Hitler Myth

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The Hitler Myth is a concept which embodies two key points in Nazi ideology; firstly it presents Hitler as a demigod figure, who both embodies and shapes the German people and thus giving him a mandate to rule. Secondly it presents Hitler as a 'nice guy', who merely wanted to redress the Treaty of Versailles and had no desire for a war of conquest. These two elements were demonstrated in propaganda of the time and seemed to have helped plaster over early cracks in the Nazi Regime's façade, though by no means de-fusing all tensions in Germany at that time.

The myth of Hitler as the saviour of Germany from conspiracies directed against it by the Soviet Union and the West - especially France - was an extremely powerful weapon in binding together the German people in loyalty and submission. It was, of course, a myth, but paranoia about Stalin's regime in particular was not entirely irrational.

Another way in which the myth of Hitler as Germany's saviour was able to be so convincing to such a large number of Germans was the economic revival over which he undoubtedly presided. For many of Hitler's countryfolk, it could be argued, the price of conceding their freedom was worth paying in return for economic prosperity. On the other hand Albert Speer records that by about 1936 the Hitler Myth was under threat, with officials having to organise cheering crowds, whereas previously Hitler had been able to rely on spontaneity ^[1].

On the other hand, Speer may not be considered a reliable or impartial witness of the times. He spent most of his life after the end of the war trying to excuse his own complicity in the crimes of the Nazi era. Other observers, pro and anti-Nazi, dispute his claim.^{[citation needed]} Certainly 1938 saw a rise in Hitler's popularity, which dipped sharply with the outbreak of the Second World War. Only the victories in the West during 1940 revived it, and even then the campaign against the Soviet Union led to a dramatic decline. ^[2]