At first glance, one would have to suggest Wilhelm II did control an authoritarian Germany. He favoured "personal rule", whereby he could make all the decisions, and seemed at the time to control the politics, the leading figures, the military, and as a result the whole of Germany, with a firm hand. However, was this the case? The Kaiser, and "personal rule" of an authoritarian Germany, was exemplified by his quote that reads "There is only one ruler of the Reich and I am he". He defended the Prussian Monarchy, and strongly believed in the Divine Right of Kings.
The Nazi state idolized Hitler, centralising all powers in his hands. Propaganda was used to propagate the regime, however; much of it was based on Hitler himself, being quite effective in creating what historians called the ‘Hitler Myth’. With Hitler being a controversial character, most historians have come to believe that the Fuhrer of Nazi Germany was not a strong dictator at all but a weak one. Although this is not the case for all historians, with some believing Hitler was at the centre of the regime. Without Hitler’s massive personal popularity, the high level of ‘plebiscitary acclamation which the regime could repeatedly call upon’ (Kershaw), would have been unattainable.
To a certain extent I do agree that Germany was an entrenched authoritarian state as the population was being led by a hereditary monarch that detained an unnecessary amount of power; the Kaiser was the defender of traditional privileges and enjoyed a large amount of support from other ruling elites, especially those leading Prussia. However, Germany was not an absolute monarch as there was an elected branch of the government, the Reichstag. As well the Kaiser also desired a world role; he therefore supported industrialisation as well as being enthusiastic about new technology and new industries. The prestige status of the Kaiser was still deeply ingrained in the minds of the Reichstag members. The constitution granted the emperor extensive powers which established his personal rule, as he had the power to appoint key government members, such as the chancellor and Reichstag members.
This is one of the reasons he was so successful in building such a loyal following in Germany. Hitler was charming and a great public speaker, but he was still a ruthless leader whose cruelty helped him maintain order. Machiavelli stated in the prince that a good leader will "find a greater security in being feared than in being loved," Machiavelli also described the different types of troops a prince can have. There are mercenaries, men who fight for money, auxiliary troops, men borrowed from another country, and native troops, a rulers own troops. Hitler did not use mercenaries, auxiliary troops or an army that combined all three types.
This is a common theme in the texts Exam Day and V for Vendetta, both showing various elements of power play at what could be called “stages” of power play. In V for vendetta the government holds an extremely rigid control over the people of England, and this was achieved and is maintained through fear. The main character V acts upon this to dismantle the power of the government. His form of power is a lot less direct. He holds power as a man of great intelligence and a devious nature, but his plans to destroy the government’s power are not to do it himself, but to empower the people of England to do it for themselves.
It is evident that without other branches of the federal government, particularly Congress, the President can achieve little if not nothing. Consequently the president cannot rely on formal powers alone but must persuade members of Congress that it is in their best interest to support him. President Harry Truman quoted ‘I learned that a great leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don't want to do and like it, so it must be questioned whether a president possess the roles the constitution sets or whether his greatest attributes is appealing to the judgement of others. This essay will examine the claim by investigating how powerful the American President really is The President is conventionally the Head of state, chief executive, defender of the constitution. Indeed, as world statesman and commander-in-chief there have been instances, particularly in the foreign affairs arena, where the president has been able to wield enormous power.
The First World War did not arise primarily as a result of planned Germany aggression. Discuss. The First World War started due to many of reasons, many Historians’, such as Fischer, argue that it could have been down to Germany’s aggression and that Germany had always been planning a war. This is supported by Source two, written by James Joll, which argues that the war did result of planned German aggression. Meanwhile, other Historians, such as Steven Ozment in, sources one, believe the First World War started from various other reasons such as alliances, arms race and all countries just slithered into war.
How important was the position of Kaiser Wilhelm II in shaping German politics in the years 1890-1914? Willhelm II who became the Kaiser of Germany in 1888 is arguably one of the most important figures from 1890 to 1914. The Kaiser controlled the millitary, he was also in controll of the foreign policy, he could appoint and dismiss the chancellor and his secretaries without Reichstag's say, due to this he was unquestionable. After the recent unification of Germany nationalistic feeling were very high and the Kaiser was looked up to and his decisions were followed without question and none of the major decisions were carried out without Kaisers knowledge or agreement. The political system in Germany at the time also favoured the Kaiser, as nothing could be passed without kaisers agreement, the upper house referred to as Bundesrat was a conservative body and the bills were first discuessed in the Reichstag before they were passed on to the Bundersrat.
In a leadership position where he could have so easily become corrupt Washington did his best to remain constitutional. After his commanding role in the revolution Washington was looked up to as a leader and had an army that was loyal to him. He could have easily assumed a role as a dictator. It was his strong character though, that allowed him to be satisfied with a more modest republican office. It is evident that Washington won over the hearts of U.S. inhabitants not only by the means of his strong character.
Hitler and the Great Depression were both important factors for the Nazis coming into power. This question has been debated by historians for decades, making it vital to establish a clear answer. The role of Hitler is often overlooked as people believe that the Great Depression takes precedence. However, although the depression was a catalyst, Hitler’s oratory skill and plans to eliminate competition cemented his position in power. Hitler’s demagogue personality and the successful spreading of pro-Nazi propaganda cannot be forgotten even though the depression was also of paramount importance.