[I wrote this article long time back in summer of 2005, and am reproducing here with some modifications.]
Hitler, regarded as one of the darkest chapters of the human history, is often remembered as an incarnation of evil. Some people even believed that he used to exercise black magic and a lot of stories are popular to this effect.
I believe that every great historical event has stories associated with it and it is human nature to spread these stories with added personal views so that finally the truth is hidden like a needle in a pile of straw. Various cultures have a varied amount of stories or myths associated with them. These myths etc. are themselves example of the above stated observation. Yet it can't be denied that these myths or stories keep the memories of the historical event alive and lasting forever.
Many say that what is past should be forgotten and effort should be put in the direction of improving the future. I would disagree with this. Forgetting history is like returning to the age of infancy. All our experiences are made from memories which are nothing but history. So it is idiotic to forget the history. History may help us to realize our past mistakes and prevent them in future.
History should be preserved but only that part be remembered which is useful for us. Future generation should be taught to look at the past events with a mind-set of extracting something useful rather that viewing it as a piece of human triumph or as an example of some misfortune befallen on mankind.
Returning to the topic of Hitler, Adolf Hitler can viewed as an example of a talent that due to lack of proper guidance applied its energies in the wrong direction. A person is affected greately by the society in which he lives . But the way in which he perceives the social interactions are what really contribute to the development of his personality . Rising from the same area of slums a person can work in the direction of improving the society from which he has risen while another person can wreak havoc on the society by avenging the hardships he faced in his childhood.
When I thinks of Hitler, a portrait of cruelty is what doesn't come to his mind. I view Hitler as another human being which can serve as an example of great moral learning. When we view the earlier days of Hitler we see a life marked by the constant peril of war and religious discrimination. Student life of Hitler was not easy as well and he had to sleep as rough many days. Yet we know what became of him later. This is perfect demonstration of the willpower and commitment which can do wonders for anyone.
Hitler was particularly gifted with oratory skills. He was a natural speaker and had the power to influence people such that he nearly came in perfect control of their thought process. What became of Jews in his reign is well-known but why weren't there any oppositions from his supporters or all of a sudden they all became monsters? This can be countered by saying that he was in total control of authority and going againgt him was like committing suicide. But we shouldn't forget that he exercised this authority through his supporters and these supporters blindly believed in him. Their mind was in complete control of Hitler. May be some people will regard this as black magic but I will take it as an example of Hitler's influencial personality. A person doesn't reach the level of authority like that of Hitler merely by chance. There should have been something that took Hitler from a road-side rough to a history creator. Some people will question what sort of history he has created, to them my answer will be that great history is that which is remembered and I don't think that Hitler will be easily forgotten.
Hitler appears to be a man of firm determination. Once he took on himself the opportunity to eradicate Jews from the face of this world he put in all his effort to do so. On one hand this can be viewed as an example of genocide while on the other it can serve to learn that if a person is determined enough to achieve his goals he shouldn't be afraid of going to any length in doing so.
The leadership skills of Hitler are equally important. It takes a lot more than blind believers to make a real leader. A leader has the capability to expand the group of his believers, to effectively manage his followers and to convince the masses that he will lead them in a direction suitable for them. I believe that Hitler possessed these qualities in abundance. People believed him , followed him and gave away their lives for him thinking that they were dying for a worthy cause. Such was the magnetism of Hitler's personality.
So why view Hitler as a dark chapter of human history and close it for future, when there is so much to learn. Life of Hitler should be studied as that of any other great personality and should be analyzed to extract what may be useful for the generations to come.
