Hitler Unlike Churchill example essay topic

Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler are two of the most recognizable names in history, and for good reason. They were each a leader of a great nation, nations that came head to head in World War II, and each had the faith and trust of their countrymen behind them. Churchill and Hitler were not similar in many ways, but they were both great orators and for each of them, it was this gift that took them to such great heights. On May 10, 1940 Winston Churchill became the Prime Minister of England, following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. He came to this position in a time when his country was facing war with Germany, and they looked to Churchill to guide them through this time. Churchill was an accomplished military leader, and his never give up attitude became famous throughout the world.

He was easily recognized by his signature cigar and bow tie, and that was no coincidence. As a political leader, he understood that part of the job was showmanship. He was a traditional man, and wanted to portray that image to his country and to the world, and he used these 'props' to do just that. Although he is quickly recognized due to the presence of these things, it is only a small aspect of why he became such a great leader. Churchill's skills as an orator are legendary, and even with the passage of time, his words still evoke an emotional response, whether they are being read, or heard from a recording. On May 13, 1940, three days after becoming the Prime Minister he addressed the House of Commons, saying "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat" (Strawson 4) and then proclaimed: ."..

You ask, What is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy! You ask, What is our aim?

I can answer in one word! It is victory, victory at all costs... ". (Strawson 4) His immortal words 'We shall never surrender' have become the battle cry of every man that is facing attack. In one of his most famous and moving speeches he said: Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands.

But if we fall, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age... Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour!" (web) It was moving sentiments such as these that helped the British people face the coming hardships, and inspired the soldiers that were going into battle. Sir Isaiah Berlin exclaimed that the manner in which Churchill spoke to his countrymen during the summer of 1940 was made of true inspiration. He stated: .".. they conceived a new idea of themselves... they went forward into battle transformed by his words... He created a heroic mood... So hypnotic was the force of his words, so strong his faith that by the sheer intensity of his eloquence he bound his spell upon them...

". (Strawson 2). Winston Churchill was not charismatic, but he was inspiring. Churchill said that his countrymen were " 'the buoyant and imperturbable temper of Britain which I had the honour to express' " (Strawson 6). The people of England began to see themselves through his eyes, and that inspiration may have been the spark that helped them make it through the war. The cause for so many of Churchill's powerful words was Adolf Hitler.

Hitler lacked the education and the discipline that Churchill had possessed, but he did have the same gift for speaking to his nation. Hitler spent much of his youth living on the streets, with the salt of the earth, and although he had a great contempt for them, he understood what fears were in their hearts. He said the words that they all thought, but were afraid to say. He once said, referring to himself, "from the living emotion of his hearers the apt word which he needed will be suggested to him and in its turn this will go straight to the hearts of his hearers" (Strawson 2). This in fact was what made him so popular among the people of Germany. Hitler came to power during a time of crisis in Germany.

They were suffering from the effects of the stock market crash in the United States, and they too were in an economic depression. Hitler's great gift was to place blame, most often on democrats, Slavs and Jews, and the people of Germany were grateful to have a scapegoat. When describing the future of Germany he used grand phrases, such as "Lord of the Earth" and "Master of the World" (Reach for Empire 14). They were ready for a new leader, and Hitler's impassioned speeches and uncanny ability to speak the words of their hearts were eagerly embraced. It was said that.

".. It was his very gift of oratory, combined with uncanny political acumen, infinite reserves of resolution, nerves of steel, an indomitable will and sheer perseverance that had brought him to power in the first place. His eloquence was such that he cast a spell on his audiences, perhaps as no military leader before or since has ever done". (Strawson 2) Even with this ability to win his crowd, Hitler did use a few tricks to make his crowd more easily won over. He would schedule his speeches for late in the day, when people's natural resistances had already been worn down from a long and hard day. He used searchlights in the crowd to create excitement, and also always had another speaker warm up the crowd before he would enter.

One of the most powerful tricks he would use would be the mere presence of the SA (Sturm Abteilung) and the Schutzstaffel, his version of the Roman Praetorian's, more commonly known as the SS (The SS 13). During more private conversations he was known to stare a person down, not blinking for unnatural periods of time, in an effort to make that person uncomfortable. By doing so he increased the air of superiority and power that surrounded him or created a feeling of fear. Hitler's passionate and fiery speeches enabled him to win over his country, and take on the world.

Hitler, unlike Churchill, was not inspirational, in that he did not inspire his countrymen to believe in themselves. Hitler was charismatic, and made them believe in him, which is the important difference between charisma and inspiration. Churchill and Hitler came from different backgrounds, and had entirely different views of mankind, but their ability to speak directly to the hearts and minds of their audience will forever bind them to one another.

Bibliography

Lukas, John The Duel, Yale University Press, New Haven 1990.
The Reach For Empire, Time-Life Books Inc., 1990 Roberts, Andrew.
Secrets of Leadership: Hitler and Churchill". web The SS, Time-Life Books Inc., 1989 Strawson, John Churchill and Hitler: In Victory and Defeat, First Fromm International Publishing Corporation, New York 1997 Wyden, Peter The Hitler Virus: The Insidious Legacy of Adolf Hitler, Arcade Publishing, New York 2001.