Perspective- 20th century part2/5
Hitler during world war I
Adolf Hitler had a great ambition to become an artist. In as early as 1909 he was rejected twice for admission by Viennese Academy of Art. He raged against the society as he “Sincerely believed” he was an artistic genius. He had no means to earn in the city of Vienna and did odd jobs in the day and at night slept in a makeshift shelter behind the railway station. He was in total poverty and had no where to go. He spent time during the day in the libraries and studied politics.
He wanted to enroll in the army but was once again rejected because he was not found fit. Later he somehow got into a Baverian regiment and was given the job of a runner or messenger to deliver messages between trenches or bunkers. It required nerves of steel to do this job under heavy barrage of enemy firing. Hitler was brave, cool under fire and showed respect to his superiors. He never questioned or disobeyed any order. He was awarded Iron Cross (the highest decoration) for saving an injured officer who had been left alone on the field.
Adolf Hitler didn’t behave like a normal soldier as he was a non drinker and a vegetarian and didn’t show any interest in girls. He was always ‘lecturing’ politics to his mates.
He also thought that god had made him for a special reason and the protective hand of god was there to save him. He recalled a mysterious voice calling him and he left the bunker and soon after a bomb took a direct hit on the bunker and all the soldiers in that bunker died. Hitler was miraculously saved.
In a second such incidence once while Hitler was injured and returning back limping to his bunker Private Henry Tanday of British Army had him in his cross fire, he was-sitting duck. But Tanday somehow couldn’t take to shooting an injured soldier. It was a young 29 years old Hitler VS an Englishman and he could have never expected the person whose life he had spared to become that fuehrer of Germany and who would be responsible for such a destruction in the World War II.
“Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death”
Omar Bradley(American, US General,commanded US ground forces in Normandy invasion in World War II, 1893–1981)
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Hitler was once again injured in the war by getting-splinter in his leg. He was hospitalised but immediately on discharge from hospital, he was declared fit for light duties. He insisted on being given front line duty and applied for a job on the front. When he joined back his duty by Feb 1917 his comrades were astonished to see him on the frontline, despite being injured. He again as usual started his political speeches and discussions amongst other soldiers.
He was to prove his mettle in the battle once again. In one of the operations he crawled single handed to a trench where some French soldiers were holed up. Hitler told them that they had been surrounded from all sides and they should surrender. They believed him and actually surrendered. For this act he got Iron cross first class. In October 1918 his regiment was struck by British Gas attack. Hitler temporarily lost his sight and was hospitalised. He proved to be a brave soldier and was given awards and citations.
When he was in the hospital he got the news that the Germans had lost the war. Hitler was a broken man and he began to cry. He couldn’t take that a nation of Aryans which was fit to rule the world had lost the war. He was angry more at his own government rather than anyone else.
As they say “The embers of one war ignited the fuse of another.” Here was a corporal of second war destined to wage a war against the world where he would create and destroy Generals as if by the movement of his little finger!
“No one person in the 20th century has had such a profound effect as “the German Führer”. He raised a robbed, starving, broken, and defeated people into a well fed, motivated, happy, prosperous, industriously advanced and highly successful nation. This was all achieved in peace-time in an unbelievable six years”
Anonymous
Adolf Hitler’s rise to power
After Treaty of Versailles Hitler came to Munich with no job, no skill, no friends. He was given opportunity to speak in public by an army officer and was made education offer. He was also asked by the department to report on political groups which were against the Government. He was assigned to attend a meeting on 12th September 1919 of a small party- German’s Workers Party-DAP. Infact, at this meeting he displayed his oratory and articulation skills by literally tearing apart other speakers. It impressed the founder of the party, “Anton Dexter” who invited him to join the party. Hitler realised that the party was directionless, was disorganised and if he joined he could exercise his influence and give the party some fresh ideas. Hitler was the 55th member and since the party membership numbers began with 500, his number was 555.
On 20th February 1920 it was renamed as NSDAP National Socialistic Party- Later became Nazi Party (How Nazi word was coined). He organised some tough guys as security men under “gymnastics and sports division” . It was to help keep order at the Nazi party meetings and acted like bouncers at pubs today.
“Even a little dog can piss on a big building.”
-Jim Hightower
Throughout 1920, Hitler started giving speeches at beer halls in Munich. Beer halls were a favourite place, where people gathered and had beer as well as discussed the social and political issues. Hitler’s pet topics were the Jews and Treaty of Versailles. The direction and philosophy of Nazi Party was anti Marxist and was opposed to democratic post war government of the “Weimar Republic” and peace treaty of Versailles. Party members were so impressed by his oratory that in early 1920 he was made the head of propaganda for the Nazi Party.
He gradually mustered over 15000 brawlers (now called bouncers) mostly unemployed, frustrated ex-soldiers and by 1923 was organising dozens of political rallies across Munich. He wanted to march against the democratic government and attempt a Putsch ( a coup).
His opponent Von Kahr wanted to restore monarchy but Hitler wanted to be a dictator . One evening when Von Kahr was addressing 3000 people in a beer hall, Hitler surrounded by his associates like Rudolf Hess and Goring burst into the hall when Hitler fired a shot in the air shouting “ The national revolution has broken out! A new government will be formed.” His men pushed the main speakers out and in this chaotic atmosphere, Hitler gave an extempore speech. It changed the atmosphere in seconds. Dr. Karl A V Mueller a professor of History and supporter of Van Kahr who was an eye witness said “I cannot remember in my entire life such a change in the attitude of a crowd in a few minutes…..almost in a few seconds. Hitler had turned them inside out, as one turns a glove inside out, with a few sentences. It had something like a magic in it!”
He had turned the tables and finally said “outside Van Kahr is struggling hard to take a decision to join me. May I say to them that you will stand behind me?” And the crowd roared its approval.
That night was the night of the coup and the coup continued in the morning. By mid morning Hitler realised that the coup was going nowhere. Approximately 2000 people with him were confused and about to give up when Ludendroff, Hitler’s comrade shouted that they would march and led them to the Defence Ministry Office. About 100 soldiers opposed them and both sides opened fire. Goring was injured but Hitler fled. Lundendroff continued to march and later gave an impression that Hitler was a coward.
“Courage is the discovery that you may not win, and trying when you know you can lose”
Tom Krause
State police launched a counter attack in two days , Hitler was arrested and charged with high treason. Goring and Rudolf Hess escaped to Austria, Nazi Party headquarters were raided and its news paper was banned (peoples observer). But by then Hitler had created two organisations, ‘Hitler Youth’ and ‘schutzstaffeln’ (SS).
Hitler’s trail began on 26th February 1924. Through his trail he changed his tone and he projected himself as a person with selfless devotion to the good of the people and need for bold action to achieve this. He toned down his stand against the Jews! He took the total responsibility for the Putsch and inspiring the title of Fuhrer (leader) for himself. ‘I am the leader’ was his stand.
He and Hess were given a five year jail sentence. The prison festung shaft where he was jailed had relatively comfortable cells and even the visitors were easily allowed. It was meant for those prisoners where the judge felt that the accused had an honourable but misguided motives. Hitler used this ‘comfortable’ place to write his book “Mein Kampf” (my struggle) destined to become the Nazi Bible. He also used the trail to his advantage and every word that he spoke during the trail was reported in the papers by the press next day. He managed the media or the media favoured him on its own is a matter of debate.
Hitler and Nazi Party failed to achieve the goals but got a taste of national attention, and the propaganda victory. He also learnt that revolution by force was not a good idea. He had to win the heart of Germans and must do things as per the book- as per the law.
During his time at the prison he considered his political strategy. He wanted to be a part of the system to seize control.
1925–30 was the time when Hitler was inching forward to seize power. In 1928 his party won only 12 seats in the ReichStag, within a short period Hitler’s Nazi party became the second largest party with 107 seats. A large amount of money was pumped into the elections with over one million posters which were distributed and a large number of trucks were used in the campaign.
By middle of 1932 Nazi party had 800,000 card holding members. Hitler demanded to be the chancellor but the then chancellor, Franz von Papen who offered him the position of Vice Chancellor-Hitler Refused! By the end of July Nazi Party gained 14,000,000 votes , getting 230 seats in the Reich Stag.
“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking”
William Butler Yeats
