Adolf Hitler Research Paper
The Rise of Hitler
Throughout the history of mankind, many leaders have come and gone. Worldwide top leaders that marked history are Apple Inc. co-founder, chairman, and CEO Steve Jobs, France’s first emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, sixteenth U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nobel Peace Prize Martin Luther King Jr., Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher, to mention a few. A leader that clearly made a statement and brought a lot of controversy during World War II was Chancellor and Führer of Germany, Adolf Hitler.
In his early years, Adolf Hitler was on top of school class IV in 1899. Later on he wanted to pursue a career in visual arts in Vienna, Austria. “The Vienna Academy of Fine Arts twice refused to admit the apprentice …show more content…
painter. Very well, then, he would become an architect. But he was unqualified for further study” (Kanfer, Aug 1989). Hitting poverty, in 1914, Hitler enlisted to be a soldier in World War I. From 1914 to 1918 Hitler won Iron Cross 2nd Class, Iron Cross 1st Class, Military Cross and won 6 medals for bravery. Other than these he never got promoted to a higher position because his captain at the time considered Hitler had lack of leadership skills. The 1919 treaty that ended the First World War had 440 clauses, and 414 were devoted to punishing Germany. The end of WWI in 1919 made political, economic, and social fall of Germany. Hitler, full of anger, was convinced that Germans were betrayed by communism revolution race and parliamentary politician. Stab in the back was part of a Jewish conspiracy he believed. Hitler co-founded after the end of the war the National Socialist German Worker’s Party (NSDAP), or Nazism Party. He became leader of NSDAP in 1921. All this way of thinking took Hitler to politics. In there he discovered his hidden talent, public speaking.
A definition of leadership that would be widely accepted by the majority of theorists and researchers might say "leadership is a process of social influence in which one person is able to enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task" (Chemers, 2007). This includes having the inspiring vision of success, great communication skills, and superior judgment. Clearly we can see Adolf Hitler in this definition. His charisma convinced a nation. Many men other then Hitler had this ability of influence and convince but we see in Hitler the ability to inspire his people to switch from one distinct political ideology to another without bloodshed. In 1933 the Enabling Act was signed by President Paul von Hindenburg and named Adolf Hitler Chancellor of Germany. After named Chancellor, Hitler brought Germany out of the deep depression they were suffering from WWI. Time Magazine described him back in Hitler’s days as “…military as well as a political genius. It fell to no army officer but to Dr. Otto Dietrich, Reich Press Chief, to reveal that Genius Hitler’s technical knowledge of things military astonishes even the experts” (Time Magazine, May 1938). Hitler stayed in power until April 1945.
Transformational vs. Transactional Leadership Hitler in his days of Power had both transformational and transactional leadership.
His transformational leadership style starts with the vision of the extermination of Judaism. “Judaism, he told his audiences, had produced the profiteers and Bolsheviks responsible for the defeat of the fatherland and the strangulation of the economy. Jews were bacilli infecting the arts, the press, and the government. Pogroms would be insufficient. ‘The final aim must unquestionably be the irrevocable Entfernung ((removal)) of the Jews’" (Kanfer, Aug 1989). Hitler inspired Germans by telling and convince them that their German race was pure and unique. That because of WWI, Germans look at the eye of the world as weak, and that the entire Nation has to fight for that in order to have the perfect Nation. “Transformational leadership is directed towards the accomplishment of transform the individual workers and the organization” (Aucoin, 2007, pg. 90). “Transformational leaders work toward a common goal with followers; put followers in front and develop them; take followers to next level; inspire followers to transcend their own self-interests in achieving superior results” (Srinivasan ,2008). As a transformational leader, Hitler achieved his ambitious goals successfully trough the vision and team-building skills of the …show more content…
leader. “Transactional leaders can be described as ‘keeping the ship afloat’.
Transactional leaders use disciplinary power and an array of incentives to motivate employees to perform at their best. The term ‘transactional’ refers to the fact that this type of leader essentially motivates subordinates by exchanging rewards for performance” (Srinivasan , 2008). This definition for transactional leader cannot match better on how Hitler treated his soldiers. While his transformational leadership convinced an entire nation, his transactional leadership maintained soldiers by his side until the end. Hitler had the largest and powerful Army in History. A total of around 12.5 million Germans served in the army during World War II. Hitler’s rewarded his soldiers providing them the best foods compare to other soldiers from other countries. He also gave to his soldiers (also known as Nazis) power and opportunity to grow in the military. Hitler also had Hitler Youth movement. “Children’s loyalty could be developed with a policy of indoctrination via education and the Hitler Youth movement. Time and planning spent in these areas would bring a suitable reward for Hitler” (History Learning Site, 2013). Both transformational and transactional leadership are needed for guiding an organization. “The transformational leadership style is complementary to the transactional style and likely to be ineffective in the total absence of a transactional relationship between leaders and subordinates”
(Srinivasan, 2008). Regardless the monstrosity behind Hitler’s mind, he managed both leadership styles effectively while he was in power. Even after his fell of power, Hitler still had loyal followers for many years.
Inspiration vs Manipulation After the end of WWI, Germans lost all their pride and belonging. The Treaty of Versailles stripped the Germans from several lands and unemployment levels in Germany started to rise abruptly. Hitler with the Nazis promised Germany hope and change. Germany’s economy rise back and gave people jobs and pride. All of these happened due to Hitler’s public speaking techniques. He inspired a nation and delivered on most of his promises, but not in the ways the people had expected. After restoring Germany as a world power, Hitler proceeds to lead the country to destruction and partition. His way of politics was on base of fear. If people did not do what Hitler wanted, they were exterminated. For that Hitler had the Nazi Police State “to ensure everybody did as they were told – or pay the price” (Trueman, 2013). It was controlled by Heinrich Himmler and Gestapo (feared secrete police). “Hitler’s police state worked on the rule that if you said nothing, no harm, could come to you. Anybody considered to be a political threat was arrested” (Trueman, 2013). Bringing to a big chaos, Germans started to abandon the country including great minds from Germany. One of them was the well known theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, who left Germany in early 1933. “The nation 's most original minds were exiled to a concentration-camp universe from which few returned. Military tactics that demanded objectivity were decided for personal reasons” (Kanfer, 1989).
Conclusion In the years the dictator leader Adolf Hitler was in power we can see many leadership styles he possessed to convince and lead a nation, and conquer many lands for years. Not only Hitler convinced a nation, he convinced Catholic Church as well. Despite the fact that Hitler had a malevolent mind, it is a fact that Hitler was a brilliant and charismatic leader. Even today in 2013, psychologists study his mind for the way of leading and for how he convinced a nation for years. After a big depression Germany was suffering, Hitler with his leadership style brought the economy back to a desperate Germany and not even Hitler changed Germany, but he changed drastically the history of the entire world as well. Loved by some and hated by others, this fascist dictator has being and still will be one of the biggest minds of the world. “Leadership is one of the rare and rich human capitals. Without leaders to guide and shape decisions, society would become stagnant. Within the arena of leadership there are good leaders, bad leaders, and effective leaders. All three coexist simultaneously in a world of followers” (Gill, 2011). References
Aucoin, B. M. (2007). Right-Brain Project Management: A Complementary Approach. Vienna, VA: Management Concepts.
Chemers, M. (1997). An Integrative Theory of Leadership. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books/about/An_Integrative_Theory_of_Leadership.html?id=rKG_iwuQg_MC/
Bridgeman Art Library. (1972-2013). Adolf Hitler aged 10, top of school class IV in 1899, from ‘A Pictorial Life of Hitler’, Berlin, 1935. Retrieved from http://www.bridgemanart.com/en-GB/asset/282184/Austrian-Photographer-19th-century/Adolf-Hitler-aged-10-top-of-school-class-IV-in-18
Time Magazine. (1938, May 02). GERMANY: Genius Hitler. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,848894,00.html
Kanfer, S. (1989, Aug 28). Architect Of Evil. Time Magazine. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,958432,00.html
Srinivas, B. (2008, Aug 4). Transactional Leadership Vs. Transformational Leadership. Retrieved from http://leadershipchamps.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/transactional-leadership-vs-transformational-leadership/
Trueman, C. (2000-2013). The Nazi Police State. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/nazi_police_state.htm Ingram, D. (n.d.) Transformational Leadership Vs. Transactional Leadership Definition. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/transformational-leadership-vs-transactional-leadership-definition-13834.html
Anderson, A. (n.d.) How Managers With Different Leadership Styles Motivate Their Teams. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/managers-different-leadership-styles-motivate-teams-10823.html
Bytwerk, R. (2009). Minds in the Making. German Propaganda Archive. Retrieved from http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/tatsachenundluegen.html
Gill, T. (2011, Dec 13). North Park Leader Assignment. Leadership. Retrieved from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:LRhcePZu-zkJ:media.wix.com/ugd/d718f8_4aa8c203788c4e5c5bf39ecfd9a198c1.docx%3Fdn%3DNorth%252BPark%252BLeader%252BAssignment.docx+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
Throughout the history of mankind, many leaders have come and gone. Worldwide top leaders that marked history are Apple Inc. co-founder, chairman, and CEO Steve Jobs, France’s first emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, sixteenth U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Nobel Peace Prize Martin Luther King Jr., Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher, to mention a few. A leader that clearly made a statement and brought a lot of controversy during World War II was Chancellor and Führer of Germany, Adolf Hitler.
In his early years, Adolf Hitler was on top of school class IV in 1899. Later on he wanted to pursue a career in visual arts in Vienna, Austria. “The Vienna Academy of Fine Arts twice refused to admit the apprentice …show more content…
painter. Very well, then, he would become an architect. But he was unqualified for further study” (Kanfer, Aug 1989). Hitting poverty, in 1914, Hitler enlisted to be a soldier in World War I. From 1914 to 1918 Hitler won Iron Cross 2nd Class, Iron Cross 1st Class, Military Cross and won 6 medals for bravery. Other than these he never got promoted to a higher position because his captain at the time considered Hitler had lack of leadership skills. The 1919 treaty that ended the First World War had 440 clauses, and 414 were devoted to punishing Germany. The end of WWI in 1919 made political, economic, and social fall of Germany. Hitler, full of anger, was convinced that Germans were betrayed by communism revolution race and parliamentary politician. Stab in the back was part of a Jewish conspiracy he believed. Hitler co-founded after the end of the war the National Socialist German Worker’s Party (NSDAP), or Nazism Party. He became leader of NSDAP in 1921. All this way of thinking took Hitler to politics. In there he discovered his hidden talent, public speaking.
A definition of leadership that would be widely accepted by the majority of theorists and researchers might say "leadership is a process of social influence in which one person is able to enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task" (Chemers, 2007). This includes having the inspiring vision of success, great communication skills, and superior judgment. Clearly we can see Adolf Hitler in this definition. His charisma convinced a nation. Many men other then Hitler had this ability of influence and convince but we see in Hitler the ability to inspire his people to switch from one distinct political ideology to another without bloodshed. In 1933 the Enabling Act was signed by President Paul von Hindenburg and named Adolf Hitler Chancellor of Germany. After named Chancellor, Hitler brought Germany out of the deep depression they were suffering from WWI. Time Magazine described him back in Hitler’s days as “…military as well as a political genius. It fell to no army officer but to Dr. Otto Dietrich, Reich Press Chief, to reveal that Genius Hitler’s technical knowledge of things military astonishes even the experts” (Time Magazine, May 1938). Hitler stayed in power until April 1945.
Transformational vs. Transactional Leadership Hitler in his days of Power had both transformational and transactional leadership.
His transformational leadership style starts with the vision of the extermination of Judaism. “Judaism, he told his audiences, had produced the profiteers and Bolsheviks responsible for the defeat of the fatherland and the strangulation of the economy. Jews were bacilli infecting the arts, the press, and the government. Pogroms would be insufficient. ‘The final aim must unquestionably be the irrevocable Entfernung ((removal)) of the Jews’" (Kanfer, Aug 1989). Hitler inspired Germans by telling and convince them that their German race was pure and unique. That because of WWI, Germans look at the eye of the world as weak, and that the entire Nation has to fight for that in order to have the perfect Nation. “Transformational leadership is directed towards the accomplishment of transform the individual workers and the organization” (Aucoin, 2007, pg. 90). “Transformational leaders work toward a common goal with followers; put followers in front and develop them; take followers to next level; inspire followers to transcend their own self-interests in achieving superior results” (Srinivasan ,2008). As a transformational leader, Hitler achieved his ambitious goals successfully trough the vision and team-building skills of the …show more content…
leader. “Transactional leaders can be described as ‘keeping the ship afloat’.
Transactional leaders use disciplinary power and an array of incentives to motivate employees to perform at their best. The term ‘transactional’ refers to the fact that this type of leader essentially motivates subordinates by exchanging rewards for performance” (Srinivasan , 2008). This definition for transactional leader cannot match better on how Hitler treated his soldiers. While his transformational leadership convinced an entire nation, his transactional leadership maintained soldiers by his side until the end. Hitler had the largest and powerful Army in History. A total of around 12.5 million Germans served in the army during World War II. Hitler’s rewarded his soldiers providing them the best foods compare to other soldiers from other countries. He also gave to his soldiers (also known as Nazis) power and opportunity to grow in the military. Hitler also had Hitler Youth movement. “Children’s loyalty could be developed with a policy of indoctrination via education and the Hitler Youth movement. Time and planning spent in these areas would bring a suitable reward for Hitler” (History Learning Site, 2013). Both transformational and transactional leadership are needed for guiding an organization. “The transformational leadership style is complementary to the transactional style and likely to be ineffective in the total absence of a transactional relationship between leaders and subordinates”
(Srinivasan, 2008). Regardless the monstrosity behind Hitler’s mind, he managed both leadership styles effectively while he was in power. Even after his fell of power, Hitler still had loyal followers for many years.
Inspiration vs Manipulation After the end of WWI, Germans lost all their pride and belonging. The Treaty of Versailles stripped the Germans from several lands and unemployment levels in Germany started to rise abruptly. Hitler with the Nazis promised Germany hope and change. Germany’s economy rise back and gave people jobs and pride. All of these happened due to Hitler’s public speaking techniques. He inspired a nation and delivered on most of his promises, but not in the ways the people had expected. After restoring Germany as a world power, Hitler proceeds to lead the country to destruction and partition. His way of politics was on base of fear. If people did not do what Hitler wanted, they were exterminated. For that Hitler had the Nazi Police State “to ensure everybody did as they were told – or pay the price” (Trueman, 2013). It was controlled by Heinrich Himmler and Gestapo (feared secrete police). “Hitler’s police state worked on the rule that if you said nothing, no harm, could come to you. Anybody considered to be a political threat was arrested” (Trueman, 2013). Bringing to a big chaos, Germans started to abandon the country including great minds from Germany. One of them was the well known theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, who left Germany in early 1933. “The nation 's most original minds were exiled to a concentration-camp universe from which few returned. Military tactics that demanded objectivity were decided for personal reasons” (Kanfer, 1989).
Conclusion In the years the dictator leader Adolf Hitler was in power we can see many leadership styles he possessed to convince and lead a nation, and conquer many lands for years. Not only Hitler convinced a nation, he convinced Catholic Church as well. Despite the fact that Hitler had a malevolent mind, it is a fact that Hitler was a brilliant and charismatic leader. Even today in 2013, psychologists study his mind for the way of leading and for how he convinced a nation for years. After a big depression Germany was suffering, Hitler with his leadership style brought the economy back to a desperate Germany and not even Hitler changed Germany, but he changed drastically the history of the entire world as well. Loved by some and hated by others, this fascist dictator has being and still will be one of the biggest minds of the world. “Leadership is one of the rare and rich human capitals. Without leaders to guide and shape decisions, society would become stagnant. Within the arena of leadership there are good leaders, bad leaders, and effective leaders. All three coexist simultaneously in a world of followers” (Gill, 2011). References
Aucoin, B. M. (2007). Right-Brain Project Management: A Complementary Approach. Vienna, VA: Management Concepts.
Chemers, M. (1997). An Integrative Theory of Leadership. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books/about/An_Integrative_Theory_of_Leadership.html?id=rKG_iwuQg_MC/
Bridgeman Art Library. (1972-2013). Adolf Hitler aged 10, top of school class IV in 1899, from ‘A Pictorial Life of Hitler’, Berlin, 1935. Retrieved from http://www.bridgemanart.com/en-GB/asset/282184/Austrian-Photographer-19th-century/Adolf-Hitler-aged-10-top-of-school-class-IV-in-18
Time Magazine. (1938, May 02). GERMANY: Genius Hitler. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,848894,00.html
Kanfer, S. (1989, Aug 28). Architect Of Evil. Time Magazine. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,958432,00.html
Srinivas, B. (2008, Aug 4). Transactional Leadership Vs. Transformational Leadership. Retrieved from http://leadershipchamps.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/transactional-leadership-vs-transformational-leadership/
Trueman, C. (2000-2013). The Nazi Police State. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/nazi_police_state.htm Ingram, D. (n.d.) Transformational Leadership Vs. Transactional Leadership Definition. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/transformational-leadership-vs-transactional-leadership-definition-13834.html
Anderson, A. (n.d.) How Managers With Different Leadership Styles Motivate Their Teams. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/managers-different-leadership-styles-motivate-teams-10823.html
Bytwerk, R. (2009). Minds in the Making. German Propaganda Archive. Retrieved from http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/tatsachenundluegen.html
Gill, T. (2011, Dec 13). North Park Leader Assignment. Leadership. Retrieved from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:LRhcePZu-zkJ:media.wix.com/ugd/d718f8_4aa8c203788c4e5c5bf39ecfd9a198c1.docx%3Fdn%3DNorth%252BPark%252BLeader%252BAssignment.docx+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us