What fascinated me most about the reading this week was the description of Hitler's beerhall speeches and his uncanny ability to motivate the masses. Knowing about Hitler's childhood and his demeanor when he was younger, it is very surprising that he grows up to be possibly the greatest propagandist of all time.
It seems that the earliest Hitler began to show signs of being a good motivator was when he lived in the Men's Home in Vienna. Kershaw writes extensively about how Hitler was constantly discussing different issues with the other men there. He was clearly fascinated with politics, often reading pamphlets and getting into heated debates. Arguing his points in the Men's Home at that time was probably when Hitler first came to realize that he was excellent at convincing other people to believe what he believed in.
It is important to note that Hitler was speaking to a somewhat lubricated audience. Many of the people who came to hear him speak already shared his political views and hatred of Marxism and the Jews. However, Hitler's ability to drum up enthusiasm and emotion in his audience is what made him so effective. Kershaw writes, "His tone was harsher, more aggressive, less academic...the language he used was expressive, direct coarse earthy." All of these things are ways that Hitler was able to connect with the masses, unlike other speakers. Hitler spoke to them on their level, in a way they could understand and connect with. Hitler knew the exact way to play upon their fury and desperation because he was the same as them and he felt the same emotions that they did.
While I agree that Hitler played upon his audience's fury and desperation, he also knew how to play upon people's fear and how to frighten people into agreeing with him. Many people who heard him speak, whether it was voluntarily or not, were faced with a decision to either join Hitler, fight against him and risk losing their lives, or run away from him and leave their home because of him.
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