1. Commonly held assumptions that are just plain wrong
Hitler Myths
Commonly held assumptions that are just plain wrong

2. “Hitler was a madman”
Hitler was a political opportunist and a great reader of public mood and opinion
He was responsible for terrible things, but he was supported by many people
He was not “mad” in the medical sense (at least not until 1945, when he was drug addicted and probably suffering from a nervous disorder) but one could say he was “morally mad”

3. “Hitler was responsible for some good things”
Hitler was responsible for the destruction of his own country and for the deaths of millions---Germans and non-Germans
He relied on military spending in order to increase employment which made war an economic necessity
The fact that he built highways and brought a kind of political order to Germany are minor achievements that pale next to the disaster of WW II

4. “Hitler was a great leader”
Hitler was mostly appearance. He left the work of running the country to subordinates who often had to guess at what Hitler wished to do
Although Hitler was a confident and masterful speaker, his "success” was often the result of the skill of German military leaders, who made Hitler’s military decisions look like “genius”
Hitler was not opposed. His ability to get what he wanted before 1939 was more due to a failure of the leadership of other countries and in Germany

5. Hitler was bold; he got what he wanted prior to 1939 largely by behaving like a bully. He played on Europe’s fear of another war. But Hitler’s later successes were almost always a result of the weakness or timidity of the opponent. Hitler was astute at choosing such adversaries.