The Power of Words

Some people think that words can't affect you, saying, "They're just words." However, only people after WWII would say, "They're just words." It was words that started the war in the first place. Hitler used the power of words to gain the trust of the German people, eventually gaining full and absolute power over all of Germany. After the war, people realized the mistake it was to fight in it, and the Germans, in particular, felt the most pain. They had been shamed and blamed for causing the war. Countries imposed strict boundaries on what the Germans and the German government were allowed to do and acquire. Germany was severely in debt and lacked military power because they had surrendered all of it to the countries holding them back, with Britain being one of the main ones.

As time went by, Germans began to lose hope for their country during the Great Depression. But one man stayed strong and loyal to the very end. "I can't have this for my country!" A man sat at a desk in a dark, dusty room lit only by a desk lamp, talking to himself. "Such an embarrassment! This cannot be accepted!" he yelled. "I won't let them take any more away from us—no more money, no more power, no more patriarchy and loyalty. I won't! I'll make Germany pure. I'll fix this." He stood up and began to plot. "I'll raise the morale of the people with a speech so inspirational they'll have to trust me! I won't raise a gun or threaten a man! I'll use words to gain power, to fix our country, and to be known worldwide!"

He paced back and forth in his room, planning his speech to the people of Germany, to boost morale and to gain power over the country, to build an army big enough to take over the world and "purify it." He had already attended military school and led his own army, even participating in the first war. The man already had significant power, and it was growing as he and his party spread Nazi propaganda, telling Germans how great they were and how they could fix the debt and embarrassment placed upon Germany. This very man would change history forever with his lies, gaining the favor of the Germans, and he knew exactly how to do it. All it took was a little planning, and he was ready.

Nazi propaganda was spread all over Germany, and the Germans did not question the words of the Nazis, as they were desperate for any hope to fix their now miserable lives. The man picked up a pencil and began to write. He was inspired by his words and knew this was the moment things had to change. He knew there could be no more suffering or deaths from starvation. "Yes, yes, this is it! I will lead the way for the Germans; they will all look up to me as their savior!" he said hopefully to himself. "I am already known because my Nazi party is spreading the word, and more people are joining every day! They won't have any resistance; they will accept me as the leader, the chancellor, the hero of Germany! All the effort to make myself known was worth it because now all I have to do is present myself and my glory to all of Germany, and they will elect me to power." His plan was flawless, and he knew it. He had them all eating out of his hand, and once he ran for chancellor of Germany, which would soon be called the Führer, he would begin the war against the world to prove the strength of the Germans.

The man was sitting in front of a podium in the Reich Chancellery, a huge building where the chancellor of Germany rules his country. In front of him were thousands of Germans, waiting to hear his speech, ready to see if he was the man Germany needed in this time of desperate need. Hitler began to speak into the metal microphone stationed at the center of the wooden podium. "My German countrymen, men and women," he started. "Changes of government have occurred frequently in history, and in the history of our people." He spoke again. "It is certain, however, that never was a change of government attended with such far-reaching results as that eight years ago."

As he spoke, the people in the room began to like the idea. They knew he could fix their sadness and depression. They began to feel inspired. All the people in the room felt change in the air; they felt change was going to happen. An hour passed, and Hitler continued. The German people were all riled up with inspiration to implement this change. They were riled up with anger at the other nations that destroyed Germany and left it in shambles. Two hours later, Hitler finished his speech with great enthusiasm in his voice, and the crowd cheered. The cheers didn't seem to stop; they were all too happy to stop. After years of suffering, one man stayed strong for Germany and finally made the change they wanted. They all continued to cheer. Happiness and hope filled the room, and the cheers echoed throughout the entire country, sparking a roaring fire of hope throughout the nation.

All it took was one man to spread the word throughout Germany to the hopeless Germans, preparing them for his powerful words that would lead everyone into WWII. He didn't have to threaten, raise a gun, or kill; all it took was some words, and he almost ruled the world.