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Native German speakers: Are Hitler's speeches particularly compelling? (self.asklemmy)

submitted 1 month ago by yesman to c/asklemmy

41 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I've always been told that Hitler was a masterful public speaker; that his support can largely be explained by his compelling, if not mesmerizing hold on crowds. This narrative is not common, it's universal.

Sometimes I think this is emphasized over how much the crowds approved of the content of his speech.

How do native German speakers feel when they view footage of Hitler? Do you think the reputation is earned?

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[–] [email protected] 78 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Short answer: Yes he was a talented speaker and a great manipulator. He knew what the crowd wanted to hear and he could express it very well. However, this is a great simplification.

Longer answer: The problem is we view his speeches from todays perspective. The world now is very different so we can only assume how germans felt at the time. If you are really interested in it, I suggest to read some books from Erich Maria Remarque. These show from the perspective of the time how it could have come to this. Germany, once a proud superpower, was devastated after the First World War. The heavy defeat, supply problems, hyperinflation and all that struggle, provided the breeding ground for all kinds of radical factions. It was no wonder a demagogue like Hitler was so well received back then. From today's perspective, this is not really possible to judge. The Allies knew that this could not happen again after the Second World War. Thats why the Marshall Plan was introduced, which led to Germany maturing into a modern western democracy.

[–] Contramuffin 30 points 1 month ago

I agree with you generally, but I strongly disagree that we today cannot understand the perspective of the time. We (Americans) just elected Imperial Supreme God Emperor Trump based on the same fascist ideas that drove people to Hitler back then

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago

Great author and books. Reads much like Hemingway. People in Germany were pissed about the conditions imposed by the loss of WWI and the effects of it. Hitler promised to overturn what a lot of people felt was unjust. A lot of emotion, especially anger, echoed what a lot of people must have felt at the time. If you're in a tunnel, and someone shines a light, you follow it.