what made the Germans believe Hitler's theories?

Question

What made the Germans believe Hitler's theories? Didn't some see that it was evil? Why did the Jews allow Hitler to do that to them? Why didn't the government/military for the Jews do anything?

Answer 1

The time period that Hitler began his "rise to power" was a very bad time for Germany. They had just "lost" WW1 and were put under severe sanctions. Their country was in shambles financially. Their country had no real leadership. All of the sudden there was this man who began speaking about how GREAT it was to be German and how GREAT he was going to make their country again. So he got a following. Then he began indoctrinating his anti-semitic speeches in slowly (not that they weren't already "out" there). When a group of people are down trodden and without dignity they always search for someone who is lower to belittle so they don't feel so bad. He fed on this. He began comparing Jews to rats and dehumanized them to the point that many didn't even believe they were HUMAN. He did this through speeches and a very extensive catalogue of propaganda films. You have to understand it wasn't something that he did in ONE day...it was systematic and over several years. Kind of like a brainwashing. As each year passed his views became more and more extreme (incidentally as he gained more and more power).

As he became EXTREMELY powerful...yes some saw that he was evil...but what are you going to do? He has power, he has a very elite army full of those sharing his same views and he used them to intimidate and make everyone fear him.

The Jews had been persecuted for CENTURIES beforehand. They felt that if they just went along with whatever he decided at the time it would pass. He was also very powerful and they were completely outnumbered as most of Germany had already a hitched a ride on his band wagon. Again, one day he didn't say "You are all being sent to concentration camps" it was very slow and systematic. First were laws that disassociated Jews from Germans. Then there were campaigns to destroy their businesses and reputations. Then they were sent to live in separated communities called "ghettos." From there they were sent to concentration camps. Many Jews did not even know what they were until they got there because...no one came back to report what was going on obviously.

The Jews were citizens of Germany and their government and military WAS Hitler. He was the equivalent to the President...only of Germany. There were many Jewish resistance movements, however, they failed. The most widely known one is the Warsaw Ghetto Resistance movement.

Answer 2

History. The Germans were forced to sign a humiliating armistice at the close or WWI. The Jews in their country bleed Germany financially and cause a horrible depression. Hitler's , Final Solution" actually came from one of his advisers. The German people were largely unaware of what was happening, though some aided escaping Jews. Why did 5, 6 or 7 million ( depending on what Jews are saying, this year), people load themselves into cattle cars for execution? Probably the same thing that makes them build monuments to their ennui of the time.
The Jews had not military or country, at the time. They would never have attacked a real power , like Germany, anyhow.

Answer 3

Hitler was a very persuasive speaker. Plus Germany was going through some hard times and the people were looking for someone to blame for their troubles and he came in at the perfect time. Obviously some did see the evil behind it but not enough. And they couldn't really fight against it because they would be punished as well. But some did help as much as they could without being caught. The Jews had no government/military of their own so they couldn't really fight back.

Answer 4

For some they just choose to believed and follow Hitler. and some believed him because they needed to believe in something because of the state of poverty they were living in and looking for someone to blame their problems on. other were fed so much propaganda that they just believed what was being said about the Jews. And their was no government or military help for them to seek help from. Historically Hitler was also part Jewish, his father was catholic and his mother was Jewish and Hitler, and his mother was abuse very badly by his Catholic father and I do mean abused in a big way, And when his mother died Hitler flipped out. Another problem Hitler had at that time was because only his mother was Jewish and therefore any Jewish schools and society would not accept him. So he really went insane. Also Hitler was not German he was made a German citizen in the 1930's. He was also in the right place and at the time for Germany to have an insane leader to lead them. There is more much more but you can read about it in your local library and Hitler started hating the Jewish part of himeself and the rest is history

Answer 5

Some did help the Jews the book the diary of Anne frank gives you one view
Diary of Ann Frank
The Diary of Anne Frank. Introduction. The Diary of Anne Frank is the story of a 13-year-old Jewish girl and her family who are forced into hiding by the Nazis during World War.
This gives you one view. Many books written at that time. This is the Jewish side (sorry Jews in my family) Then there were the fair haired German blond blue eyed strong that hiltler seen as the perfect race something like you would breed dogs for example in ways I hate to say it hitler (notice small letters) had a point) And people did fight him read the diary of Anne frank if you have not it tells a lot of that side and is good reading. But history is what it is let us not repeat it once again.
hitler insane? There is a fine line between sanity and insanity and I would say that was a man who rode the fence.

Answer 6

hitler was one of the best persuasive speakers in history. they didn't all believe him, but those who did, a lot of them wanted to, he told them that they were stabbed in the back, which was what they wanted to hear. people are much more likely to believe something if it's what they want to be true. and Jews have been persecuted for centuries, so a lot of people throughout europe already hated them. the best comparison is the south before the civil rights movement, they tolerated blacks, but not much more. of course a lot of people didn't believe his stuff, and some saw that it was truely evil, but they were quickly silenced. and the jews didn't have much choice, because the german military was so powerful. and of course the jews didn't have a government or military, so there was no organized resistance.

Answer 7

Other people have done a good job answering your question, but I wanted to add that Jewish people didn't "allow" Hitler to do that to them. When there is enough of an army to come round up people and do horrible things or say horrible things that make the victims do whatever they're told in order to, say, maybe not have their child shot in front of them or worse - its easy to see how the Jewish people did't "allow" it to happen. They were overpowered.

Also, as someone else said, some people knew things were evil but weren't in a position to be able to do much about it. Sometimes, too, though, evil ideas can come in the form of things that look like great ideas and it is only after such ideas are implemented that the darker side of them shows up.

The scary thing is that it is often easy to play on people's fears or egos and get them to buy certain bad ideas.

Answer 8

Germany was in such a bad economic shape that the Germans used the jews as a scapegoat for Germany's ills

Answer 9

Some people wanted more than they had, others wanted to keep what they had, everybody believed Hitler and his propaganda machine. The cheered him on as he ran rough shod over countries. They did nothing when he accused those who opposed his regime traitors. They did nothing when the propaganda chiefs closed all radio stations and took over the broadcasting. They did nothing when all newspapers and films were taken over by the government. They did nothing when the Gestapo dragged people from their beds at night and tortured them on "tips" from neighbors.
And when the end came, and they were conquered, they said they didn't know anything about the 'nothings' either.
I pray we do not come to that. It does not look good.

Answer 10

As it was explaind to me in High School by a priest who was in a concentration camp during Hitler's reign. Hitler would position his followers in a crowd, they would chant with him. This created mass hypnosis. After most of the country woke up to what he was doing it was too late. Read your history towards the end of the war his own generals were plotting how yo get rid of him.