After World War I, the country of Germany was in a crisis. People were disoriented and looking for answers. As a result, the Nazis were able to use several appeals to encourage people to support them, such as blaming Jews for the country’s problems, lying, and promising peace to the world.
Adolf Hitler, the Nazi and German leader, illustrates a prime example of the appeals that Nazis used. During his stay in prison, Hitler wrote the book Mein Kampf (or in English, My Struggle). Within in this text, Hitler encouraged the Germans to come together to eradicate the Jewish people. By blaming the Jews, Hitler gave the Germans a common enemy, he reunited the country and gave them a cause to fight. As Hitler said in a speech on April 12, 1922:
It [part of the German government] has completely forgotten that this Jewish democracy with its majority decisions has always been without exception only a means towards the destruction of any existing Aryan [Hitler’s perfect race] leadership.
The Nazis also appeased the Germans by promising them peace and prosperity. Hitler used prolific and passionate speeches to talk with the people and encourage them to join the Nazi’s side. Hitler believed that if a person continued to lie to the people, they would eventually believe it and follow him.
Not only did the Nazis use appeals for their own countrymen, but they also appealed to the rest of the world. After World War I, the League of Nations (similar to the United Nations today) desired peace and rest. Hitler made promises of peace while invading and taking control of entire countries!
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