Both for the coming presentation of Politics and my research paper, I have been searching for the strong leadership in the political situation, and it is often associated with the following term: populism. Although there is not a strict definition for the term, it is in use when a political leader with popularity, enthusiastic supports, and, in some cases, arbitrary decisionmakings. The specific examples are as follows: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini. These three persons are usually referred to as populistic leaders from the historical perspective, for they all satisfied the needs of their people at that time with enormous advocates. Amongst them, I will focus on Nazi Germany of the Third Reich, where Fascism flourished most.
After losing WWI, Germany maintained its economy and population despite its huge war debts to the winners, based upon newly adopted the Weimar Constitution, which was then quite progressive: the constitution recognised social rights of the nationals, gave them the right to vote regardless of sex, etc. During economic recoveries and booms, this republican, democratic framework functioned properly, reflecting the people's will. However, the incident totally unfavourable for the system thereof occurred: the Great Depression. Due to this event, the American capitals and funds, which had been greatly contributing to the economic growth, escaped from Germany rapidly, which caused the nation to face stagnation of the economy, the high unemployment rate, and the hopeless political situation, where young Germans thought neither the government nor they themselves could change the present state. These factors gradually created the desire for a strong leader who could change anything. Actually, when Germany was in economic booms, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) accounted for few percents in the Reichstag, the German Diet. Notwithstanding, after the Great Depression, the NSDAP increased its presence through some elections, and, finally, their percentage in the Reichstag went over 50%, also reflecting the people's will, which thirstily sought for a person with the strong leadership who would address the previous concerns. Certainly, NSDAP and Hitler implemented large economic policies aimed at the economic recover and full employment, and many of them succeeded. The construction of the Autobahn is one instance for this. Additionally, in order to establish the one-party rule, they simultaneously abandoned the unnecessary or harmful articles of the Weimar Constitution, saying that those had been spoiling Germany and the Germans. Finally, everything got in hand of the NSDAP. Erich Fromn, a German psychologist of the Frankfurt School, analyses, in his "Escape from Freedom", that, the people could not stand the weight of freedom, which means, different from the medieval guild-based society, there was nothing protecting them, and that they unconsciously renounced the freedom and accordingly chose to obey the authority, which guarantees the righteousness of what you do.
