Reply to queries

Hello,

First, for Jonathan's question "How successful was Hitler's rule?"

Note: The best answers to this question are the ones that qualify the success first and then go on to explain the more central impact of his rule in an organised manner. For example, political, economic and social. I'll do an answer but you are welcome to improve on it yourself.:)

Hitler experienced great economic success during his rule but created an atmosphere of fear through his secret police, restricted the freedom of expression and controlled many aspects of social life for the Germans. Despite this, he was genuinely well-loved by many and managed to strengthen and expand Germany before his defeat in World War II. Hence he was successful in many aspects of governance as a leader to a large extent.

Economically, Hitler was quite a success. His policy of rearmament and public works jump started the German economy. Big businesses benefitted and unemployment was greatly reduced. He also created the National Labour service that built schools, hospitals and highways and expanded the Civil Service. The reintroduction of conscription and the expansion of the military also absorbed the unemployed especially when the army increased to 1.4 million men.

Labour conditions also improved slightly with the introduction of the German labour Front. This was the only trade union tried to introduce cheap holidays and cruises as well as a programme for workers to own cars.

Hitler was a popular and well-supported leader but this was due to his massive control over many aspects of social life. In education, students were thought Nazi beliefs and that the treaty of Versailles was evil and that Germany needed to expand. Youths were forced to join Nazi youth organisations. Radio stations were controlled by the Nazis and publications had to go through the approval of Ministry of Propaganda. Joseph Goebbels, was brilliant at orchestrating the control over culture and ensured that even movies were pro-Nazi and that Hitler's radio broadcast were heard by all Germans. Although this restricted the freedom of expression and access to information for Germans, it did help Hitler become a massively popular leader. The Nuremburg rallies that involved hundreds of Thousands of people were a massive show of power by the Nazis and helped them achieve the support of the people. 

Politically, Hitler was a well supported leader of a party that by 1933 controlled a large portion of the reichstag. After he gets emergency powers given by the reichstag fire, he uses it to wipe out his opponents including the communists. The enabling act of 1933 allows him to ban all other political parties and establish his dictatorship. In a sense, he has ended the problem of proportional representation experienced bu the Weimar but in undesirable way. in the night of the long nights, he wipes out his own SA, the brown shirts and makes sure no one dares to challenge his rule. He does put in place a organized and very purposeful government but at the expense of all political freedom in Germany.

While Hitler experiences success, the social costs of his leadership is very high. Women and jews are forced out of jobs in order to reduce unemployment. Women are told to tend to just the family, church and children while jews are systematically removed from society and eventually slaughtered in the holocaust. 6 million would perish. Political opponents are killed off. Opposition to his rule are snubbed by the secret police and informants are encouraged. Even workers earned less although they worked longer hours and Germany and a massive trade inbalance in which they could not sell enough of their goods overseas.

Therefore, Hitler's rule might have been a success in terms of some its economic benefits and the genuine popularity of the man himself but it is a carefully engineered success with propaganda and expansionist plans fueling it. furthermore, many aspects of freedom in German life were restricted and many like women, workers and the jews suffered under his rule. Hence he is a success only in certain aspects of governance.