Well according to much of the anti-Israeli crowd on those "humanitarian" boats that was 6million to few.
He LEAD people well, but what he lead them into is another matter. There can surely be little doubt as to his ability to lead.
I've heard that though it is hard for non German speakers to understand six decades later, Hitler was known for having a remarkable sense of humor and used it well in his rise to power. IIRC, he was also one of the first politicians anywhere in the world to take advantage of airplane travel to campaign. From what I've seen, a politician who adopts a new technology first tends to have a big advantage. Lyndon Johnson was known as the first Texas politician to use a helicopter when he ran for office. And of course, President Obama was famous for being the first presidential candidate to take full advantage of the internet.
He was a cruel man, but probably the most efficient leader of the 20th century. He took a small country from rags to world domination in a very short time. If he had done just a few things differently we might all be speaking German right now. Had there been no "Final solution" or any of that and no attack on Russia, Europe would be much different right now.
That is a bit of a misconception. Sounds too much like the ST:OS episode "Patterns of Force". In reality, at the time Hitler rose to power, Germany was the second largest nation in Europe in terms of population (U.S.S.R. was the first) and had been a rising industrial power for nearly a century. And Germany had a reputation going back more than 80 years of producing first rate soldiers and tactical leaders. Furthermore, all of Nazi Germany's war opponents (until it invaded the U.S.S.R.) were second rate powers at best or fading empires (British empire).
Now that is bullshit, Germany was fucking hammered in any way you can think of at the end of WWI, and Versailles insured that it would stay that way. From the end of WWI until the start of WWII there was an astounding turn around that blows the bell curve and rings the bell. I am probably one of the few here that has actually read that treaty. The Versailles treaty was Germany's and Hitlers biggest catalyst. It basically insured that there would be a WWII, no country could or would live under those restrictions. Germany, under those restrictions still grew and took over Europe. Its really an amazing thing if you study it. Many things came together to cause that, but what was accomplished as far as infrastructure and manufacturing advances and even the roots of our own space program in such a short time just shows what a country can do if a leader manages to motivate the population. Too bad there was all the meanness in the leadership and no check for that.
I need to correct this. The "Final Solution" really didn't have anything to do with it. Hitler's mistake was biting off more than he could chew. He tried to wage war on two fronts and just didn't have the manpower and resources. Additionally, declaring war on America rather than holding the Japanese at bay didn't help either. His Achilles Heel was his "impatience." He wanted the world as quickly as he could get it. Had he adhered to "good things come to the calculating few who wait," yeah, I concur, we'd be speaking German today. Russia might still be around, but the world would largely wear the Swastika.
The final solution did have a lot to do with it because of propaganda and world opinion. Emotions and morale and things like that always affect the outcome of war. As wars rage on and bodies pile up, there are always those who question the reason for war. One death camp picture and all those voices are silenced.
Dayton is correct. Despite some problems, Germany was perhaps the most advanced country in the world in the 1920s. Hitler was a good orator and his economic policies were successful in kickstarting the German economy faster than most after the depression. But he was by no means "the best leader of the 20th century" or anything silly like that. ep - The impact of Versailles in an economic sense had been minimised by the time he came to power.
I disagree, it was Versailles that he used to help sling shot himself into power. That was a raw nerve with most Germans and he played upon it. Any economy and its national mood work together. Hitler vowed to redress the outrages of Versailles and the people wanted that and supported him.
It wasn't the Treaty that catapulted Hitler to power. It was the widely accepted notion that the Germans had "won the Great War (World War I)" but were "stabbed in the back" in the peace negotiations at the end and gotten a raw deal. It wouldn't really have mattered how much in reparations Germany had to pay, the real thing for the Germans was "we won but we was robbed!". Any fan of a sport where a referee's call determines the outcome knows the feeling to one degree or the other. Remember, Germany was not occupied after World War I. They had suffered a far lower percentage losses in manpower as a result of WWI compared to their continental opponents (and allies for that matter). And most importantly, German infrastructure was largely untouched (strategic bombing not a factor back then). In retrospect, Germany should've been either 1) Left alone after WWI-never a viable option given the hideous losses the allies had suffered. or 2) Put down hard- military occupation by the United States (the U.S. being the only ally that still had manpower to spare). Instead, they insisted on a horrendous "middle path" that left Germany intact but humiliated and royally pissed off.
Yup. There is actually a business rule that a lot of successful people have used based off of what happened after WWI. I forget what it's called, but the premise is to really praise and build people up - until they are a problem that must be dealt with. At that point, put them down. Hard. To the point that they can't get up and stab you in the back. When you have to deal with someone... well, grudges are a hard thing to let go of.
I find it amusing that a pointless baba spam thread has generated some interesting and educational discussion...
Well, that criticism sure didn't come out in droves in Germany. Most people were too afraid of winding up in a shower with the jews. Mortal Fear and its "consequences" are the greatest ways to control your population. Hitler understood this. I have to say, there are many leaders in the world today who use just this method to stay in power. Kimmy Jung Il and I talk on the phone all the time about it.
If people were in such fear of him, he would have never gotten into power. They threw flowers at his feet, they loved him, he offered hope and change
