Alexis Minie
Miss Kim
English 10-1
10 October 2009

In Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf, he is speaking to all non-Jews, warning them that "all evil assumes the living shape of the Jew" (Hitler 2). He became ridiculous in the writing, stating that there was a Jewish conspiracy to gain leadership of the world. He was able to effectively use propaganda and rhetoric techniques to convince an entire nation to despise certain types of people. The book and the results that came of it proved that people can most definitely be gullible and blinded by strong leaders even if there is no logic behind their beliefs. The aftermath was anything but positive; it evoked violence, destruction, and unethical hatred.

When motivated by fear, humans can do both wonderful and terrible things. Hitler attempts to arouse panic in his readers by saying "...not only anyone who attacks passes as his enemy, but also anyone who resists him" (Hitler 2). He is claiming that the Jews see everyone who is trying to 'resist' them as enemies, and they will fight. Naturally, if we feel our own lives are in danger, we will always have the instinct to defend ourselves. That is exactly why fear is the main technique he uses in his book; readers think their lives are at stake and therefore have no choice but to attack.

Adolf Hitler remains to this day to be one of the greatest persuasive speakers there ever was. However, I myself believe that his words and actions contained absolutely no ethos. His propaganda and rhetoric techniques make him believable, which was why he was able to convince a whole nation to be on his side. He did not use his brilliant words in a positive way though; he impelled anger and hate in his followers, especially towards the Jews. He inspired a national desire to create a master race and eventually take over the world, which would be the ultimate motive for World War II.