Charismatic Authority Hitler

Authority – the word alone instills a certain type of reaction in a person; a reaction that either commands obedience or disobedience. Some people command authority through violent means while others through lawful means. Why do certain countries still have kings and queens while others are ruled by parliaments or congresses? When studying the German sociologists Max Weber and his theory of authority, it can be observed that there are certain types of authority and reasons in which people choose to respect. When applying Max Weber’s theory of authority practically, one leader in particular stands out – Adolf Hitler. This essay will explain how Adolf Hitler came to power first through charismatic authority and how he stayed in power via a combination …show more content…
Using a series of carefully choreographed and propagandized events such as honoring the then sitting President Hindenburg, Hitler produced a series of rhetoric in which he convinced President Hindenburg to sign off on key political powers. Slowly, but legally, Hitler asserted his power through his combination of charismatic and legal authority. Finally, when Hitler obtained absolute power through his charismatic means, he used fear and oppression to keep his authority. Installing a dictatorship, he would go on to use his charismatic and legal authority to go to war with Europe and the United States. Looking at history, the successes of his early war campaign in Europe helped fuel his charismatic legitimacy and further established credit in his …show more content…
An example would be Benito Mussolini, who rose as a Fascist dictator in Italy through similar charismatic and legal means, with an end goal of a total dictatorship. On the opposite side of the spectrum however, when compared with Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union and Franklin Roosevelt of the United States, the legitimacy of their power is almost all traditional and legal. However when exercising their respective authority they may use a combination of all three types of authorities. In conclusion, although the theory of power was published some time ago, the theory still holds today as the basic skeleton for defining and identifying the types of authority and the relationship between power and legitimacy. The theory of power has set forth the three basic tenets of pure power: traditional, charismatic, and legal-rational. More often than not, these principles are intertwined with each other and leaders and governments often show all three characteristics