Adolf Hitler: Evil Personified

3874 Words8 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Hitler essay biography

The persona of Adolf Hitler is, without question, an infamous one. He was a historically significant figure who, as national leader of Germany, staged the perpetration of arguably the most despicable acts of genocide in recorded history. Hitler’s role as the architect of the Holocaust places him at the top of the list of history’s villains. By committing atrocities that most of us find beyond comprehension, Hitler has for many people become the definition of evil, an example of absolute malevolence even to those who normally argue they do not believe in an absolute moral code. This twisted perpetrator of unspeakable wickedness has caused many to search for explanation of his evil. No other historical leader has had his motives, personality, and persuasive abilities questioned and debated by historians, psychologists, theologians, and philosophers to the extent Hitler has.

Despite the decades of research, discussion, and debate on Hitler, many questions about him remain unanswered. Personally, as I encountered Hitler in my previous studies of history, I found it virtually impossible to reconcile the fact that a human being could conceive of such evil and that he could convince others to help him perpetrate it. This paper is an attempt to reconcile and answer at least some of my questions. Is it possible to find an explanation that reveals what motivated Hitler to commit such crimes? Did Hitler actually believe he was doing the right thing, or did he understand good and evil and simply chose to commit evil to further his own personal quest for power? Did Hitler, by himself, cause the Holocaust, or was Hitler simply a product of his environment, a manifestation of a festering anti-Semitic feeling that had existed in Germa...

... middle of paper ...

...than usual. In the end, a fuming and irrational Hitler blamed his associates, claiming that their betrayal had been his downfall. He whined, “Now nothing remains. Nothing is spared to me. No allegiances are kept, no honor lived up to, no disappointment that I have not had, no betrayals that I have not experienced.” On April 20, 1945, with Allied forces surrounding Berlin, Adolf Hitler committed suicide. In line with his stated wishes, his body was burned.

Works Cited

Damon, Duane. Mein Kampf: Hitler's Blueprint for Aryan Supremacy. San Diego, Calif.: Lucent Books, 2003.

Nardo, Don. Adolf Hitler. San Diego, Calif.: Lucent Books, 2003.

Stalcup, Brenda, ed. Adolf Hitler. San Diego, Calif.: Greenhaven P, 2000.

Victor, George. Hitler: the pathology of evil. Washington, D.C.: Brassey's, 1998.

Wepman, Dennis. Adolf Hitler. New York: Chelsea House, 1985.

Show More
Related

  • Historical Analysis Of Gerald Fleming's 'Hitler And The Final Solution'

    1079 Words  | 3 Pages

    before he came to power, he just used World War II as his golden opportunity to turn his dream into a reality. Others, with Andreas Hillgruber, argue Hitler was the only reason genocide even happened. If Hitler had not been in control, the Holocaust would have ceased to exist. His key sources include the Nuremburg Trials, quoting him saying “this struggle will not end with annihilation of Aryan mankind, but with the extermination of the Jewish people of Europe.” By using Hitler’s own words against him, Hillgruber makes it easy to prove Hitler’s malicious intent clearly and depict him as the mastermind behind the mass murder of the Jewish population. Gerald Fleming creates the last sub-argument in his book, “Hitler and the Final Solution,” provides an in-depth historical evaluation of German fascism and the mechanization behind the Nazi Party bureaucracy. His main point of reference is David Irving’s, “Hitler’s War,”

    Read More

  • Adolf Eichmann

    1609 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Holocaust was one of the greatest tragedies the world has ever known. There were many key people who participated in this outrageous genocide however some get more attention then others. Adolf Eichmann is a classic example. Eichmann was a self-proclaimed “Jewish Specialist” and head of the Gestapo Department. Eichmann was responsible for keeping every train rolling right into the stations of the concentration and death camps during the holocaust. Now we will take a look into Eichmann’s childhood, life experiences, and his later actions to see what shaped into a man of hatred towards the Jewish race.

    Read More

  • Final Solution Essay

    882 Words  | 2 Pages

    As blatantly demonstrated in the past, Hitler had an undeniable hatred for the Jews. There were many forms of intentionalism displayed illustrating this hostility. These actions are believed to be in response to occurrences during World War I. In 1918, Hitler was stricken with mustard gas and partially blinded, while in the Hospital, Hitler was reached with the news of Germany’s withdrawal from the War. The armistice induced Hitler’s fury and lead to his Back Stabbing Theory. The Back Stabbing Myth was, to the anti-Semitic, a theory based on the belief that the German Army could have won World War I, but the civilians (Jews) called off the war; embarrassing the German Military. Soon followed was Hitler’s involvement in politics, h...

    Read More

  • Hitler's Willing Executioners

    2866 Words  | 6 Pages

    Hitler's Willing Executioners Fifty years after Adolph Hitler’s failed attempt to exterminate the Jews of Europe, there still remains no consensus upon the causes of this event. Daniel Jonah Goldhagen, author of Hilter’s Willing Executioners, attempts to provide a new approach and new explanations to the perplexing questions left in the aftermath of 1945. Upon it’s publication, Goldhagen’s thesis came under much scrutiny by his academic peers. Goldhagen’s argument is that the usual historical explanations of the Holocaust do not add up.

    Read More

  • The Causes of World War II

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hitler, Adolf. “Mein Kampf.” The Human Record . By Alfred J. Andrea and James H. Overfield. Vol. 2. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2011. 2 vols. 401-404.

    Read More

  • Causes of the Holocaust

    875 Words  | 2 Pages

    What possible reason can someone have for supporting or participating in the genocide and murder of millions of innocent people? During the period of the holocaust, the German peoples participation or indifference’s towards state sponsored genocide and murder could have been an effect of racism, national pride, and peer pressure.

    Read More

  • Hitler and His Power

    411 Words  | 1 Pages

    Support for the Nazi party was due to the growing belief that it was a

    Read More

  • An Arrogant Argument

    1395 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the most destructive and arrogant persons in history was Adolf Hitler. The destruction that he and his regime brought on humanity has seldom seen its equal. In reality the Holocaust was a terrible horror, but in Hitler’s mind it was merely a brushstroke in the masterpiece that he believed he was creating. Hitler believed that the Aryan race was superior to all others and that it was only natural, and not cruel, that the higher would show no humanity toward the lower (296). This prejudiced belief predominated Hitler’s thinking. In his essay, On Nation and Race, his assumption that Aryans are superior to all others creates a type of logical fallacy called “Begging the Question” (Rottenberg 291).

    Read More

  • Adolf Hitler's Oppression of the German people

    1704 Words  | 4 Pages

    Centuries later and the name Adolf Hitler still rings volumes till this present day: discussed in history books, talked about amongst intellects and commoners alike, and despised by many for years to come. Upon hearing his name many may think of all the negative things Hitler has done, but few fail to analyze just how one man created such controversy amongst a nation without being stopped. The question then lies how does a man reign over country and devastate it for years to come? Adolf Hitler, a man who excelled in persuasion and charisma was able to reign over Germany for years. Born in Austria April 20th 1889, Hitler grew up with many hardships in his life.

    Read More

  • Adolf Hitler: A Tragic Hero

    743 Words  | 2 Pages

    Adolf Hitler wasn’t always a horrible person. He wasn’t always torturing innocent victims. He was once a victim himself. Traumatic experiences in his adolescence life led him to become such a careless dictator.

    Read More

  • Who Should Be Blamed for the Holocaust?

    756 Words  | 2 Pages

    “ Hitler used propaganda and manufacturing enemies such as Jews and five million other people to prepare the country for war.” (Jewish Virtual Library), This piece of evidence shows Hitler’s attempt of genocide toward the Jewish race a...

    Read More

  • Politics and its affect on the olympics

    1561 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1934, the death of President Hindenburg of Germany removed the last remaining obstacle for Adolf Hitler to assume power. Soon thereafter, he declared himself President and Fuehrer, which means “supreme leader”. That was just the beginning of what would almost 12 years of Jewish persecution in Germany, mainly because of Hitler’s hatred towards the Jews. It is difficult to doubt that Hitler genuinely feared and hated Jews. His whole existence was driven by an obsessive loathing of them (Hart-Davis 14).

    Read More

  • Adolf Hitler was a Visonary Leader

    1614 Words  | 4 Pages

    What would you say if told you that a visionary leader was responsible for the deaths of almost 6 million innocent people? For many for you this statement might create doubt, the need for clarification, and maybe even make you angry. However, would it make a difference if I told you that this visionary leader was also unethical? Known as the personification of evil, Adolf Hitler used his visionary leadership and unethical practices to become a powerful world leader. In this essay I will show you how Hitler used his vision to become the leader of Germany; as well as, how he implemented a vision for German expansion. Then, I will explain how Hitler’s unethical leadership transformed Germany into a fierce and powerful war machine acting upon his vision of expansion. And finally, I will explain to you what I discovered about myself during this essay and how Hitler’s vision and unethical conduct opened my eyes to areas within my leadership that I need to address.

    Read More

  • Life and Death in the Third Reich, by Peter Fritzsche

    1140 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the Holocaust, around six million Jews were murdered due to Hitler’s plan to rid Germany of “heterogeneous people” in Germany, as stated in the novel, Life and Death in the Third Reich by Peter Fritzsche. Shortly following a period of suffering, Hitler began leading Germany in 1930 to start the period of his rule, the Third Reich. Over time, his power and support from the country increased until he had full control over his people. Starting from saying “Heil Hitler!” the people of the German empire were cleverly forced into following Hitler through terror and threat. He had a group of leaders, the SS, who were Nazis that willingly took any task given, including the mass murder of millions of Jews due to his belief that they were enemies to Germany. German citizens were talked into participating or believing in the most extreme of things, like violent pogroms, deportations, attacks, and executions. Through the novel’s perspicacity of the Third Reich, readers can see how Hitler’s reign was a controversial time period summed up by courage, extremity, and most important of all, loyalty.

    Read More

  • To What Extent Was Hitler a Weak Dictator?

    1859 Words  | 4 Pages

    The debate as to whether Hitler was a ‘weak dictator’ or ‘Master of the Third Reich’ is one that has been contested by historians of Nazi Germany for many years and lies at the centre of the Intentionalist – Structuralist debate. On the one hand, historians such as Bullock, Bracher, Jackel and Hildebrand regard Hitler’s personality, ideology and will as the central locomotive in the Third Reich. Others, such as Broszat, Mason and Mommsen argue that the regime evolved out from pressures and circumstances rather than from Hitler’s intentions. They emphasise the institutional anarchy of the regime as being the result of Hitler’s ‘weak’ leadership. The most convincing standpoint is the synthesis of the two schools, which acknowledges both Hitler’s centrality in explaining the essence of Nazi rule but also external forces that influenced Hitler’s decision making. In this sense, Hitler was not a weak dictator as he possessed supreme authority but as Kershaw maintains, neither was he ‘Master of the Third Reich’ because he did not exercise unrestricted power.

    Read More

More about Adolf Hitler: Evil Personified

Open Document