To what extent was propaganda's importance to the rise of Hitler Essay

To what extent was propaganda's importance to the rise of Hitler - Essay Example Hitler had many personality flaws that had to be overcome before he could successfully lead any political party. Hitler was paranoid about many subjects. Takeovers and conspiracies were a common theme in Hitler’s mind. In Mein Kampf, Hitler talked about Jews endlessly. One example states â€Å"I gradually discovered that the Social Democratic Party was predominately controlled by Jews.† Hitler really believed that Jews had a worldwide conspiracy against the German people. Instead of showing his paranoia against the Jews, Hitler laid down logical reasons for his hatred toward the Jews. For example: He painted a vivid picture of a revivified and dynamic 'racial community' that would overcome all distinctions of class, estate and station. The economy would be invigorated by two four-year plans and 'national rebirth' ensured by the reassertion of family values and a return to the basic tenets of Christian morality. Instead of just stating his paranoid facts about the Jews, Hitler used a positive spin to include others in his paranoid beliefs. The propaganda of the Jews standing in the way of better economic plan, or even a better Germany was easier to sell to the Germans than paranoid beliefs about a Jewish or Communist conspiracies. Another problem that Hitler had to hide was his phobia with the opposite sex. Hitler was very shy around women. One woman that he loved above others was his niece, Geli. There is much speculation about whether these two had a sexual relationship. The relationship came to a tragic end when Geli commuted suicide. Hitler only had serious relationships with three women, Geli, Miezl Reiter, and Eva Braun Not much is known about Reiter, except she was his chauffeur’s sister.... tionship came to a tragic end when Geli commuted suicide.4 Hitler only had serious relationships with three women, Geli, Miezl Reiter, and Eva Braun Not much is known about Reiter, except she was his chauffeur’s sister.5 Eva Braun Hitler's longtime mistress, eventually married Hitler right before both of them committed suicide in the last days of World War II. Braun was not very stable. She tried multiple times to kill herself.6 Hitler did not appear publicly attached to these women. The propaganda surrounding Hitler and women was on of a single man. The unattainable bachelor made German women swoon. Every German woman attracted to Hitler could imagine the possibility of being with the Fuehrer. If he needed to use propaganda to promote a wife, children, and family life, Hitler used Magda Gobbels, Josef Gobbels' wife.7 The single bachelor image helped promote his popularity with women, despite his failed personal relationships. In order to carry out the Final Solution, or the d estruction of the Jews, Hitler could not lay out his true plans. This is where propaganda came into play. In order to cover up the paranoia of a madman, Hitler started laying out a case against the Jews. His first propaganda piece was Mein Kampf. As his position in the Nazi movement grew so did the propaganda. The main propaganda against the Jews was the idea that: Hitler and his leading propagandists were able to entertain completely contradictory versions of events simultaneously, one rooted in the grandiose idea of a master race and world domination the other in the self-pitying paranoia of the innocent, beleaguered victim. Grandiosity and paranoia were two poles of one fanatical ideology.8 By portraying his anti-Semitic sentiments as a noble cause, or a German cause, Hitler was able to come