Nester, William Adolf Hitler and the Art of Tyranny

Nazi Germany’s Infamous Leader

Adolf Hitler is arguably the most notorious tyrant in history. Surely no other name is more frequently invoked to embody evil and the deliberate infliction of suffering upon vulnerable individuals and groups. Through extraordinary will and luck, Hitler fought his way through the ranks of political power until he became Germany's ruler. Then he set his sights on dominating Europe. Determined to unite all German-speaking peoples into one nation, he began a series of aggressions that culminated in a war that engulfed and devastated most of Europe and North Africa, killing, maiming or displacing millions of people. Together with his political opponents, he condemned Jews and other inferior peoples as enemies of Germany and ultimately had about six million of them arrested and systematically murdered. The book answers three key questions with depth and clarity. What made Hitler who he was? Why did he do what he did? And what were the consequences? This raises many more questions. For example, how did Hitler come to power? Or why was the Third Reich destroyed after only twelve years? Many more crucial questions follow, along with a series of answers. Hitler did not act alone, of course. He placed himself at the top of a power pyramid that included the NSDAP, the government, the military, the secret police, industrial associations, religious institutions and other social organisations. He commanded countless willing executioners of his plans and orders. For a rational, knowledgeable person, Hitler's mass appeal is puzzling. How could someone as theatrical, vulgar, superficial, tyrannical and extreme as Hitler inspire millions of people to such adoration and fanatical deeds?