at times of consequence.
His world-renowned speeches were all carefully orchestrated to manipulate and to hypnotize the German people into supporting his ideologies. According to Source B, Hitler knew ‘how to appeal to the lowest instinct of the frightened masses’. It is the power of Hitler’s speeches and personal strength that have gained the Nazi Party the votes they needed to surpass the other parties. However, it must also be mentioned that the propagandas and the speeches must work together to generate such a widespread effect on the German people. Just as Source C have mentioned, Karl Ludecke who was a follower of Hitler said that he was ‘ready to attack any enemy’ after listening to Hitler’s speech. This shows the effectiveness of Hitler’s speeches.
The scapegoating of Jews on the defeat of Germany in World War One also played a huge role in the appointment of Hitler as Chancellor. At that time, anti-Semitism had already been around for quite some time in Europe. Their appearance were easily distinguished and they were not the most popular or well-liked group of people. As Germany was in a state of chaos (hyperinflation and The Great Depression) Hitler needed someone to blame.
He was an anti-sematic himself, so by scapegoating the Jews, Hitler not only gained support from the people, it also satisfied his hatred towards the Jews. Scapegoating the Jews proved to be an efficient tool to gain support from German people.Hitler used a few ways to manipulate the public to achieve his aim. However, I believe the most significant method is the usage of Nazi Propagandas.
