WWII question

[donquixote99]

[QUOTE=HarmanKardon;223295]

Originally Posted by icenine

In 1924 no one in the rest of the world took him seriously. Why did millions of Germans vote for him in the elections of 1933? His book had been out for 10 years by then.

The barking monster was a brilliant agitator and he promised jobs for milliions of unemployed people, unemploymennt was a huge problem in Germany in the early thirties. The other political parties then were weak and devoid of lacking in ideas. These are some reasons why he was so successful.

The rest was that he ran his party as a criminal enterprise that effectively used intimidation, blackmail, and murder to vitiate all opposition, and he rendered the Reichstag non-functional through a strategy of disciplined disruption and trolling by the Nazi delegation. This being in addition, as you note, to being 'fortunate' in the quality of other actors of crucial influence, eg Hindenburg and von Papen.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by Dondilion

Poems of Wilfred Owen give a taste of this anti war ethos.

Speaking of poems every Canadian school child at one time or another had to learn;

"In Flanders Fields" by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

I fact even after all these year it is still there in my mind. And at least one of the class would recite it after the minute of silence at 11:00 AM on the 11th day of the 11th month - November.

[icenine]

[QUOTE=donquixote99;223325]

Originally Posted by HarmanKardon

The rest was that he ran his oarty as a criminal enterprise that effectively used intimidation, blackmail, and murder to vitiate all opposition, and he rendered the Reichstag non-functional through a strategy of disciplined disruption and trolling by the Nazi delegation. This being in addition, as you note, to being 'fortunate' in the quality of other actors of crucial influence, eg Hindenburg and von Papen.

However people still voted for him. Millions did.

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by HarmanKardon

But something like the Third Reich + WWII could probably never happen again due to the global exchange of information by the internet in a world we call the Global Village. At least I hope it will never happen again.

Never say never.

If I had to bet on what large nation might go fascist and plunge everyone into hell, I'd say the U.S. Not that I'd call it real likely at thins point. But I guess a 10% chance in the next 20 years would not be an out-there estimate....

[donquixote99]

Originally Posted by merrylander

He was elected partly because Clemanceau had demanded such reparations that it, along with the depression destroyed the German economy. Ask any stamp collector about the German stamps of the period, surcrged with astonomical numbers. You could get your wages in a wheelbarrow and by the time you got to market it would barely buy a loaf of bread. My neighbour back in quebec told me how he and his buddies worked on a farm just for the food.

America was looking inward and in Britain no one wanted war and there were even some who thought the destruction of the Jews was a good thing. And we got war only because Britain (and Near as I recall France) had a pact with Poland.

Because France was on good terms withBelgium the Maginot line ended at the France Belgium border so they simply swept around it.

In those days military intelligence was an oxymoron hence Dieppe and the loss of so many Canadians. It was supposed to be a sandy beach instead theit tanks faced a pebbled beach and a three foot seawall and so they were slaughtered.

All in all it was a bloody mess and we only won by destroying tthe factories Ruhr valley dam and cutting off fuel supplies.

I continue to argue it accords him unwarranted legitimacy to say he was 'elected.' The Nazi's popularity had peaked and they lost seats in the last Reichstag election before Hitler was appointed Chancellor. Hitler was in despair over his fading prospects before von Papen handed him power.

I would call the passage of the Enabling Act, that gave the Chancellor dictatorial powers, a virtual coup, with the Reichstag lined with stormtroopers and the Nazis howling for blood if the act failed.

[Oerets]

No one can say that similar atrocities are not happening still today. North Korea for one and the Rwandan Genocide even thou confined inside their borders. Given our technological expertise and advanced weapons the potential for widespread devastation will always exists, sad to say.

On the way Germany was treated after WWI, yes the stern belief in to the victor goes the spoils came back ten fold. The second time around a much better attempt was made to bring wayward countries back into the fold.


Barney

[Dondilion]

[QUOTE=icenine;223327]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

However people still voted for him. Millions did.

Hitler had a very effective propaganda machine headed by Goebbels.

For instance he made great use of the government connection to the construction of the Bundesautobahn and Hitlers personal connection to Volkswagen car - Hitler designed the "Peoples' car".

[donquixote99]

Propaganda works.

This is a fact with big implications.

[Dondilion]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

I continue to argue it accords him unwarranted legitimacy to say he was 'elected.' The Nazi's popularity had peaked and they lost seats in the last Reichstag election before Hitler was appointed Chancellor. Hitler was in despair over his fading prospects before von Papen handed him power.

I would call the passage of the Enabling Act, that gave the Chancellor dictatorial powers, a virtual coup, with the Reichstag lined with stormtroopers and the Nazis howling for blood if the act failed.

The leaders of the army were complicit too. Although they loathe Hitler, he successfully played his anti Bolshevik street credential card to overcome the army's reservation.

[BlueStreak]

[QUOTE=HarmanKardon;223295]

Originally Posted by icenine

The barking monster was a brilliant agitator and he promised jobs for milliions of unemployed people, unemploymennt was a huge problem in Germany in the early thirties. The other political parties then were weak and devoid of lacking in ideas. These are some reasons why he was so successful.

And there's our answer. In less prosperous countries, such as the African nations, warlords gain control of the food & water supply and use it to control the masses. If you don't submit, you don't eat. In the "industrialized" nations such as Germany and the United States.....it's employment that is used in this fashion.

"They who do not work, shall not eat."

Where have we heard THAT from recently?

Have a nice day.

Dave