ABSTRACT
Hitler’s rise from relative obscurity to arguably the most powerful right-wing autocrat in modern history depended on a combination of four factors: (1) his charisma and oratorical skill; (2) his focus on achieving and maintaining popularity through at least quasi-democratic means; (3) his conviction that a party (state) could only succeed with a hierarchical organization under an undisputed leader (Führer); and (4) his ruthless pragmatism, including a willingness to employ violence, but also to compromise when the situation required it. Combined with the specific circumstances, endemic to interwar Germany, an emphasis on these four factors, incorporating multiple scholarly interpretations, does much to explain Hitler’s ability to obtain power and maintain legitimacy for as long and effectively as he did.
