WHY WAS HITLER ABLE TO SEDUCE GERMANY THROUGH SPEECHES? 2
Why was Hitler Able to Seduce Germany through Speeches?
Adolf Hitler is considered to be perhaps the most villainous man of the twentieth
century. His vile and ruthless deeds are common knowledge. In fact, the name Hitler has now
become synonymous with evil. What many often forget, however, is that Hitler was not only
a coldblooded tyrant but also a brilliant persuader of men (Laqueur, 2017). He oversaw the
deaths of millions of people, including the near extermination of the Jewish race while
maintaining the full support of the German people. As an orator, his speeches were full of
effective propaganda that made the Germans believe in him during the post-World War II
economic slump.
Hitler was an extraordinary speaker and could convince people that he could bring
them out of their misery. 1920 was a period of extreme economic hardship for Germany, and
they could believe anyone who could be that convincing (Kershaw, 2014). The World War I
disoriented the German people, as they could never imagine Germany losing. They badly
sought answers for the defeat, and one young lad convinced them that he had the answers.
Through his persuasive speeches full of propaganda, Hitler provided hope for the Germans.
Hitler began to unleash his propaganda upon all of Germany when he realised that the
public was looking for someone who could instil hope in them. He had previously used his
persuasiveness to further himself in the Nazi Party and to gain supporters, but it was not until
he was a dictator that his persuasive style was fully manifested (Laqueur, 2017). Adolf
Hitler’s persuasive method was built upon the foundation of treating the German people as a
group, rather than as individuals.
One of the main factors in Hitler’s rise to power was the Economic Depression of
1929. After the Wall Street crash, the U.S. called in its loans to Germany thus increasing
both poverty and unemployment levels (Gordon, 2016). The Weimar government did not
understand how to reverse the situation, so the general public became angry and lost
