Was Hitler a "bad" leader?

[Mussoliniopoli]

I always found it funny especially with how much he claimed he supported Bismarckian Realpolitik...the man who tried his damnedest to integrate Jews and did so rather successfully. Hitler was funny in that regard he would praise men like Bismarck then quickly smash what policies they had set without batting an eyelash while still maintaining his support of Bismarck.

Sounds like the GOP and their cult of Reagan.

You said it...not I.

[Lord and Lady Gaga]

It depends what it means by "bad". In the sense of leadership, he was very good. Hitler had a gift in public speaking and his charismatic personality. He got thousands of people to follow him and even convinced litte children in schools to try to follow the "perfect" society of Blonde hair, blue eyes. The US was also afraid that Hitler along with his partner Mussolini (not sure if I spelled that right), were going to become, at that time, a modern day Napoleon. In that sense, no, Hitler convinced his people to follow him, while at the same time, making his enemies fear him. In the sense that he killed millions of Jews, stabbed his allies in the back, and pretty much started World War II, yes, he was a terrible leader.

[New Manvir]

He's not really a troll. He's just fascist and a little more sympathetic toward the Nazis than I am, and apparently didn't like one of your posts.

Hardly sympathetic. I just find it stupid when people claim that Nazism was some fluke run by a few elites. The problem with Nazism is it actually had loyal followers from all Classes in Germany that was part of the NSDAP's power and what maintained Hitler's dominance even past the fall of Berlin. I just find it historically ignorant to pretend that the Third Reich wasn't a mass movement. It unfortunately was.

Regardless of yours and Natapoc's little spat, I do have to agree with this. We did have to de-Nazify Germany post-war after all. You don't do that unless a large segment of the population is loyal to the opposing ideology. Not to mention, a major facet of totalitarianism is indoctrination and loyalty above all to the state/party.

[Jari Head]

He wasn't dumb, crazy? yes, but there was 13 attempts to knock him off so would give one the idea that yes, they are out to get you. He may have been what's now known as an idiot/savant, near genius in one or two things but 'thick as a brick' in others.

[New Manvir]

It depends what it means by "bad". In the sense of leadership, he was very good. Hitler had a gift in public speaking and his charismatic personality. He got thousands of people to follow him and even convinced litte children in schools to try to follow the "perfect" society of Blonde hair, blue eyes. The US was also afraid that Hitler along with his partner Mussolini (not sure if I spelled that right), were going to become, at that time, a modern day Napoleon. In that sense, no, Hitler convinced his people to follow him, while at the same time, making his enemies fear him. In the sense that he killed millions of Jews, stabbed his allies in the back, and pretty much started World War II, yes, he was a terrible leader.

Hitler should have been a salesman, he could've been like a German Billy Mays.

[Rustika]

It depends what it means by "bad". In the sense of leadership, he was very good. Hitler had a gift in public speaking and his charismatic personality. He got thousands of people to follow him and even convinced litte children in schools to try to follow the "perfect" society of Blonde hair, blue eyes. The US was also afraid that Hitler along with his partner Mussolini (not sure if I spelled that right), were going to become, at that time, a modern day Napoleon. In that sense, no, Hitler convinced his people to follow him, while at the same time, making his enemies fear him. In the sense that he killed millions of Jews, stabbed his allies in the back, and pretty much started World War II, yes, he was a terrible leader.

Hitler should have been a salesman, he could've beeen like a German Billy Mays.

[Mussoliniopoli]

Hardly sympathetic. I just find it stupid when people claim that Nazism was some fluke run by a few elites. The problem with Nazism is it actually had loyal followers from all Classes in Germany that was part of the NSDAP's power and what maintained Hitler's dominance even past the fall of Berlin. I just find it historically ignorant to pretend that the Third Reich wasn't a mass movement. It unfortunately was.

Regardless of yours and Natapoc's little spat, I do have to agree with this. We did have to de-Nazify Germany post-war after all. You don't do that unless a large segment of the population is loyal to the opposing ideology. Not to mention, a major facet of totalitarianism is indoctrination and loyalty above all to the state/party.

Indeed, and Hitler got the education thing down pat. I mean near the end of the war most of the people fighting were young kids in the Hitler Youth. It really was amazing and equally disturbing how once he got power he was able to quickly cement his power by indoctrinating the Youth. Something worth taking note of but not so sure it should ever be emulated again.

[Beersteins]

Regardless of yours and Natapoc's little spat, I do have to agree with this. We did have to de-Nazify Germany post-war after all. You don't do that unless a large segment of the population is loyal to the opposing ideology. Not to mention, a major facet of totalitarianism is indoctrination and loyalty above all to the state/party.

Indeed, and Hitler got the education thing down pat. I mean near the end of the war most of the people fighting were young kids in the Hitler Youth. It really was amazing and equally disturbing how once he got power he was able to quickly cement his power by indoctrinating the Youth. Something worth taking note of but not so sure it should ever be emulated again.

It is constantly emulated present day via religion, as it was before then.

[The Grendels]

If you were a sociopath, supporting the sociopath agenda, then Hitler was awesome.

If you were an American corporation cashing in on the 3rd Reich (I'm looking at you IBM, GM, and Ford), even after your country was at war with them, he was great for business.

If you were a German and not a sociopath, then you probably didn't appreciate your country melting down like some Wagnerian opera gone horribly wrong, and then being occupied and being used by the world as an object lessen in how not to be a crazy dictator. Hitler was a "bad" leader in the way that decapitating yourself is just a little boo boo.

[Jari Head]

It depends what it means by "bad". In the sense of leadership, he was very good. Hitler had a gift in public speaking and his charismatic personality. He got thousands of people to follow him and even convinced litte children in schools to try to follow the "perfect" society of Blonde hair, blue eyes. The US was also afraid that Hitler along with his partner Mussolini (not sure if I spelled that right), were going to become, at that time, a modern day Napoleon. In that sense, no, Hitler convinced his people to follow him, while at the same time, making his enemies fear him. In the sense that he killed millions of Jews, stabbed his allies in the back, and pretty much started World War II, yes, he was a terrible leader.

Hitler should have been a salesman, he could've been like a German Billy Mays.

True, if you look at the 'Bill of goods' he sold Chamberlin and Stalin.

[New Manvir]

Hitler should have been a salesman, he could've been like a German Billy Mays.

True, if you look at the 'Bill of goods' he sold Chamberlin and Stalin.

He could have made a decent living working for some rich Jewish industrialist he didn't end up slaughtering.

[Saurisisia]

Is the pope Catholic?

Do birds fly?

Is the sky blue?

Anybody can easily figure out Hitler was a bad leader.

[Nazi Flower Power]

He's not really a troll. He's just fascist and a little more sympathetic toward the Nazis than I am, and apparently didn't like one of your posts.

Hardly sympathetic. I just find it stupid when people claim that Nazism was some fluke run by a few elites. The problem with Nazism is it actually had loyal followers from all Classes in Germany that was part of the NSDAP's power and what maintained Hitler's dominance even past the fall of Berlin. I just find it historically ignorant to pretend that the Third Reich wasn't a mass movement. It unfortunately was.

There were a lot of people who willingly followed Hitler, but Nazi Germany wasn't the hivemind of goosestepping automatons that Hollywood often makes it out to be. It's important to remember that ordinary people could be persuaded to follow the Nazis, but it's also important to remember that there is no such thing as a nation where no one thinks for themselves or questions authority. Some people in this thread (not you, but some of the really pro-Hitler people) seem to buy into the myth of the Nazi hivemind, and it is worth arguing against them.

Hitler had to have widespread support to get to a level of national prominence where he could seize power and he wouldn't just get arrested, but at the end of the day, the Nazis never did get the majority of the vote without rigging the elections.

[California-Nevada]

He was an evil leader, not essentially a bad one. He was very persuading and was able to seduce the crowd with his voice. Now I don't know much about his policies, but he was a pretty average leader.

[Harata]

Hmm, let's see...he led his country in a war that killed a lot of his own people and destroyed the country's economy and infrastructure and his widespread persecution against the Jews and others, especially scientists, intellectuals, and the like, severely slowed their ability to research new technologies. So even ignoring the heinous things he did, he was still a very bad leader.

[OOmauwieOo]

well, he wasn't really a bad leader.
he did bad stuff like kill millions of jews. but he was really smart and knew how to get people's votes.
he wasn't a bad leader, just his intentions were bad.

[Risottia]

...diplomatically negotiating his way around the Treaty of Versailles

I wouldn't call "diplomatically negotiating" invading Czechoslovakia.

and the recovery of the German economy to allow it into a position where it can rearm and declare war on 3 of the largest European economies of the time AT THE SAME TIME?

...and getting Germany totally owned. How successful.

[Great Nepal]

In PR: I doubt there could be anyone better. He could have said loosing a football match is good thing, and people would have agreed.
In military: A dog would do better job then him.
In leadership: Kind of good.
Morality: Fucked.

[Coccygia]

Hoo-boy, another Fair Play For Schicklgruber thread.

[The Murtunian Tribes]

Hitler, no matter from what perspective you look at it, was a terrible leader without an ounce of effective policy making skills. NOTHING he did for Germany was good. Not a goddamned thing. Look at what he accomplished: got German bombed basically into rubble, totally trashed it's economy, lost the war, and then killed himself, leaving the German people to answer for some of the most unspeakable crimes in history and have their country divided in half by two extremely hostile superpowers for the next 45 some odd years. About the only thing he was good at was his oratory skills, which contributes only a small part of his total value as a leader, and even less in terms of his legacy.

In short: One of history's worst leaders, both in terms of morality and skill.

[Dorlania]

Hitler was good when it came to rebuilding Germany,helping the economy he did well, on the other hand he lost the war and killed 12 million people

[Conserative Morality]

Hitler was a massive failure on every level except propaganda and timing. And the propaganda wasn't even handled by him.

[Qatarab]

BadTerrible military leader,Bad economical leader but good political leader(good..not great or something).

[Laerod]

It depends what it means by "bad".

How about "not good"?

In the sense of leadership, he was very good.

In what sense?

Hitler had a gift in public speaking and his charismatic personality.

Which means what exactly? Words count a bit less than deeds. Simply being a gifted orator isn't "great" or "good". It's what you do with it that matters.

He got thousands of people to follow him and even convinced litte children in schools to try to follow the "perfect" society of Blonde hair, blue eyes.

Because convincing small children of things is the hardest thing ever...

The US was also afraid that Hitler along with his partner Mussolini (not sure if I spelled that right), were going to become, at that time, a modern day Napoleon.

And?

In that sense, no, Hitler convinced his people to follow him, while at the same time, making his enemies fear him.

Which would be good because?

In the sense that he killed millions of Jews, stabbed his allies in the back, and pretty much started World War II, yes, he was a terrible leader.

Whadayamean "pretty much started World War II"?

[Antumbra Und Nophixa]

Killed to many people... destroyed Germany.... ruined a good symbol... yeah, he was a terrible leader. But a good liar too. However, that's not a redeeming quality.