Hitler as an Orator

Hitler's oratorical skills cannot be denied recognition. In 1925, the Nazi Party held 6,000 public gatherings in Bavaria alone, with Hitler speaking daily, sometimes multiple times a day. His pre-election campaign flights were particularly notable. During his first tour, he visited 21 cities in seven days; on his second, 25 cities in eight days. He rushed from the airport to rallies and back, taking only brief breaks before continuing.

The exact number of his speeches is unknown, and their verbatim texts have not been preserved. It was common for him to push aside prepared drafts and deliver impromptu speeches, adapting to the mood of the audience.

In 1928, the Nazi Party received 809,541 votes; by 1930, this had increased to 6,406,397 votes, and by 1932, they garnered 13,745,781 votes. The economic crisis, unemployment, social instability, and, most notably, the incapacity of the ruling bourgeois parties to address the problems worked in the Nazis' favor. Hitler ensured his voice was heard throughout Germany.

He had a suggestive, almost mysterious influence on people. His piercing gaze, expressionless eyes, and stern lips conveyed a sense of severity. His face was not pleasant, further marred by his strikingly receding forehead. His sole defining feature was a hardness that ominously threatened all. "The masses are like women: they prefer those who dominate them to those who beg for mercy," he once said.

Hitler would stride quickly and alone, deep in thought, through the crowd to the podium, avoiding eye contact. He seemed unaffected by the cheering crowd, walking with a pale expression as if preparing for a medium's trance. He began slowly, in a soft tenor voice. The tone of his speeches, their delivery, and their introspective yet direct style created an impression of deep seriousness and responsibility. At times, he seemed possessed by a spirit.

His openings created an illusion of sincerity, making his later dramatic outbursts and angry exclamations even more striking. These bursts built into a rhythmically pounding crescendo, reaching a pace where the audience could no longer grasp the content of his sentences but instead felt the emotional intensity and emphasis. His tone revealed extraordinary agitation and explosive tension, especially when attacking his opponents. He often targeted specific individuals as enemies, drawing heavily on this theme in his speeches to convince the masses of his superiority over his adversaries.

Hitler's speeches were strikingly similar, not in content but in style, structure, and their reliance on dramatic and emotional foundations. His method of amplifying impact was simple: rapid alternation between sincere seriousness and fervent passion, often escalating into hysteria. He immersed himself in this state rather than merely performing it. His profound conviction made even falsehoods feel like truths to his audience.

The atmosphere of mass rallies freed his speech, filled him with inspiration, and sparked ideas and unparalleled enthusiasm, leading to spontaneous and striking improvisations. It is possible that the sight of cheering crowds rekindled the fervor of intimate passions denied to him by fate, fueling the intense emotions he conveyed.

After delivering great speeches, he would often fall into melancholic apathy, the demonic energy abandoning him. At such moments, he was no longer a leader—just Hitler, Adolf. For him, public speaking was an intrinsic part of his being, a stimulant and source of inspiration, and the foundation of his self-confidence.

Dusan Hamsik "A középszerűség géniusza", Kozmosz könyvek 1968