The Hitler Myth

I think the Hitler myth had a huge influence on the German population throughout the 1930s and 40s, namely the 'non-organized masses' and the Nazi party itself. I think the populations was interested in finding a leader who exhibited the qualities that society as a whole valued, such as being a military leader, working against Marxism, and improving the economic situation. Hitler proved to be a great 'puppet' for these purposes because even though he did not exhibit the seven qualities listed for the myth, the popular perception was that he was all of those things. The people were looking for a modern party that would address their interests as a whole which is exactly the appeal of Nazism. Because they turned away from the traditional parties, a void was left that the Nazi party quickly filled. The non-organized masses of people who had no strong connections to parties or social groups were greatly influenced by these myths because it created a place where they could belong and connected them into something they believed in. furthermore, the bandwagon effect took hold of these people getting them to join the cause largely because the people around them were. The party itself was also greatly affected by the myth because it almost deified Hitler and made the whole party submit personally to him. This creates a personal attachment of the individual to Hitler (not the state) because they viewed him as irreplaceable.

Interest groups and the rise of the people

In 1918, terms emerged with the focus on the people "such as Volksgemeinshaft (people's community), Volksstaat (people's state), and Volkspartei (people's party)" which "acknowledged that unity" was necessary to challenged the Socialist left. The revolution involved all parts of society and "nowhere in the Reich did the revolution encounter opposition," as it included support from "men and women, workers and burqhers, city and countryside, (and) socialists and nationalists." This mass support for the revolution took the power away from the established government and its leaders.

With this mass support and the mentality that people had that they could be successful in not only the large-scale revolution, but also in more focused agendas, the middle class began gravitating towards interest groups and unions. People spoke "most loudly as constituents of particular social and economic interests" with a focus on occupational concerns. Numerous interest groups were established, such as the socialist Free Trade Union which tripled in size compared to pre-war participation.

This huge increase in political activity by the middle-class upset the norms of previous society and government. Which such active participants who were focused on certain specific issues, the right wing lost huge amounts of support and representation in the Reichstag. This revolution gave a much more recognized voice to the middle-class through their ability to join together in small interest groups with direct focuses to upset the social norms of pre-war Germany.