Listen and read one of the following three speeches given by Adolf Hitler. Then discuss the following questions online with your classmates. The posts need to follow the normal rules of blogging: read all the previous posts, do not repeat anything that has already been said, and let your intellectual curiosity lead the discussion. If you are not the first person to post about a specific speech, then please use the REPLY function so that there are only three threads.
1. Why is this speech so effective in motivating the people of Germany? What do you think about it (style not content)?
2. What does Hitler SPECIFICALLY (use quotes) say that would appeal to the people of Germany (given their situation after WWI)? Why?
Speeches:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8DKF15E2aE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH6TKh_XnKQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGhdX1SI3KY&skipcontrinter=1
I watched the first video. I think Hitler does an extraordinary job of convincing the people that everything that he had done after the German defeat in World War I and the resulting abominable Treaty of Versailles had been to help the German people and to restore their Fatherland to its former glory. He had worked tirelessly for fourteen years to make his Nazi party grow from only seven members to twelve million members. He formed this powerful movement so that he can put an end to the agonizing unemployment and bankruptcy throughout the nation. At the end of his speech, he emphatically shouts, “I swear… that as I took office…so will I leave it. I did it not for reward. I did it for you!” And, of course, all of the Germans stood up, shouting, clapping, and saluting to show their complete loyalty to Hitler.
ReplyDeleteThe style of Hitler’s speech is phenomenal, in my opinion, as far as speeches go. His words go directly to the heart of the people; it’s as if he carefully chose specific words that would affect his listeners in such a way, that they couldn’t help believing and supporting him. His last sentence is perfect: “May God Almighty give our work His blessing, strengthen our purpose, and endow us with wisdom and the trust of our people, for we are fighting not for ourselves but for Germany.” It makes me want to throw on a uniform, grab a gun, and kill anyone who tried to stop Germany from winning. Not that I’m a Nazi or agree with anything they did, but his words were so powerful and compelling, it’s no mystery how he got so many supporters to follow him.
DeleteI picked the first speech. This speech was particularly interesting with the way that Hitler presented himself. He began his speech by waiting for the audience to become silent. He began to talk softly and slowly became louder. This was interesting because it was like he was drawing the people into what he was saying. He was extremely dramatic. He was gathering the full attention of the audience before he began. He begins the speech with "My fellow Germans." Already he has made a connection with the people. He refers a lot to the corruption of the Weimar Republic and the debt and humiliation the Germans were put through. He says " How long can this go on." He is stating that a change is needed from the current situation. This applied to the German people because the people wanted to escape the current economic status of the country. Unemployment was high at this time in the country. Also, he states "Save the nation and fatherland." He wants the people to save the country from its current problems. He wants the people to work for the bettering of the country. Furthermore, he states that he was a soldier along with eight or ten million others. This automatically ties him with the German military and veterans of WW1. Hitler played on the current status of the country and its humiliation to gain the support of the crowd. Goebbels also said some interesting things too. Goebbels in the beginning of the speech referred to opposition from Jewish press and newspapers. He states " One day our patience will come to an end, and the insolent Jews will have their lying mouths shut for them." This shows the anti-Semitic view of the Nazi party at the time. Also, this would rally the people in the Nazi party and other anti-Semitic Germans.
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKMVt7K4gPY&feature=related
DeleteI found this other speech with good video footage about Hitler's views of the Jews.
I decided to also watch the first video. I found it particularly intriguing as i looked at it from different aspects of it. For example on aspect is of course the raw emotion. The power he conjured up with his words alone. Its as you can sense the anguish he was suffering for years. The way his words flow despite his increasing frustration. It was like a tirade masquerading as a speech but the people fed off it. The louder and more passionate Hitler got, the more enthusiastic the crowd was. One thing that i thought was interesting was not what he said, but what he didn't say. He said Germany had been disgraced by "the men of November 1918" never once throughout his whole speech did Hitler say "Treaty of Versailles" its almost as if he is too disgusted by it to even call it by name. The final quote i found extremely interesting was " i didn't do this for me, I did this for you. It shows that Hitler is establishing a connection with the German people to gain their support behind the Nazi movement.
DeleteAs I was watching the first video, it slightly reminded me of the U.S Congress and them waiting for the President to arrive. Everyone Stands and cheers, claps, and welcomes him in. He walks down the long entrance way greeting his "fellow Germans". It looks almost the same as when the President comes in to talk to Congress about the country, changes, and ways to motive people. In the same way Hitler motived his people in this speech. He made them feel the need to fight for the cause. I agree with Cody about the raw emotion that Hitler presents when speaking to the crowd. He makes himself dedicated to fight for the new Germany. His attitude is felt to anyone listening, even I was moved from his speech. I also agree with Chris, I really liked his technique of speaking. He started off with the crowd quiet and then he himself eventually, grew louder and louder. It is the perfect way to grab a crowds attention. It shows off his power and determination, which is what the Germans need, power and strength because they were in ruins before Hitler stepped in.
DeleteThe quote I found to appeal the audience was "So will I and so will we all toil and work for the resurrection of the German Nation!" He first initiates a connection like with Chris's quote, and connection between himself, the people, and Germany, by saying "will we all toil and work"
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DeleteI'd have to agree with all of you in saying that Hitler was definitely an unbelievable public speaker. When actually listening to his words it's easy to see why people fell heavily into his arms, entrusting him with their struggles during such dark and difficult times. I can surely agree with Mallory in expressing that he represented the essence of change as all of Germany had been listening for an answer to what had seemed to be unsolvable problems for them, for example that of unemployment, living conditions, and the prestige of their nation. He addresses these issues as a fellow German as he addresses the German people as "we". "That we must act now if we are to act before it's too late." He also addresses himself as the savior of Germany as he also boldly states, "With the support of my party, which began with seven members and is now 12 million strong... to save the nation and the fatherland." With promises like that people are surely bound to lend an ear and see whether or not he can hold true to his words. Sad thing is that's all it takes to begin something so revolutionary, just listening can lay the foundation for change whether that change is for the better or for the worse. Ultimately no matter his intention he was successful in winning over the people with his engaging words demonstrated in these speeches.
DeleteGermany was, by far, the most devastated nation in Europe. Its condition during the 1930s was a result of both the effects of the Treaty of Versailles and the depression. The German people were desperate, grabbing at anything that could potentially save them and their nation. They needed something, someone, to get them out and Hitler seized on the situation to rise to power. While watching, I imagined myself to be a German at this time in history and really listened, not just heard, to what Hitler had to stay.
DeleteI was absolutely enveloped in the uproar of applause as I watched Hitler’s 1st speech. This speech was so effective in motivating the people of Germany for several reasons. First, gives them someone to blame, the Allies who won WWI and made them accept the humiliating terms of the Versailles Treaty. Thus, throughout his speech they had someone to blame for all the problems they were reminded of by. As so many others mentioned before, he related himself to the masses of the German people. He ignited the masses with a fiery nationalism that couldn’t be stopped.
I also think that his style of speech effectively produced these results. I really liked what Chris said about Hitler capturing the attention of the masses even before he said a single word. It’s totally true. This was partially the work of Goebbels, who directed and controlled Nazi/Hitler propaganda. The use of propaganda was a major contributor to his success. As a result, Hitler was able to mold the desperate German people as he liked. As Chris mentioned, Hitler and Goebbels both infused speeches with anti-Semitic ideology that transfigured into a national hatred and horrible hate crimes. Ultimately, he askes the people, “How long will this go on?” He makes it clear to the Germans that this is their nation and its future lies in their hands.
DeleteSpecifically, Hitler said certain things that really appealed to the people of Germany. Many mentioned his use of phrases like the “Fatherland,” yet I noticed something else. His use of words with a religious connotation, I believe, had a profound effect on those listening. I am not saying that the Germans were all zealously religious, but these types of words gve them a sense of a higher and superior purpose. Specifically, he says, “God Almighty give our work His blessing, strengthen our purpose, and endow us with wisdom and the trust of our people, for we are fighting not for ourselves but for Germany.” He creates the image of God looking down on German and its citizens, almost as if He is involved in the battle. He also uses ugly, worldly words such as “decay” to describe the current state of Germany and uses religious imagery evoked by words such as “resurrection” to depict what Germany has the power to become. Such notions made the Germans feel even more superior as a race. It was like the German Man’s Burden to annihilate all other inferiors.
Finally, when I was listening to the first speech, I noticed that he sounded like Stalin at certain points. Specifically, when he claims, “we must act now if we are to act before it's too late." There he reminds me of Stalin in his speech to the Russians about modernizing the Russian economy through the development of heavy industry by means of the Five-year Plans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-grtEk9oBAU
Deletehttp://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread503940/pg1
http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/ahspeak.htm
All of the links above discuss the immense power of Hitler's speeches and his amazing ability. Specifically, the last one is Goebbels commenting on Hitler and his use of speeches.
I had also watched the first video. Chris, Cody, and Jackie, I liked what you said about Hitler’s voice and assertion. You guys mentioned how his voice was so powerful and strong. Hitler’s voice represented what the German population wanted at the time: strength, courage, decision, assertion, and hope. I liked what Jose said about how Hitler didn’t even really mention his plan of action, that he instead just spoke to get trust from the people. I don’t think he even needed to say his plan of action. You could hear by his voice that he was so decisive and so sure about everything and just by hearing him talk the people could sense that he had a set plan. These people were so desperate after all that they’d been through that they were so in awe at this man who is promising to fix all their problems. He uses the persuasion tactic of “fear” to appeal to the audience’s emotions, reminding them of the terrible Treaty of Versailles that had crushed their country. It was almost like a religion. Today we hear about stories of criminals or people who are hard drug users and such, but then they say they “found God” and their lives turn around. These people of the time were so beat down by the First World War and the Great Depression that they needed someone to look up to, as if God wasn’t enough. So instead of “finding God,” these people “find Hitler” and they now have a new hope and optimism for the future.
DeleteWhat first caught my attention about this video was the way Goebbels used Anti-Semitism to rally up the people. I’ve seen videos of Hitler speaking before about his nationalism and optimism and war but this was the first time I’d seen an actual clip of Hitler or Goebbels speaking about their anti-Semitic feelings. The beginning of this video and Chris’ video appalled me. No wonder the people of Germany were perfectly fine with the Holocaust; it was because of the speeches like this where Jews were called liars and were warned that something bad would happen to them.
So I don’t have much time left in my study hall to post, but lastly I would really like to mention that watching this speech reminded me of Friederich Nietzsche. Nietzsche was all about man’s “will to power” and man’s using action to rise up over everyone to rule, which is exactly how Hitler is. Hitler is a common man and a common soldier, and he uses his beliefs and persuasion to rise up above everyone and every other party in Germany. He also creates his own morals, stating that the pure German race is better than the Jews. This reminded me of Nietzsche saying that we create our own morals.
The way Hitler speaks is almost like an art. The only other person I can think of off the top of my head who can hold a candle to his speaking ability is Martin Luther King Jr. I honestly think Hitler could have talked about anything he wanted and he would still inspire his people regardless. The way he spoke left people with a feeling that he knew exactly what he was talking about and nothing would stop him from doing what was best for Germany. If you were to take away Hitler's ability to make speeches, I don't think people would have supported him. Part of why he appealed to people was he spoke with confidence and authority. When he spoke, you knew who was in charge. No one ever thought to themselves, " Hey, maybe this guy isn't right for us". Just by walking up in front of everyone, he created a feeling in people that he was the undisputed leader. For lack of a better word I'm gonna say that Hitler definitely had a swagger to him. I noticed two critical things he said in his speech at the beginning and the end. Mike and Chris beat me to it but those two quotes say a lot. “I swear… that as I took office…so will I leave it. I did it not for reward. I did it for you!” and "My fellow Germans." Those two quotes, to me, were the most important things he could have said. These quotes allowed any doubters to believe that Hitler was all in to help Germany, not himself. Often in history you see people who have power refer to people as their "subjects", but Hitler makes it seem like he believes he's no better than the regular German people. He counts himself among them, which makes them believe that he won't act as if Germany is his and he is better than the public, even though he holds all the power. At the end, he states that everything is for the people. That is almost like a reassurance to the people that they have nothing to fear, and he will handle all of their problems, and he won't quit on them.
DeleteTo continue my post the quote has the appealing affect because it brings together the German population. From WWI and the Great Depression, Germany was in a terrible position, the economy was in ruins and the nation as a whole was weak. The idea of coming together as one gives the people hope for a better life. Out of all the things, having a powerful leader was what the Germans believed would bring them back to greatness; Hitler gave them what they wanted.
DeleteJust like everyone before me, I also viewed the first video. As Jackie stated above me, I felt that his speech was phenomenal. Not only did he introduce some of his new ideas within the speech, but he also, in a way, became more personal with everyone in that audience. Hitler was able to control a stadium full of about twenty million people with only his words. The fact that he continued to refer to Germany as the "Fatherland", I felt really captured the audience. Hitler was able to perfectly capture the audience by the way he delivered the speech. He was aware of his audience, and how frustrated they were with the conditions of Germany in its current state. Hitler, being the smart man that he was, played to those frustrations. He used them to unite the crowd as one, all the while gaining their support. He mentioned the different social classes of people in Germany, and relating to them, by explaining that he had started his political party with only seven members. Hitler explains that he has worked tirelessly for years to have his party expand, and he plans to work just as hard to help reform Germany to it's former glory. By explaining his struggles, Hitler related to the people in the crowd immensely.
DeleteI took a look at the third video on the blog. I must say, I was impressed at the way Hitler spoke to his people. It wasn’t just what he said that impressed me, but how he said it. Hitler was very powerful when he spoke to his people. He wasn’t shy at al to express himself, he was angry in his words, and he showed that he meant what he was saying. Every time he went to speak again, the crowds of people became dead silent. He spoke directly to the German people, which is why he was so effective in motivating them. He mentioned how the Germans had only seven members to start with in the government, and now the Nazi party was continuing to rise. He believed that the Germans should start fighting for what they want instead of simply having everyone walk over them.
ReplyDeleteOne quote that really stuck out for me was, “When the older ones among us falter, the youth will stiffen and remain until their bodies decay!” This quote basically showed that Hitler wanted to establish something for the Germans that would last forever. Generation after generation would continue to follow after the reign of Hitler. Hitler became very popular very fast, and this just shows us how he was able to get so much support, through his speeches to the people of Germany.
In response to what Matt had said about how Hitler was a man who got the attention of every person in the building and it also shows how he was going to be an effective ruler during the war and future endeavors that didn’t come. With his speech I think it was one that was motivating to the people with one of the lines that he said, “The future entirely belongs to us.” This line shows how he had faith in Germany and its people when it came time to restore the German dominance in the world. It also shows how he was giving the people hope in letting them know that when they are in the German empire they are golden and no enemy force can take that away from us. With his speech as a whole it showed how he has won the hearts and the trust of his people and they will listen to him. For instance in the end of his speech the other man comes out to speak and he is ignored, but when he turns to Adolf Hitler the crowd subsides and it takes a while but he kind of signals them into an obedient state to listen to what he has to say.
DeleteAnother quote that he made was the one about changing the pledge from “I believe…” to the beginning going like “I fight…” This interest in change showed how he doesn’t want the people to not only believe in the country but when time comes they will fight for their country under any circumstance and do what they can to protect. It also shows his want for the people to stray away from the rules that were placed on them from the treaty and make sure they get what they diserve.
I chose the second speech and it was interesting that before Hitler spoke another guy came up to kind of get the crowd riled up. The words that the speaker before Hitler kind of told the crowd what they wanted to hear, and pumped them up. He appeals to the youth. I found it a little creepy that Hitler was saying this speech to the younger people of Germany. He said that he wanted them to absorb all that they expected of Germany. Hitler says at one point "We want to see one nation and you must educate yourselves for it". He uses these things to prepare the people for what he wants them to do. If you watch the way Hitler speaks his words, he looks almost angry and he seems to be shouting a lot. However this seems to work for the crowd.
ReplyDeleteAlong with this he continues to tell the young people that they need to be tough and strong. He says that in Germany they will be able to survive and live. Also I found the style of this speech to be very brainwashing. He told the people of Germany exactly what they wanted to hear.
DeleteI also listened to the second video and I found Hitler to be a very good speaker. Not only did he get the crowd riled up, but he also presented himself with authority and knowledge. Hitler spoke with conviction, he used his hands to gesture his beliefs and looked towards the different directions of his nation rather than looking ahead to one place. Hitler also used different raising and lowering of his voice to emphasize certain points. These are all things that help make a normal speech great. Despite the horrible events of WWII that were caused by Hitler, he has been used as a model to educate others on how to speak to large crowds. One person in particular who used his speeches to give himself confidence in his own speeches to his country was King George VI. He had a terrible fear of speaking in front of large crowds and had a constant stutter when he would get nervous. But what I found to be interesting was the way in which Hitler communicated to the children and young faces of Germany. Hitler was talking as if he was getting a team psyched up for a game. He talked to them in a spirited and promising way that made his ideas look as if the youth of the nation were a team getting ready to prove their ability. The way in which he was trying to gain support from his nation’s youth was telling them that their country needed them to be a certain way, yet what made his speech even more interesting was that he was almost insinuating that he believed that the youth had the characteristics to help lead Germany to greatness, they just had to dig deep and really think if they were willing to put in the maturity and effort to lead their country and leave behind their childhoods. His speech made the youth believe that it was glorious and their civic duty to go forth with Hitler’s plan to bring Germany as a world power once again, no matter what the circumstances were in order to get them there, Hitler made the nation feel empowered. Hitler says many things in his speech to enthuse his people such as “you must be peaceable and courageous at the same time.” Hitler presents the youth of his nation with an opportunity to be with the best by telling them that they must be obedient and willing to do whatever it takes to help their country. Throughout Hitler’s speech he continues to make the idea of being obedient and courageous for the better of their country a brave and outstanding act. Furthermore, Hitler reinstates the nationalistic feel for Germany by stating, “But in you Germany will live, and when nothing remains of us then you must hold in your fist, the flag we tore from nothing. You are the flesh from our flesh and the blood from our blood.” Hitler’s speech was very interesting to view due to his ability to enthuse a nation of young supporters and make a country believe whole heartedly in his views to better Germany through the children’s service. He creates a nationalistic approach to this speech by saying that they all are together and come from the same place, and needs to gain their support for the “German family” to then move their beliefs and actions all towards the same place as Hitler’s.
ReplyDeleteI watched the first one, and like many i was intrigued. One thing that stuck out to me is that his speeches were purely focused on the decay and destruction of Germany (at least this one was). It seems that Hitler was so focused on the downfall of Germany to win the people that he didn't really offer a clear solution to the problem, not to say that's a bad thing or anything (and correct me if i'm wrong).
ReplyDeleteWhat i'm trying to get at is that Hitler speech tactic were different. America is used to speeches of presidents where they promise change and briefly touch upon the tactics they will use to accomplish said change. Hitler promised change, but didn't go into how, he kinda just needed the trust of the people. That trust came from his powerful speeches that amplified German's humiliation and promised a return to Glory. All the people were behind this since all felt the betrayal and failure of the German government.
Personally, his speeches were only effective in the current situation, the people were desperate and Hitler stepped up to the plate. His speeches were very emotional and wisely spoken, but were kinda just prep talk. I did like however his FDR approach by hinting that the people needed to be the change Germany wanted to say.
The delivery of the speech itself shows his prowess and power as a speaker and a leader. He delivers it with such power behind his voice and grabs the attention of anyone of the 20 million people listening in on it. He even uses the dramatic pauses at the beginning of the play for effect. I feel like this speech is so effective because of the emotion he puts into the speech. If someone believes in something as strong as he does and has built it up from 7 people to 12 million people like he said then people are going to want to join the cause because obviously they have been doing something right in order to get the attention of all those people. Hitler also used the word we very often rather than me, me, me. The people like that because if they know he is just like one of them then they feel more comfortable. He also appealed to them in a nationalistic sense by rehashing everything that went on after WWI and how humiliated they were as a nation. He had a plan to put them back on top. As a German nation that was on the decline for so long and is now promised the power again, who would not jump on board? It was finally someone with a set in stone plan that could revive the German nation. They believed in him like a team believes in their captain. They put full trust in him and he began to lead them back to the previous power of their nation.
DeleteI also looked up what exactly makes an effective speech and people look for purpose in a speech. They look to sit down and be informed on what exactly the person is thinking as soon as possible. Hitler makes this short speech but gets a standing ovation from every single person in the audience. It was not because they were scared of him. It was because they finally had something to believe in again.
From what I have gathered in viewing two of the videos, Hitler is just like any modern day sports coach. I mean this strictly from an inspiration standpoint. A coach's pregame goal is to inspire his team. He wants to get them fired up to win their game. He wants to instill his qualities in his team, so they can pursue their endeavors with his ideologies in mind. This is much like what Hitler does. He gives passionate speeches to try and unify the Germans. He wants everybody on the same page because a unified Germany is much more strong than a weak Germany. He presents his ideologies in such a manor that makes them seem to be the only option. The way the Germans react to his speeches is a public speakers dream. The crowd accepts every word he says for truth. He tells of the powers of Old Germany, and what they stand to gain by becoming the most powerful country in the world. It is like Bernie Buniak screaming at us in the locker room, telling us what we stand to gain by performing to our fullest potential. Many parallels can be drawn to any inspirational speech, but i saw a personal experience as an easy target. My point is that Hitler's passion allows him to control the minds and hearts of german citizens seemingly with ease. He seems to be a master of the art.
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