Was Hitler a Weak Dictator between 1934-1939 Essay

Was Hitler a Weak Dictator between 1934-1939 - Essay Example If there was a weakness to be found in Hitler's dictatorship then it would have had to be his own greed and desire to conquer the entire world, which was an impossible feat, yet Hitler failed to see the reality of his circumstances. However, with regard to his iron rule over his people and the control he had over other countries, he was by no means weak but rather he was an extremely powerful and suffocating force, making all the necessary decisions concerning his homeland. The conclusion will show that the reign of Hitler still haunts the memories of many due to the delirious atrocities he placed upon thousands, which inevitably brings the validity needed to prove he was cruel and vindictive but never could he be classified as weak. Hitler's role was much too central in Germany for him to have ever been considered a weak dictator. Furthermore, in order to validate the point being made that Hitler was indeed not weak during these years it can be pointed out that he had a hefty amount of control over all areas of socialization and political governance during this time. This was through his tyranny on the people themselves and his say so in how the educational system worked, his persecution of the minorities in the country, the development of propaganda and censorship, and his overall pull in the maturing belief of Nazism (Jackson & Spielvogel 1996, pg. 12). Hitler pretty much controlled every activity that people participated in on a daily basis, from leisure activities to their quality of life at work and home as well. This is basically why there have been statements made about him of how he ruled Germany through his threatening presence alone (Klaus & Fischer 1997, pg. 110). Just for an example, Hitler had more control over the people than what has ever actually been realized. He forced German citizens and his military to pledge an oath to his allegiance and those who did not were dismissed and later executed. In fact, during these very year's history has shown that Hitler was at the rise of his popularity within Germany and in other regions of which he had conquered so there is no logical way to assume he was in any way weak at all but rather, as was stated previously, a very serious extremist and unrelenting dictator (Jackel 1972, pg. 55). The Rule of Hitler The question of if Hitler was able to be a strong dictator lays in the arguments of functional and intentionalists. A functional argument is the belief that Hitler didn't have a plan but used what was in front of him to his advantage, and an Intentional view is that Hitler had a plan and stuck by his plan therefore leading us to the question, 'was Hitler strong enough to have a plan and succeed it' Hitler knew how to abuse the chaotic government and he knew how to use the circumstances (Mitchell 1990, pg. 89). He knew exactly what the people wanted and what the military wanted. All of these aspects could have made Hitler strong. From the end of the 1st world war the military wanted rearmament and the people wanted revenge. These two circumstances assisted Hitler in having his voice heard more clearly and defined him as being a very strong leader throughout the years that he was gaining his control of the country. The weak government and the