Krivitsky Bobby Michael Ebner History 112: Paper #2 April 13, 2011
Hitler vs. Stalin: A Comparison of Nazi Germany to Communist Russia Before WWII
Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin both took their countries to great extremes to create "utopias." For Hitler, this meant a world dominated by the Aryan race. For Stalin, a totalitarian society where classes did not exist. Hitler used propaganda and racial policy in order to manipulate the public and climb to power. Once their, he was able to use that power in order to eradicate anyone who did not fit his image of what a true German should look like. What Adolf Hitler envisioned, was a world ruled by the Aryan race. According to Hitler, everything came from Aryan intellect and all other races simply got in the way or were detrimental to creating a German utopia. Jews, Poles, African Americans, and Catholics all had to go. In order for there be to a German Utopia, Germany was to be purified. Hitler was a great admirer of Benito Mussolini and structured certain aspects of his dictatorship after Mussolini's. Like Mussolini, Hitler ran a national socialism country and used propaganda to manipulate the public and wield power. In Mein Kampf, Hitler says, "The mightiest counterpart to the Aryan is represented by the Jew....Not through him does any progress of mankind occur, but in spite of him..." (Mein Kampf 199).
Hitler goes on to say that the Jews deprive the state of the means for self-preservation and continues his tirade against the Jews throughout the entire book. Hitler was able to use this to gain the support of the public as they now had the scapegoat that they were so desperately searching to blame all their struggles on. This allowed Hitler to come to power and make an attempt at "cleansing" Germany.