Hitler's Charisma: Leading Millions Into the AbyssAt the age of twenty-four, in 1913, Adolf Hitler was eking out a living as a painter of pictures for tourists in Munich. Nothing marked him in any way as exceptional, but he did possess certain distinguishing characteristics: a capacity to hate, an inability to accept criticism, and a massive overconfidence in his own abilities. He was a socially and emotionally inadequate individual without direction, from whence came a sense of personal mission that would transform these weaknesses and liabilities into strengths--certainties that would provide him not only with a sense of identity, but of purpose in a communal enterprise. This is the focus of Laurence Rees's social, psychological, and historical investigation into a personality that would end up articulating the hopes and dreams of millions of Germans. (With 16 pages of black-and-white illustrations) |
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HITLER'S CHARISMA: Leading Millions into the Abyss
User Review - KirkusA searching study that addresses the question, not why so many Germans and Austrians accommodated Adolf Hitler, but why they so ardently embraced him.Fresh from the news that the Nazi labor- and death ... Read full review
Contents
Introduction | 4 |
Making a Connection | 21 |
The Man Who Will Come | 81 |
The Importance of Enemies | 108 |
The Lure of the Radical | 117 |
IO The Thrill of Release | 131 |
The Great Gamble | 179 |
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Adolf Hitler Allies anti-Semitic Army Group Army Group Centre attack attempt August Austria author for WW2History.com Bavaria Beer Hall believed Berlin Blaskowitz Blomberg Brauchitsch Britain British Chamberlain chancellor charismatic leader charismatic leadership commander Czech Dahlerus December decision defeat demonstrated Domarus East enemy entry felt fight forces France Fritsch Führer German army Germany's Goebbels Gregor Strasser Guderian Halder War Diary Hermann Göring Himmler Hindenburg Hitler's charisma Ian Kershaw ibid idea Interview with author invasion Jewish Jews Joseph Goebbels July Kampf Kershaw kill knew later Laurence Rees Ludwig Beck March meeting Mein Kampf military millions Minister Munich murder nation Nazi party Nazism never November Nuremberg officers Papen Poland political Previously unpublished testimony Red Army Reichstag revolution Röhm Russia says senior September soldiers Soviet Union speech Speer Stalin Stalingrad stormtroopers Strasser thought tion told Völkischer Beobachter wanted Warning from History Wehrmacht whilst World wrote