Be sure to recall the lessons from history — or else
“Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Winston Churchill
He rose to power in what was, at the time, the most democratic and progressive country in the world. In the early ’20s he led an insurrection, with a small army of followers, to try and seize control of the government. After hours of uncertainty and fighting, the effort failed. Several people were killed in the attempt. Government prosecutors charged him and his followers with crimes, and many, including him, were briefly imprisoned. He was written off as no longer a threat to his country or to democracy.
Nevertheless, he continued to communicate with his followers and had a loyal, frenzied, militant group of supporters. Many were white supremacists enthused by his rhetoric. His speeches and writings attacked the mainstream media and ridiculed what he referred to as “so-called freedom of the press.” He promised to purge the country of “vermin,” liberals and communists, and he would stop migrants from “poisoning the blood” of his country. He vowed to “take care of ” the threat from “within,” and preached extreme nationalism. He verbally attacked and ridiculed non-whites, the “so-called intelligentsia” and the liberal elite. To him, compromise was a weakness.
While he consistently polled well below 50%, his supporters were steadfast and he remained a potent political force. To weaken his opposition, his followers secretly set fire to a hallmark government building and blamed the liberal left. The result was to clamp down on his opposition and to suspend of civil liberties.
Because his opposition was split, he legitimately won an election to lead his country. Tellingly, just prior to the election, one of his supporters, a former general, promised that if he prevailed the country would no longer need to deal with troublesome democracy, difficult labor unions and future elections. Wealthy industrialists lined up to support him. His opponents were silent.
Shortly after being elected, he installed his personal militia to lead an “auxiliary police force” and take control of the country’s military and the legislature. Because he disliked the details of governing, he turned over day-to-day management of the country to deranged and sadistic fanatics. He required all military leaders and other appointees to pledge loyalty to him personally, rather than to the country or Constitution. All books and writings that he deemed contrary to the national interest were banned or burned.
Under the guise of a national threat, the legislature, which he controlled by intimidation, temporarily turned its power over to him. With that delegated authority, however, he transformed the temporary arrangement into a permanent one, and assumed absolute control over the government. He effectively disbanded the legislature and judiciary, dissolved all other political parties and extinguished the power of state and local governments to oppose him. He established “camps” to hold those who disagreed with him.
His private army of followers terrorized and arrested his adversaries and others not considered to be true countrymen. Those that had previously opposed or crossed him, including generals and politicians, were arrested, imprisoned, and in many cases executed as traitors. The democratic republic was transformed into a despotic, authoritarian dictatorship.
A short time later, he plunged the world into a war that caused more suffering, carnage and death than had ever before been seen.
His name was Hitler.