janerwang
Dec 29, 2011
Undergraduate / NYU Supplements- Why NYU, My Major, and Adolf Hitler [5]
gotpho
Welp, you're right. Is this better?
I've always been fascinated by the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.
Arguably the most infamous leader in history, Hitler was responsible for the death of 11 million during the Holocaust. His crimes against humanity are regarded as horrific in our modern society. He has been labeled the devil, a sociopath, and a madman. As Rabbi Julius Rosenthal wrote, however, "madmen do not lead nations."
On August 19, 1934, 90% of Germans voted to give Adolf Hitler total power. Hitler was elected to power. He had won the majority of the German people over through tangible, observable achievements and invigorating charisma. Adolf Hitler was adored, revered, and deified by millions.
The atrocities behind which a nation so nonchalantly stood, shed light on the danger of the hivemind, particularly one which is vulnerable in its desperation and resentment. Adolf Hitler provided the German people with their needs: jobs, hope, and a scapegoat. In return, they gave him their loyalty. They blindly followed him in one of the world's most gruesome genocides.
The rise of Adolf Hitler chips away at my faith in humanity. It demonstrates that in the worst of times, humans are merely beasts. Despite our ravings about civilization and moral conduct, the majority of human beings would trade the lives of neighbors for food and some glimmer of hope. We would kill the innocent, out of fear, blind faith, or peer pressure. The worst circumstances bring out the true nature of people. We are only animals.
gotpho
Welp, you're right. Is this better?
I've always been fascinated by the rise of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.
Arguably the most infamous leader in history, Hitler was responsible for the death of 11 million during the Holocaust. His crimes against humanity are regarded as horrific in our modern society. He has been labeled the devil, a sociopath, and a madman. As Rabbi Julius Rosenthal wrote, however, "madmen do not lead nations."
On August 19, 1934, 90% of Germans voted to give Adolf Hitler total power. Hitler was elected to power. He had won the majority of the German people over through tangible, observable achievements and invigorating charisma. Adolf Hitler was adored, revered, and deified by millions.
The atrocities behind which a nation so nonchalantly stood, shed light on the danger of the hivemind, particularly one which is vulnerable in its desperation and resentment. Adolf Hitler provided the German people with their needs: jobs, hope, and a scapegoat. In return, they gave him their loyalty. They blindly followed him in one of the world's most gruesome genocides.
The rise of Adolf Hitler chips away at my faith in humanity. It demonstrates that in the worst of times, humans are merely beasts. Despite our ravings about civilization and moral conduct, the majority of human beings would trade the lives of neighbors for food and some glimmer of hope. We would kill the innocent, out of fear, blind faith, or peer pressure. The worst circumstances bring out the true nature of people. We are only animals.