There have been many movements and political parties throughout history, but Nazism outmatches most when it comes to the fanatiscm of its members. Hitler was able to tap into the fears and paranoia felt in Germany after World War I, and combine it with popular doctrines of the time. Racism, nationalism and even the dreaded Marxism played into what the Nazis created to gain their “living space,” and the elimination of true evil. By borrowing what he liked from various groups and texts, Hitler could create his own utopian ideology that spoke to everyone in Germany, including the workers who were mainly socialist. The very name of the party conveys this mass appeal, the National Socialist German Worker’s Party. All of these things mean something different, in fact, they contradict each other, but Hitler knew that he needed to gain all the support he could.
In the Nazi party there was something for everyone, and that is why there was such a grab bag of men that chose to join. No other movement could have culled such a varied spectrum of men into its ranks. Varied only applies to the places they came from, the viewpoints they held were not varied at all. The darkness in the hearts of the top Nazis was what connected them with each other and to the overreaching Nazi idea. Like all groups, the Nazis believed that they were doing good, and that Aryans were the preferred race on the entire planet. An ability to be easily swayed characterizes all die hard Nazis.
In the Nazi personality there were varying degrees of gullibility, Goebbels represents the highest, and Speer the lowest. Certain men joined because it suited their lifestyle, and gave them the opportunity for success, like Speer. Others used it merely to fill a void in their lives, and bought into every facet of Nazism, like Goebbels. Perhaps gullible is the wrong word for those who completely immersed themselves in the party, but so large was the hole inside of them that a lack of truth in what the Nazis preached did not matter.
The opportunism that Hitler exercised rendered any disbelievers helpless against the growing throngs of Nazi supporters. Times had been so hard in Germany following the war, and the population was so humiliated that it was easy for the Nazis to rally support, despite the lack of truth in their ideology. Also, the Nazis tapped into long standing social beliefs, mostly concerning the Jews. Among his many talents, Hitler had the ability to tell people what they wanted to hear, but even he was not able to make his people believe as the war turned against Germany.
