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Raveena Nagra
Mr. Hawkins
Modern World History-P, Period 4
21 March 2016
How did Germans perceive Hitler? Why was he followed so loyally and by so many?
World War II was filled with people who didn't understand who or what they were
following. Many people looked for personal benefit without noticing how, as a whole, the
country could fall or, even worse, how the world could crumble. In the time span beginning in
1939, the world was going to fall hard and cruel. Many countries in the world were desperately
looking for a new leader to lead them in prosperity economically and personally. In order to gain
nationalism to fight in World War II, leaders had to convince their fellow people that they were
great and always right. Germany had found ways to convince people to join the Nazi group.
Their ideas to convince their people were shared through evidence one, two, and three.
Evidence one showed many ways that the Nazis used their tactics to gain supporters. For
one, Hitler had total power in Germany, unrestricted by any constitutional constraints(evidence
1). Hitler was creating a totalitarian state in which he made sure fit the needs of all of his
followers so he did not have obstacles in the way of his plan to take over the world. With his
totalitarian state, he could take any step with social, economic, or political government without
anyone or anything to stop or go against him. Germany was suffering from many domestic
problems such as: shortage of foodstuffs, high prices, low wages and, in Catholic areas, much

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antagonism towards the regime over the struggle between the church and state(evidence 1). The
country as a whole was suffering they were looking around to any source as a leader to help their
country get back together and be successful. They were desperate for a leader to nationalism
them, like Hitler did, and help them to prosper into the greatest nation of that time. Germany
especially needed this because they were still in their economic downfall form the Treaty of
Versailles that stopped their military and put them in major debt from paying for reparations of
World War I. It became difficult for many who had earlier opposed the Nazis not to admit that
Hitler had accomplished something extraordinary(evidence 1). They supported him as he
brought back the military and helped to restore economic prosperity. If there is economic
prosperity, it leads to social stability. Now that Hitler was making a good reputation for himself
he was able to gain more supporters. Evidence one showed his great deeds and evidence showed
his tactics even more.
Evidence two emphasized Hitlers ways to help Germany and gain supporters. Many
people perceived him as great and a blessing ...because Hitler and his party proposed a solution
to nearly every problem(evidence 2). This was the type of leader that the people in Germany
were wanting for years after World War I. Hitler was not initially evil and maniacal but working
for the betterment of Germany. People loved him for his great proposals of fixing the problems,
and they followed his lead from the beginning of his leadership when he was not harming people
but altering the economy to benefit every individual. Another popular goal of the Nazis was to
abolish the Treaty of Versailles(evidence 2). The Treaty of Versailles was ruining Germany and
none of the domestic people wanted to be militarily held back or pay reparations anymore. Hitler
came to power and his main goal was to gain the peoples support and patriotically gain their
power back and have even more power. Next, Hitler used propaganda and newspapers to put

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cartoons sometimes depicting Jews as vampires and rapists(evidence 2). The propaganda was
being implanted into their minds from young age so they were in support and loved the ideas of
Hitler. Jews were being put down in the eyes of the Germans as anti-semitism ideas were being
promoted. Hitler was shown in evidence one and stated in depth in evidence three.
Evidence three was showing how Hitler targeted certain groups of people to support him
and eliminated others that he felt were going to create obstacles. Hitler targeted the rich, middle
class, and military by instilling the ideas of fear of communism, rearm for war, and end the
years of violent divisions(evidence 3) into their minds. All of these reasons either had people
follow Hitler from fear of him or truly encouraging the Nazi ideas. People mainly patronized
Hitler for their own personal reasons not to benefit the whole countries need. This would result in
a terrible World War II. Under Hitlers reign, young people were exposed to Nazi propaganda
and taken into Nazi Youth organizations(evidence 3). The propaganda was very effective and
guaranteed to bring more Nazis into the organization by raising them that the Nazi way was
correct. The Germans being raised like this were used to Nazi ideas and idolized them even
more. The church was a group the Nazis needed to have on their side in order to pursue their
ways with no obstacles, so Hitler guaranteed Catholic worship and no new kulturkampf in
return for support and an end to their role in politics(evidence 3). The Catholic Church and all
of their followers were now not a problem to Hitlers plan. He had the church on his side and
could do what he pleased with the majority of Germany supporting the Nazi ways. Evidence
three showed how Hitler gained his large Nazi party but there was a lot more to it.
Evidence one, two, and three each elaborated how Hitler convinced people that he was
great and should be followed. Hitler was a very cruel man, but he was a war genius. He figured

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out ways to change his speeches to fit what the audience wanted. Hitler also used propaganda
and trained the young generations that the Nazi way was the best. Many leaders have tried to
take over the world, but Hitler was especially important because he had support from millions of
people and was very close to reaching his goal. Nowadays and into the future, there can be a
leader who tries this again by taking out all obstacles and brainwashing the public with a myriad
of propaganda. The lesson that Hitler has taught is that there must be checks and balance systems
even when the government is in its worst of times, or else, a terrible tyrannical leader will slyly
find their way to power.