In ‘Hitler,’ an Ascent From ‘Dunderhead’ to Demagogue

In ‘Hitler,’ an Ascent From ‘Dunderhead’ to Demagogue

"How did a 'big mouth' rise to power?"

"... a politician who rose to power through demagoguery, showmanship and nativist appeals to the masses."

"... undeniable talents and obviously deep-seated psychological complexes."

"an egomaniac who 'only loved himself' — a narcissist with a taste for self-dramatization and a 'characteristic fondness for superlatives.'"

" ... adapted the content of his speeches to suit the tastes of his lower-middle-class, nationalist-conservative, ethnic-chauvinist listeners. He peppered his speeches with coarse phrases and put-downs of hecklers. Even as he fomented chaos by playing to crowds’ fears and resentments, he offered himself as the visionary leader who could restore law and order."

“a mouthpiece of the cultural pessimism growing in right-wing circles"

he promised "a new era of national greatness"

"The confluence of circumstance, chance, a ruthless individual and the willful blindness of others can transform a country "


But it couldn't happen here.