It is well known that Adolf Hitler is a master of persuasion and in his Reichstag speech of December 11, 1941, he shows why. In this speech he gives reasons for the outbreak of war in September 1939, explains why he decided to attack the Soviet Union in June 1941, and announces that Germany was now in a war against the United States. Throughout this speech, he was able to maintain an air of righteousness while successfully manipulating his people into fighting for him. To accomplish this task, he cunningly uses a persuasive format for organizing his points, tone, and rhetoric devices, such as pathos, false dilemmas, and ethos, to gain support and loyalty of the German nation and maintain it.
The method of paragraph development that Hitler …show more content…
Britain is trying to portray Germany as a nation that wants to invade and rob countries of their freedom when, in reality, Germany just has an economic interest in these countries. Britain, however, did not believe them so they offered military assistance to countries who was not able to defend themselves against Germany. Because these countries did not believe Germany, but instead allied themselves with Britain and their army, “it was not only right but also the duty of the German Reich government to delineate the limits of German interest” (Hitler, 1941, p. …show more content…
In this speech, Hitler presents himself as a man who is honorable and trustworthy, unlike his adversaries. He displays a narcissistic characteristic by constantly referring to himself positively, whether it be directly or indirectly, to elevate others opinions of him. When comparing himself to Roosevelt, he notes that “Roosevelt came from an extremely wealthy family” while he “had to struggle through life by work and effort” (Hitler, 1941, p. 18). Hitler portrays himself as regular man who, through dedication, persistence, and immense hardship, gained his title and wealth. He knows the struggles that the Germans face because growing up he had to face them as well. Roosevelt, on the other hand, is a man whose advancements through the American government is based solely on his pedigree. He comes from the upper class and will therefore never understand the problems that America faces. At the beginning of the speech he says that although he has put forth several peace proposals, all were rejected “by the British prime minister [Winston Churchill] and the clique that supports and controls him,” and war was therefore inevitable “contrary to all logic and necessity” (Hitler, 1941, p. 1). He portrays himself as man of good intentions who wants nothing more that peace but the tyrannical British Empire would prefer to see bloodshed. He even states that this war is “the creation, above all, of the
The method of paragraph development that Hitler …show more content…
Britain is trying to portray Germany as a nation that wants to invade and rob countries of their freedom when, in reality, Germany just has an economic interest in these countries. Britain, however, did not believe them so they offered military assistance to countries who was not able to defend themselves against Germany. Because these countries did not believe Germany, but instead allied themselves with Britain and their army, “it was not only right but also the duty of the German Reich government to delineate the limits of German interest” (Hitler, 1941, p. …show more content…
In this speech, Hitler presents himself as a man who is honorable and trustworthy, unlike his adversaries. He displays a narcissistic characteristic by constantly referring to himself positively, whether it be directly or indirectly, to elevate others opinions of him. When comparing himself to Roosevelt, he notes that “Roosevelt came from an extremely wealthy family” while he “had to struggle through life by work and effort” (Hitler, 1941, p. 18). Hitler portrays himself as regular man who, through dedication, persistence, and immense hardship, gained his title and wealth. He knows the struggles that the Germans face because growing up he had to face them as well. Roosevelt, on the other hand, is a man whose advancements through the American government is based solely on his pedigree. He comes from the upper class and will therefore never understand the problems that America faces. At the beginning of the speech he says that although he has put forth several peace proposals, all were rejected “by the British prime minister [Winston Churchill] and the clique that supports and controls him,” and war was therefore inevitable “contrary to all logic and necessity” (Hitler, 1941, p. 1). He portrays himself as man of good intentions who wants nothing more that peace but the tyrannical British Empire would prefer to see bloodshed. He even states that this war is “the creation, above all, of the