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.