Garrido 1

Gabby Garrido
Mr. Hawkins
Modern World History-Period 6
18 March 2016
How did Germans perceive Hitler? Why was he followed so loyally and by so many?
A burning question that many curious minds have pondered over the years is why Hitler
had such a huge following during World War II. In the years prior to the Holocaust and World
War II, Germany had recently fallen into a state of depression because of World War I. With all
of the reparations and loss of jobs in the country, the German people had begun to lose hope for
ever bouncing back to a state of happiness. And it all seemed to be going downhill until a man
named Adolf Hitler appeared. Known as the worst of the worst in history, Hitler was actually
supported fully by the German people because of what he had promised to do to bring Germany
back as a strong nation; he accomplished this loyalty by creating a strong sense of nationalism,
efforts of propaganda, and social benefits.
Hitler encouraged the German people to have a stronger sense of nationalism to help
unite them together as a country once again. The Treaty of Versailles had basically put Germany
in the dirt with how many reparations it had to make for WWI, but a popular goal of the
Nazis was to abolish the Treaty of Versailles, (Website 1). The Treaty of Versailles was a
thing that unified the German people for a common distaste. It would also prove to be something
that Hitler would use to make the people of Germany have a stronger connection with one

Garrido 2
another. With the Nazi party promising to get rid of the Treaty of Versailles, they knew that to
every German, the idea of tearing the treaty up would bring a sense of empowerment and
elation,(Website 1). It is true that in the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was held solely
responsible for the start of the first World War. But the German people were put into a huge debt
and state of depression because of the treaty, so even the simplest mention of the abolishment of
the treaty would have the German people running in that direction. Hitler also announced in a
speech for the German people to come and protest against Germany being burdened with
the war guilt,(Website 1). This was Hitlers cry out for the German people to literally come
together and their German pride. With this plea and the fact that the Nazi party wanted to end the
Treaty of Versailles, the people of the county knew that Hitler was the man to trust. Hitler had
united the people of Germany once again, and to better his support he also put himself out in the
public eye as a hero.
Adolf also used a variety of propaganda to show himself off as a hero. In a speech of his,
Hitler states for the German people to protest against the Peace Treaty of Versailles which
has been forced upon us by the sole culprit of the war, (Website 1). Ever since the Treaty of
Versailles had been made and decided, no politician from the German government had stepped
forward to address it. When Hitler made this statement, people were willing to listen and give
him their time. Even though the people of Germany would like to forget all of the events of the
Holocaust, the people give Hitler credit for the fact that he overcame chaos in Germany,
restored order, enormously raised production in all fields of national economy, (Website
2). Hitler made sure to make a show of how he was publically saving the German people from
the slump that they had fallen into. And by also doing this, he made an image of himself as a

Garrido 3
hero to all of the families and citizens of Germany, Hitler also mentioned how he led millions
of deeply unhappy Germans, who [had] been snatched away... back into the
Fatherland,(Website 2). Adolf Hitler knew how to speak to a crowd and get them riled up with
specific emotions that he wanted them to feel. With this statement, Hitler basically puts his mark
on the people that he is like a savior who has come to release the people from depression. The
German people now a view on Hitler as someone who would save them from depression and
more hard times; Hitler also gave the people a number of social benefits to gain more support for
himself.
Along with propaganda and nationalism, Hitler provided a variety of social benefits for
the German people. One of the first things that Hitler did for the German people was that he
gave [the people] huge tax breaks and introduced social benefits that even today anchor
the society, (Website 3). When Hitler was making a plan to basically become a dictator in
Germany, he knew that he would need the German people to both trust and fear him equally. And
by providing the people with social benefits and tax breaks, the citizens couldnt complain about
horrid treatment from the man. Despite popular believe, Hitler never once during his 12 years
in power...raise taxes for working class people, (Website 3). By the citizens of Germany
paying taxes at a consistent price gave them a sense of comfort and security with Hitler in
charge. This was a very professional move by Hitler because the people wouldnt want Hitler to
either raise taxes or relieve the people of their social benefits. Adolf Hitler also, pampered
soldiers and their families, offering them more than double the salaries and benefits that
American and British families received,(Website 3) to have the utmost loyalty to him. The
soldiers in Germany had to have full trust in Hitler, and by Hitler giving them, as well as their

Garrido 4
families, double salaries than that of other soldiers left little disagreement between the soldiers
and Hitler. In addition, the soldiers would know not to disobey Hitler if they wanted to still
receive the huge salary; this was a genius point that Hitler used to help get all of the soldiers on
his side and to not turn him in. Adolf was a clever man to have the people of Germany receive so
many social benefits and by doing so, he had the vote of the citizens in the bag for election day.
Hitler received full support by the German people because of what he promised for the
people and the country; what he promised to deserve this loyalty was by creating strong
nationalism in the people's, efforts of propaganda, and benefits. To sum up all of the evidence
and answer the question more head-on, the Germans supported and had Hitler remain in power
because of what he was providing them as a country. Hitler was providing jobs, food, and a
strong sense of nationalism for the German people which had all but disappeared after World
War I. So, although the German people came to realize that Hitler wasnt the best person, they
were able to gain a strong national pride in their country and get out of their depression state
from after the war.