The Solitary Grounds: A Comparative View on Hitler and Stalin’s Rise to Power

[Brief Background on Adolf Hitler’s Rise to Power] Adolf Hitler who has ably
manipulated Germany and the Nazi party prior the outset of World War II stood previously a
German army forfeiting his life for World War I. His country’s collapse and the 1919 Treaty of
Versailles that has steered indictments on Germany for the World War I stood as the ultimate
grounds of Hitler entering politics. Uniting with the German Workers Party last September 1919,
Hitler instantaneously turned out to be one of the utmost prominent speakers of the party
advocating principles against the current Weimar Republic, the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, and the
impartiality of treatment and rights among Jews in Germany. It was February 1920 when Hitler
spearheaded a political meeting across 2000 people proclaiming the National Socialist Program
and the alteration of the party's name into the National Socialist German Workers Party later
known as the Nazi party. His propaganda and preaching skills made him widespread figure
throughout their vicinity, thus, enlisting numerous individuals to affirm on its advocacy. It was
1921 when Hitler pressured his party a resignation due to the prospect of integration with the
German Socialist Party. This group was the NSDAP’s rival party. Being the most popular
personality within the National Socialist German Workers Party, the members immediately
rendered Hitler as the party chairman. This has been the very outset of the party's engagement
on violent opposition against other German political parties; thus, establishing the Sturmabteilung,
better known as the brownshirts or SA.
The rise of the Nazi party with Adolf Hitler as its chairman utilizes an anti-Semitic
propaganda and popularity to cross the borders towards legitimate politics during the course of
1920s. The party has likewise been able to secure numerous seats and voters in every federal
election, winning over 2.6% of vote, which is not quite enough by that period. Nonetheless, the
party members were able to reach 130,000 by the end of the year. Several endeavors to power were
made by the Party, yet numerous setbacks remained similarly experienced. Not until 1933, where
Hitler's political maneuvers pay off for him and the Nazi party. Hitler's proficiency in exploiting
the weaknesses of the people and the system very well advances him to power. The Great
Depression likewise stood as his ultimate foundation of drastically changing the system by virtue
of exploiting people's personal difficulties akin to poverty and unemployment. Hitler's promises
of prosperity were perceived by the people as their transformation of hope, thus becoming the
Chancellor last 1933 and ultimately leading the Germany through his dictatorship. Beneath his
control, Nazi Germany founded over 40,000 concentration camps and ghettos to impede, enslave,
and murder prisoners involving Jews from Germany and other annexed countries, political
opponents, homosexuals, Roma, and foreign nationals. All in sundry, Hitler's pursuit of power has
instigated demise of 75 million people ahead of his own death in 1945. Across this account, the
comparison of Hitler's dictatorship with other forms of dictatorship throughout the world history,
such that of Stalin (USSR), will be rendered incorporating topics of how these two distinct dictators
diverges and converges on the subject of (1) emergence to power, (2) methods and propagandas,
(3) convictions or ideologies, (4) perception of accurate form of industry of industrialization, (5)
response to opposition, and (6) treatment to media and other critics. And as a conclusion, the basis
of comparison will be divulged.
[Comparative analysis on Hitler's Dictatorship vs. other Dictatorship] Primarily, rise
of authoritarian leaders does not take place in a highly reflective and parallel circumstances.

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Rather, it manifests through several measures akin to capturing referees, sidelining players,
and changing rules. Conversing across the subject of dictatorship, Hitler and Stalin both stood as
a well reputed mass murderers and tyrants in the world history. The same methods and
propaganda were utilized in order to secure the seat of power, nonetheless situations are quite
distinct. Hitler’s emergence to power entails the presence of numerous political enemies and
competing parties. Ahead of attaining such position, Hitler likewise undergoes through popularity
vote or elections. Struggles and long-term persistence were ostensible on Hitler's endeavor towards
securing the seat of presidency as he merely begun sketching his political ideas from a blank
canvas. On the other side of the coin, Stalin's emergence to power entails the presence of only one
enemy [Trotsky]. Moreover, Stalin's political ideology which involves communistic values were
already dominant on USSR ahead of his emergence to control. Thus, rendering a much swifter,
easier, and short-term venture for Stalin than that of Hitler's who consistently toiled for a span of
20 years. Apart from the unique circumstances they had, their emergence to power likewise
differs on reason. Hitler came into power due to Germany’s adverse situation in terms of economy
that furthers the already amplified social unrest. While Stalin's emergence to power was rendered
by his party members. Albeit exhibiting diverse situations and reasons for appearance to power,
both has analogously applied strategies of using propaganda and arrested or killed their
opponents to ensure the base of authority. Substantially, Hitler and Stalin likewise fluctuate
from their convictions. While Hitler was a national socialist, Stalin maintain its communist
ideals. Notwithstanding the fact that both ideologies has been able to render millions of deaths of
the public, they differ on the actuality that Hitler exhibits discriminative acts towards other races
akin to Jews. On the field of industry, although both wanted to industrialize their own country,
they exhibit distinct principles. Hitler upholds the market economy while Stalin seek to
encourage command economy. Conversely, they coincide when it comes to the grounds of
opposition. Due to their political ideology, Hitler killed millions of Jews and other non-Aryans,
while Stalin also killed numerous peasants. What is more than sure with regards to opposition on
both dictators is the use of paramilitary to prevent any opposition that may threaten their
security in power. And ultimately, they coincide on the methods they utilize to control people,
employing stringent censorship to filter or eliminate issues against them; thus, hindering the
medias entitlement for freedom of the press.
[The Basis of Comparison and the Conclusions to be Drawn] It remains factual that
Hitler and Stalin differ on the circumstances during their rise to authoritarian power. They stood
analogously distinct in view of their ideologies as well. Yet, they fit in parallel ground for such
ferocious measures; that is to secure their stay in power. Drawing a definite basis of such
comparison, they are both one of the greatest and most ruthless authoritarians as they equally
qualify on the criteria of authoritarian personality. They’ve been able to capture the referees by
virtue of strategically controlling the judicial system, law enforcement bodies, and
intelligence//tax/regulatory agencies. Those referees, if remain independent, are likely to expose
and punish government abuse. Additionally, they both succeed in sidelining players akin to
opposition politician, business leaders who finance the opposition, major media outlets, and
religious or other cultural figures by means of bribing or slaughtering. Ultimately, in order to
entrench themselves to power “legitimately”, they both succeed in reforming the existing laws,
electoral system, and other institutions in a manner that weakens the opposition. Perhaps, they may
well outstrip those standards, so much so that they stood acknowledged as the utmost callous
despots in the world history with the solitary grounds of safeguarding such merciless procedures
– to secure power.

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 References
Levitsky, S., Ziblatt, D. (2018). How Democracies Die. Crown Publishing Group. ISBN:
9781524762933
Gunner, S. (n.d.). How Did Hitler Rise to Power? Timeline of Key Events.
https://biography.yourdictionary.com/articles/how-did-hitler-rise-power-timeline-key-
events?msclkid=a41c4bbfcc5411ec864119d04b2e8eaa
GraduateWay. (2022). Stalin and Hitler: Differences and Similarities. Service
GraduateWay.Com. https://graduateway.com/stalin-hitler-differences-similarities-
essay/?msclkid=0e42de70cc5511eca1e3d1dc396416e5

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