What Was Hitler's Role In The Third Reich

For many historians, especially those writing immediately after the Second World War, Hitler's leadership and control of political life in the Third Reich were regarded to be strong and completely absolute. This view is perhaps best emphasized by Norman Rich who commented that ‘the point cannot be stressed too strongly; Hitler was the Master of the Third Reich". 1 Such historians take the view that Hitler devised a plan for the Third Reich, outlined in his book ‘Mein Kampf'. Historians writing from this particular perspective are categorised as ‘intentionalist historians, historians who broadly stress the importance of the roles and intentions of individuals, in this case, Hitler.2 Such intentionalist historian's emphasised the central importance …show more content…
As their research into the operation of the Nazi, government, and administration suggested that Hitler had not played the dominant personal role as intentionalist assigned previously for him. This has resulted in a number of historians, notably Hans Mommsen supported by Martin Broszat, to argue that Hitler was "in some respects a weak dictator"3. That the actions and policy of the Third Reich that led to the Holocaust was a result of both pressure that came from above and below, along with the claim that Hitler lacked a master …show more content…
Additionally, it is said that as most structuralist historians who wrote significantly after the Second World War, they are able to maintain a detached to the subject and have the ability to examine it from a different standpoint than those writing directly after the war and particularly more than German historians. This may not be the case for German historians Martin Broszat and Hans Mommsen, these historians began to appraise the role of the wider leadership in Nazi Germany and deduce that rather than Nazi Germany being a monocratic state it was polycracy.4 Such historians, as previously stated perceive Hitler to be a "weak dictator", to once again use a Mommsen phrase.5 Moreover, they assert that culpability for the Third Reich and the Holocaust cannot be entirely placed upon one individual's shoulders alone, in this case, Hitler. However, that the emphasis should be transferred to the operative, pressures within the Nazi state and the competing, components of the governmental ‘system'6. Historians with this certain perspective are categorized as structuralists; those who place a greater emphasis on the structure of the state when explaining what happened in the past of Third Reich7. Martin Broszat and Hans Mommsen are historians that fall within this