Mommsens From Weimar to Auschwitz Essay - 719 Words

Hans Mommsen’s book, From Weimar to Auschwitz, presented an interesting look at Hitler within the Nazi Party. The overriding themes in the chapter â€Å"Hitler’s Position in the Nazi System† were the stubbornness and charisma of Hitler and the chaos within the Nazi Party. The weak leadership of Hitler along with the inability to concentrate power to one position helped lead the Third Reich to be a very frenzied and unorganized government. Throughout the span of Hitler’s rule, there was constant confusion within the Third Reich. Hitler’s government was not a monolithic government; instead, there were many different centers of power, including the different military branches and different ministries. The â€Å"administrative anarchy† led to constant†¦show more content†¦For Hitler, the communication gap and differences within the government deterred his followers from creating a solid opposition to his power. Mommsen stated, â€Å"The movement’s energies had to become totally absorbed in internal ‘disputes over areas of competency†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (171). Another advantage Hitler had when dealing with people was his charisma. He was â€Å"uniquely talented in being able to change the minds† of officials who started to doubt the Hitler’s wisdom. Hitler had a habit of tirelessly trying to convince nonbelievers by persuasion. His behavior had people feeling tha t he was determined and had a sense of purpose. Along with Goebbels as Propaganda Minister, Hitler had the â€Å"fate of the nation† in him and Germany had never seen a leader like him (165). Hitler had â€Å"come to symbolize the unity and substance of the nation† (167). When complaints arose about the party and the Nazi regime, Hitler was exempt from them and citizens thought that if he only knew what was happening, then he would change it. Hitler’s stubbornness kept him from getting the real view of the war. As the fighting continued, Hitler spent less time in public and more time in the bunker. He refused to look at any unpleasant information and was â€Å"increasingly out of touch with reality and unprepared to accept truths presented to him† (185). Hitler did not want to be bothered with the day-to-day activities of government and would refuse to get