Historiography of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party
The topic of Nazi Germany, Hitler’s dictatorship and how they shaped modern history is a prominent topic amongst historians. “The historiography of Nazi Germany is extensive,” (Alpha History, n.d.). Historically, Hitler’s motifs are clear. There cannot be and is not any misinterpretation of his intentions. Instead of debating what he was doing, historians debated why he was doing it.
Historical webpages show that many historians discuss his characteristics, showing that he was, “a person who cruel, inhuman, and [had a] insatiable greed for power,” (Tham, 2012), this can be justified by a large majority of historians. This quote is a quantifiable secondary source which aligns many other historiographical views. Another view describes Hitler as a, “fanatic, a racist, a political opportunist – in general, a deplorable figure…,” (Alpha History, n.d.). This quote can also be seen as relevant and justifiable as it is a common belief that is relevant to the times. Both quotes corroborate each other’s views towards Adolf Hitler’s persona, showing that not many historians believed he was a positively inspirational or monumental man. However there is inadequate detail on Hitler’s takeover on the youth of Germany. Historical textbooks and books on Hitler and the rise of Nazism are generally not focused on the historiography aspect of Hitler’s takeover of youth of Germany either. Most offer only a mere selection on different factors which helped the rise of Hitler to power; few books go little beyond this approach. |
The first prominent historian to discuss Hitler’s rise was William Shirer, in this The Rise and fall of the Third Reich, published in 1960. Shirer remains one of the most influential and widely referenced historians to date (Alpha History, n.d.). He had a primary experience on the events in Germany, therefore is a reliable source. Shirer’s historiographical perspective was that, “Nazism was a logical phase in Germany’s national development,” (Alpha History, n.d.). Though it is clear what historians thought about Hitler’s persona, it is unclear as to his influence on the youth.