3. Hitler's role in Na State Flashcards
What did the Nazi/germans call Hitler? What was his role now?
The Führer Prinzip or ‘Leadership Principle’ stated that as Führer, it was Hitler who determined the meaning of party ideology. The Führer made the final decision
Why did Hitler allow overlapping of responsibilities between subordinates and unconcerned about the conflict that occurred?
He believed that this enabled the strongest individuals and those with the best ideas, to emerge.
Who created the Fuhrer myth?
Propaganda Minister, Goebbels
what is the Fuhrer myth?
was a manufactured image that showed him as a working class man who had risen through the ranks, displaying qualities of a saint, of someone who has sacrificed their personal life for the public service that the German’s would like
Was the Fuhrer myth true?
All these things about the Führer were a fabrication but the Nazis were able to manipulate the media
what did Fuhrer myth create image of for Hitler?
created an image of Hitler who understood and worker to achieve what was in Germany’s best interests
Quote to describe Hitler’s lack of involvement and action within party:
Hitler “took the view that many things sorted themselves out if they were left alone”
(Otto Dietrich).
What did Hitler do within the party?
Hitler didn’t continually issue directives – he was too lazy. Rather, he would let subordinates make their own decisions on the basis of what they understood were his broad goals
List the 4 views of Hitler:
The Hitler-Centred View
The Intentionalist View
The Structuralist View
The ‘Working towards the Fuhrer’ view
The Hitler-Centred View: who made this view?
historians like Alan Bullock
The Hitler-Centred View: what was Hitler status?
absolute centre of the regime. – nothing happens without his consent/approval
The Hitler-Centred View: what was it accurate to state with his personality so strong?
‘Hitler was Nazism, and Nazism was Hitler’
The Hitler-Centred View: view of Hitler/Fuhrer?
a skilled political player and a man in control
Skilled at influencing and manipulating the masses for his own advantages e.g. understood masses fear of communism and used this as he began to expand Germany territory & propaganda/terror
The Hitler-Centred View: was Hitler an original thinker?
wasn’t original thinker – used idea common in Germany before 1914
The Hitler-Centred View: quote to show hitler’s lack of originality in his ideas?
As Bullock states,
“Hitler’s originality lay not in his ideas, but in the terrifying literal way in which he set to work to translate these ideas into reality,”
The Intentionalist View: when and by who?
This view argued in the 1960s and 1970s by historians like Karl Bracher
The Intentionalist View: what was the main idea of Nazi from this view?
regime was chaotic, inefficient system with confused overlapping structure to encourage subordinated to compete, ‘survival of the fittest’ while Hitler remain top, god-like
The Intentionalist View: position of Hitler?
Hitler’s position secure and always have final say in any issue = position of ‘Fuhrer’
The Intentionalist View:
Quote to show Hitler essential for the functioning of the regime?
“It was indeed Hitler’s Weltanschauung (word view) and nothing else that mattered in the end”
– Karl Bracher
The Structuralist View: who and when?
Argued by historians like Martin Broszat in 1960s/70s
The Structuralist View: what was Hitler like?
weak dictator unable to make definite decisions
Hated paper work and admin – lazy, unwilling and unable to organise
The Structuralist View: what was happening to Nazi Party?
Regime out of control/chaos due Hitler’s weakness as leader
The Structuralist View: why didn’t Hitler make decisions or commit anything to paper if can avois and drag issues on?
way to ensure no effect on his prestige, image if errors made
The ‘Working towards the Fuhrer’ view: who?
historian likes Ian Kershaw
