How Did Hitler Maintain Power During World War 2 Essay Example

Using his strengths and determination, Hitler was able to rise and maintain power in Germany during the World War 2 period. Although there were many factors, Hitler mainly used his aggressive foreign policy ideas, use of propaganda, and treatment towards opposition to maintain his power.

The most important factor was the aggressive foreign policy ideologies that the Nazis and Hitler had. After the devastating defeat in World War 1, the German population despised the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles. The Nazis and Hitler used this to their strengths and showed hatred towards the Treaty of Versailles like the rest of the nation. Hitler started to take steps to undo and break the Treaty of Versailles by rebuilding the military and creating the first, new air force and Luftwaffe squad. Hitler also used the idea of conscription to increase the numbers in the military. Using the new military and army, Hitler broke another condition which was the demilitarization of the Rhineland. He marched the military into the Rhineland again to completely border France. As mentioned in source A he also used the construction of the first Autobahn to make transportation easier for the military and citizens. Also mentioned in source B, Hitler used rallies to gain support from society to better the public views. Hitler agreed and gave sympathy to the public to gain support which helped him maintain his power.

The use of propaganda like source B helped Hitler spread and notify the public more easily. He used the methods of cheap radios so that the nation could hear his speeches, he attended rallies and used his strength of public speaking to convince the population. Furthermore, Hitler controlled most aspects of social media in Germany, censored and destroyed any form of media that would be a disadvantage to him. He changed films to make him look greater and more like a “god” in Germany. However, not all convincing was done by the use of propaganda. Hitler’s social policies like the Hitler Youth had a huge effect on the public German society. As seen in sources B and C, the Hitler Youth was made up of many future Germans who would most likely lead the nation in the coming years. As the Nazi party grew, the membership in the Hitler Youth organizations grew as well, “membership had increased to more than 2 million (30% of German youth ages 10-18).” (source C) The Hitler Youth helped the spread of propaganda and helped the spread of the Nazi ideologies so that society would become more aware. Contrary to statements, the Hitler Youth did not have too much effect as they were created to help the growth of Germany in the future more than the present. 

The final way that Hitler maintained power has a connection to the use of propaganda. Hitler’s treatment against the opposition was violent and effective. The use of propaganda and social media raised awareness against the minorities like the Jewish population. Like in source D, the government created laws and policies that forbid the Jewish people to have any rights in Germany. The Jewish population was ignored and sent to concentration camps to separate them from the so-called “perfect” German society. The most known event against the Jews was the Kristallnacht also known as the Night of Broken Glass. This night was one of the most violent and deadly days for the Jewish people. Stores, houses, and Jewish society were broken down by violent acts carried out by the German people. The use of propaganda convinced the German society into thinking the Jewish were the cause of the troubles and eventually hatred broke out and the Jews were left with nothing in Germany. Following the Kristallnacht, another big event was the Holocaust. After the Kristallnacht, the hatred towards the Jews only grew and was mainly because of Hitler’s speeches and emotions shown in films edited by the government. The Holocaust was the genocide of the Jewish people in Germany. Starting in 1941 around 6 million Jews were brutally murdered by the German society and government. This event killed nearly two-thirds of all Jewish population in Europe. This all happened because laws as mentioned in source D, show the true intentions of the Nazi party and Hitler. According to the text in source D, German people would receive penalties and punishment for violating the laws to take care of the Jewish people. 

The economic policies by Hitler were not as significant but the German society could not have grown without the economic backing. During the rebuild, Germany used huge spendings on the military and the construction of Autobahns and roads. Again, women and Jews were pardoned from their workplaces to make room for the German men to work. The reason was to lower the unemployment rate in Germany which was relatively high at the time. Many men were forced to work in environments they did not want to work in. Just like the Hitler Youth many were pressured and forced to work and perform at workplaces they did not want to. 

In summary, there were many factors that helped Hitler maintain in Germany, however, the biggest factor was Hitler’s ability to change Germany into a more aggressive nation starting with the change of foreign policy and the aggressive and hatred towards the minorities to make benefits for the country itself.