Adolf HitlerDer Fuhrer: An analysis of military leadership and strategy

Caleb FloydCapstone 499

Overview

Hitler’s Rise to Power Hitler’s Political Power over Germany Hitler’s Strategy Hitler as a Military Leader Hitler’s Military mistakes Hitler’s Stature in History Hitler’s Death

Hitler’s Rise to Power

1930 Hitler makes an alliance with Nationalist Alfred Hugenberg

The alliance allowed Hitler to seek support from businesses and industries who controlled political funds needed for his conquest

1933 Hitler is offered the chancellorship of Germany

1934 Hitler assumes position of President as well as Chancellor of Germany

Hitler’s Political Power over Germany

Adolf Hitler “A Man of Destiny”(1930-1935)

One man ruling a nation

Hitler was a great Orator gaining the people’s support through political speeches

Hitler from Dr. Walter Langer “His speeches were an

instrument of political intoxication that inspired a degree of fervor in his listeners that seems to defy definition and explanation. Hitler was a master at the use of the spoken word and a genius at the art of manipulating mass propaganda for his political ends. His uncanny ability to appeal to the subconscious and irrational needs of his audience and to solicit the desired response made him a formidable political figure.”

Adolf Hitler’s Strategy

Dismantling of the Treaty of Versailles

Hitler’s non-aggression pact with Poland (1935)

March 1935 Hitler no longer honors the Treaty of Versailles

Adolf Hitler ( 1935- 1938) Believed Germany

needed to take its place as a “superpower” in the world

Began his first conquest of Lebensraum within Germany

Adolf Hitler’s Conquest Begins March 1936 Hitler

deploys a small German Army into the Rhineland

France and Great Britain do nothing giving Hitler a Political Victory

Adolf Hitler’s Lebensraum Czechoslovakia

( 1938)

Poland (1939)

Non-Aggression Pact with Stalin (1939)

Hitler saw himself as a “Military Genius”

Nazi Troop movements

Hitler as a Military leader

Adolf Hitler’s Strengths

Hitler’s “super mind”

Technical expert

Hitler’s “vision” of the Germany fighting machine

Hitler’s Strengths

Strong will

Political “manipulation”

Adolf Hitler’s Weaknesses Hitler’s “super

mind”

Hitler’s lack of trust

Hitler’s “micromanagement”

Hitler’s “overconfidence”

Hitler’s Weaknesses

Hitler’s Strong will

Hitler’s “procrastination”

Hitler’s military “mistakes”

:

Two-Front War

Hitler’s strive for more power led him to a crucial decision declaring war on Russia

War on the Eastern front and Western front was extremely demanding for Germany

Two-Front war

Dunkirk “stop” order

May 1940 Hitler issued a “stop” order

Allowing over 400,000 British and French troops to retreat

Why issue the order

“no retreat” policy in Stalingrad

October 1942 Hitler issued a “no retreat” policy

Holding Stalingrad at all cost proved to be detrimental

Thousands of Germans soldiers lost

Hitler's “Holocaust”

Extermination of the Jews

Over 6 million killed

Auschwitz

Einsatzgruppen

Hitler’s stature in history

Adolf Hitler’s Stature

Solely responsible for WWII

Responsible for the Holocaust

Responsible for the rise of Germany in the early 1900’s

Adolf Hitler’s Stature

United Germany by himself

Made Germany the most powerful and feared nation by 1938

Achieved many significant victories for Germany without firing a shot

Hitler’s Death

During the final days of WWII Hitler committed suicide; he fired a bullet into his head while concurrently biting a cyanide capsule

Summary

Hitler’s Rise to Power Hitler’s Political Power over Germany Hitler’s Strategy Hitler as a Military Leader Hitler’s Military mistakes Hitler’s Stature in History Hitler’s Death

Questions

Bibliography

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Significance of Napoleon, Bismarck, Lenin, and Hitler. Cambridge: Schenkman, 1983. Fest, Joachim. Hitler. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1974. Giblin, J. The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler. Clarion Books, 2002. Guderian, Heinz. Panzer Leader. Translated by Constantine Fitzgibbon. New York: E.P.

Dutton, 1952. Hitler, Adolf. Mein Kampf, 15 September. Irving, David. Hitler’s War. New York: Viking Press, 1977. Langer, Walter. The Mind Of Adolf Hitler. New York: Basic Books, 1972. Liddell Hart, B.H. The German Generals Talk. New York: William Morrow, 1948. Liddell Hart, B. H. History of the Second World War. New York: Putnam’s, 1970. Schramm, Percy. Hitler: The Man and the Military Leader. Chicago: Quadrangle Books,

1971. Shirer, William. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. New York: Simon and Schuster,

1960. Taylor, Telford. The March of Conquest. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1958. Waite, Robert. The Psychopathic God Adolf Hitler. New York: Basic Books, 1977.