Adolf Hitler: Genius, or Madman?

[Downward Spiral]

Controversial topic to say the least.

In my estimation, Hitler was an economic genius based on the fact that he took a country from the depths of all holy hell and restored it to one of the world's powerhouses. Taking out the worthless currency, re-instating it to be worth more than the paper it was printed on, creating roads, which created employment, designing an affordable car, also creating more jobs, was what I know he did. So in a way, the pre-WW2 Hitler was an intellect, one who turned a whole country around.

But Hitler's leadership also revolved around lying to other countries, performing actions that were agreed to not take place under certain treaties (Germany couldn't create an army...well, they weren't supposed to...) But, in order for Germany to get back from the shit they were in, this needed to be done.

I won't go into detail about the things this one-testicled fellow did during the Germany-instigated WW2, because we've all heard those things, because that's ALL you hear about the man, and it's an eye-opener to hear about what he did BEFORE WW2.

So, it depends on if you're going to consider what he did in World War 2, or what he did to rebuild Germany when you're judging this man. For me, it looks like he went insane with power, so, while being an economic genius, I'd say he turned completely insane in the end.

 

[klunderbunker]

I'd say a combination of both. Before I start this, let me make it clear that I think Hitler was a madman that deserves a special place in hell for the atrocities he committed. I think that when he came into power, he wasn't nearly as insane as he was the day he died. At the end of WWI, Germany was a shambles. The money was so worthless that it was used as wallpaper and to heat homes. Hitler was the person that got the country back on its feet. He was the first person to step up to the mic and say follow me and I'll make your lives better. The power got ahold of him and drove him to maddness. In my opinion his hatred of various groups were always in his mind and heart, but the power he gained was the final straw. I honestly don't consider him as much of a genius, but rather a definitely smart man who was in the right place in the right time. Totally mad though.

 

[X]

Hitler wasn't an economic genius. He was a very smart guy, don't get me wrong. But economic genius? Hardly. He did nothing that hadn't already been done in other countries before. He was smart for following what some of those countries did.

Hitler was a smart man, but hardly an economist. I doubt he would've fared very well against an actual economist.

Hitler was no genius. He was hardly the first fascist dictator, only the most successful. Perhaps he could be seen as a genius for how he conquered Europe, but given the latter half of the war, he could also be considered a brash fool who didn't know when to surrender.

As for the title of this thread, Hitler falls squarely into the camp of madman.

 

[FoleyIsGod]

Hitler was a absolute nutter. But an inspiring nutter.

He reunited a nation, bankrupt and angry after the defeat in World War 1. He led his party to huge successes against all comers.

And yes, he was a complete wanker when it came to persecuting those who he didnt see fit his nation, but I have read somewhere that he also gassed all the murderes, rapists and thieves.

If you want to have a look on how he was pre-ww2, try and get Hitler: The Rise of Evil on dvd. It has Robert Carlise as the Fuher and it is quite an interesting drama on Hitler.

 

[NYSandman]

I will get that DVD. I honestly don't know what he did to help the economy, or what he did to help Germany. The fact that he ordered thousands not just killed, but tortured, will forever shadow anything and everything good he might have done.

It is similar, in a way, to the Benoit tragedy. One of the greatest of all time, and he'll never be remembered for his ability and positivity ever again, simply for the fact of the horrors he committed.

I think once you go that road, where you hurt and inflict terrible pain on others, you no longer deserve to be creditted with anything positive.

 

[Shocky]

I think you can make arguments, and X pretty much summed it up for both ends. The man did get his country out of the economic slump that followed World War I, but did so by breaking almost every treaty that Germany signed to end that war.

You can say he is a genius because of his military might and the relative eaze he took over the rest of Europe with. His plans were well thought out, and very well if D-Day wasn't a victory for the allies, the rest of the world could be speaking German (well until Japan and Germany turned on each other that is).

but he is a madman. For obvious reaosns, not going to get into the obvious stuff of World War II. But for simple reasons like deciding to fight a war on two fronts is an obvious sign of just being a complete ego maniac and a nutter.

 

[AnthonyMango/NoFate007]

If I'm remembering the quote correctly...."The line between genius and insanity is measured only by success".

Hitler, despite his irredeemably horrible actions, did show signs of being a genius in his web of schemes. I'm not a history teacher, so I can't cite specifics, but some of what Hitler pulled off is truly astonishing. If anything, the man was a genius at psychological manipulation through his speeches. The word "rally" itself is almost synonymous with the Nazi party.

Still, Hitler was a madman. A man who lusts for genocide? Come on, lol. Comic book supervillains do that.

Another question to bring up...was Hitler a genius who cracked under the pressure and turned into a madman...or was he a madman who simply did his research?

 

[HBK-aholic]

Hitler did do a lot for his country in working to get it out of the depression it was in after the first World War. They had to pay reparations which they couldn't afford, especially with so much of their land missing. Hitler found ways to work through this, and soon the country was building up some pride which it had los with everything to Treaty had made them do.

However, Hitler's plans only worked in general due to the fact Britain and France were working under a strong policy of appeasement; they wanted to avoid another war at all costs. With Hitler knowing this, he used it to his advantage. Which is a smart thing to do, here it were the other countries at fault. Surely France should have done something when Hitler remilitarized the Rhineland? Or when he expanded his army even though the Treaty of Versaille said he could have an army of no more than 100,000 men, surely they big three of America, France and Britain should have stepped in?

Hitlers ideas of them being the superior race were always stupid. Especially when you see he put people such as Jewish and Black people at the bottom. Mein Kampf should have been a warning really, he had a very warped mind, and needed to be stopped. What he did to Jewish people especially was awful and automatically shows what an evil person he was. But he had the support of most of his country, something most wars have lacked.

Hitler was a bit of both. He was very smart in the way he made Germanys economy boom again, but there is also no words to describe him after he did what he did to Jewish people.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

He was both.

Imagine what the Nazi's could have done if they concentrated all their efforst on being good instead of evil. It's widley considered that Nazi doctors came very close to discovering a cure for cancer. They noticed the link between smoking and the disease. Before the war apparently they all but found a way to stop it. But they were forced to abandon what they were doing for some reason.

 

[Capt. Charisma]

I did may A-level coursework on Hitlers economic policy, very boring and complecated stuff to say the least. To be fair though the only reason unemployment went down was because he set up new work forces to help construction, and because he started conscription. Also after '36 Jews werent considered in any unemployment figures. He also got key economic locations like the Saar back and just refused to pay reprations. I'm not saying Hitler didnt have an influence on the economy but it was more to do with luck, timing, and some good policies he copied from America after the depression there.

 

[kieran_devlin]

Hitler was an ordinary person who was born in Austria and he was basically pissed about losing the war. he heard some anti semetic speeches in Munchen and also was thrown out of art school.

He just was very charismatic and sneaky. He wasn't intelligent so to say but he had intelligent advisor's and he was a very good tactician in war.

A lot of his policies looked good because he came to power at a time when there was economic downfall due to the wall street crash worldwide economic downfall. Basically he came to power because every other part had a turn and he was charismatic and could fool people into voting Nazi. A lot of people hated the previous government for their hard tax and spending but this was only to combat the economic situation. It looked like his policies were working because the world was turning around the wall street crash, a lot of economic growth was due to world growth not HITLER.

A lot of things like public works Hitler created was building of the autobahn created jobs but the government payed for these jobs it cancelled out.

A lot of the education and groups like Hitler youth was to gear children to grow up and fight in wars.

He wasnt a very intelligent person he just knew how to play the cards he was dealt with.

 

[Rated TSS]

Hitler is a Madman who is also a genius, he was a genius turning Germany into a country that can be respected, by his power went to his head and turned him into a madman! He started a genius but then power went to his head and he turned into a mad man!

 

[Crimson Mask]

Hitler is a Madman who is also a genius, he was a genius turning Germany into a country that can be respected, by his power went to his head and turned him into a madman! He started a genius but then power went to his head and he turned into a mad man!

Hitler was a madman, pure and simple. He used manipulation and propaganda to pull desperate people in Germany into voting for him. His entire plan for the economy was to put it on a war-footing-if it wasn't for the war, then the German economy would have fallen apart. From the start he was driven by racist and anti-semetic views that lead to genocide and he took power to put his sick ideas into action. It was nothing to do with power going to his head-try reading a history book sometime.

 

[Tim]

Hitler was not a madman. He was a genius. I do not condone some of his actions, but his leadership and charisma were brilliant.

Hitler brought Germany out of the dark ages. He suplied them with protection. He may have used fear to be elected, but he followed through on some of his promises.

As a boy, he had a very violent father, who hit both him and his mother. This could have contributed to him having ideas of a eutopian race, where there would be no violence. But there would've had to have been sacrifices.

I am part German. Both my grandparents are Jewish. They still think Hitler is a genius, if he had had better ideas.

 

[klunderbunker]

I'd have to say he was smart, but not a genius. Germany was lower than the depths of hell after WWI and Hitler was the only person to step up to the microphone and say something. Almost anyone else could have had the same ideas and made it work. A lot of his confidence and speaking ability did help, no question about htat, but I'd think that more than anything else it was the fact that Germany was so desolate and desperate for leadership and a glimmer of hope that they'd take whatever was dangled before them. Hitler was smart and his timing was perfect. He certainly was mad, but I wouldn't say a genius.

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Any man who can leave one country, walk into another, shout his views a lot and become the leader of a political party, is no idiot. I'm not including Arnold Scwarzenegger in that because he got to be governor by being a well loved celebrity. Hitler was literally a nobody, who turned up at a National Socialist meeting in a beer hall, and started screaming his views and ideas at everyone and they agreed basically. Then he got jailed, wrote a book that convinced everyone that Jews and the surrounding nations that enforced the reparations, and occupied the Rhineland were the causes of Germany's problems (THAT part was true, but if someone hadn't killed Duke Franz Ferdinand, and then everyone deciding to back up everyone else until the Kaiser basically said, 'shut up and fight!' then none of that would have happened anyway would it?)

If someone ever asks me 'do you think i could do that?' i tell them:

"If an Austrian street artist can walk into war torn Germany, shout his mouth off a lot, and become a leader of men, and then take that so far as to make Germany a superpower again within 15 years, then anyone has a good shot at anything"

His time in prison, writing Mein Kampf, and the hypnotic passion he used for his public image where all contributing factors to him winning the people over, and he then made sure that once he was in power that he would never get out without being killed, and that's when the genocide movement started.

Thomas Edison was a genius, Albert Einstein was a genius, Leonardo Divinci was a genius. Were guys like Hitler and Stalin geniuses? Depends on your definition of genius i guess. I wouldn't say they were, because i don't consider ruthlessness and manipulation to be a measure of intelligence. I'd catagorise them as master manipulators, whose primary means of dealing with a problem is to eradicate anyone invaluable who is aware of it, or in other words, murderous tyrants.