How did Hitler rise to power? - Alex Gendler and Anthony Hazard

譯者: Helen Chang 審譯者: nr chan

How did Adolf Hitler,

阿道夫·希特勒

a tyrant who orchestrated one of the largest genocides in human history,

這個策劃了人類歷史上 最恐怖的種族滅絕行動的獨裁者

rise to power in a democratic country?

是怎麼在一個民主國家崛起的呢？

The story begins at the end of World War I.

故事始於第一次世界大戰結束後，

With the successful Allied advance in 1918,

隨著同盟國在1918年 成功在戰場的推進，

Germany realized the war was unwinnable

德國覺悟到無法贏得戰爭，

and signed an armistice ending the fighting.

簽署了停戰協議。

As its imperial government collapsed,

隨著帝制政府瓦解，

civil unrest and worker strikes spread across the nation.

國內瀰漫著內戰和工人罷工。

Fearing a Communist revolution,

由於擔心共產革命，

major parties joined to suppress the uprisings,

主要政黨聯手鎮壓起義，

establishing the parliamentary Weimar Republic.

建立威瑪共和政體。

One of the new government's first tasks

新政府的首要任務之一

was implementing the peace treaty imposed by the Allies.

是施行同盟國強加的和平條約。

In addition to losing over a tenth of its territory and dismantling its army,

除了失去十分之一的國土 和解散軍隊外，

Germany had to accept full responsibility for the war and pay reparations,

德國還必須付起 全部的戰爭責任和賠款，

debilitating its already weakened economy.

使原本衰弱的經濟更是雪上加霜。

All this was seen as a humiliation by many nationalists and veterans.

許多民族主義者和退伍軍人 視之為國恥。

They wrongly believed the war could have been won

他們錯誤地認為，

若非政治家和抗議者背叛了軍隊， 德國原本可以贏得戰爭。

if the army hadn't been betrayed by politicians and protesters.

For Hitler, these views became obsession,

對希特勒而言， 這些觀點轉變成痴迷，

and his bigotry and paranoid delusions led him to pin the blame on Jews.

他的偏執和妄想 導致他歸咎於猶太人。

His words found resonance in a society with many anti-Semitic people.

他的說法引起社會上 很多反猶太者的共鳴。

By this time, hundreds of thousands of Jews

當時，數十萬名猶太人

had integrated into German society,

已融入德國社會，

but many Germans continued to perceive them as outsiders.

但許多德國人仍視他們為外人。

After World War I, Jewish success led to ungrounded accusations

一次大戰後，猶太人因事業的成功

而遭遇顛覆、發戰爭財的不實指控。

of subversion and war profiteering.

It can not be stressed enough that these conspiracy theories

在這裡必須再三強調，

那些陰謀論出於恐懼、

were born out of fear,

anger,

憤怒、

and bigotry,

和偏執，

not fact.

不是事實。

Nonetheless, Hitler found success with them.

儘管如此，希特勒因而成功。

When he joined a small nationalist political party,

他加入一個民族主義的小政黨，

his manipulative public speaking launched him into its leadership

以操控性強烈的公開演講 當上政黨領導人，

and drew increasingly larger crowds.

吸引了越來越多的追隨者。

Combining anti-Semitism with populist resentment,

結合反猶主義與憤慨的民粹主義，

the Nazis denounced both Communism and Capitalism

納粹譴責共產主義與資本主義

as international Jewish conspiracies to destroy Germany.

是摧毀德國的國際猶太陰謀。

The Nazi party was not initially popular.

一開始，納粹並不受歡迎。

After they made an unsuccessful attempt at overthrowing the government,

在他們企圖推翻政府的行動失敗後，

the party was banned,

黨被取締，

and Hitler jailed for treason.

希特勒因叛國罪入獄。

But upon his release about a year later,

他一年後出了獄，

he immediately began to rebuild the movement.

立刻開始重建。

And then, in 1929, the Great Depression happened.

接著在1929年發生了大蕭條，

It led to American banks withdrawing their loans from Germany,

導致美國銀行對德國的貸款抽銀根，

and the already struggling German economy collapsed overnight.

使得原本已在掙扎處境中的 德國經濟，一夕崩潰。

Hitler took advantage of the people's anger,

希特勒利用人們的憤怒，

offering them convenient scapegoats

提供他們便利的替罪羔羊，

and a promise to restore Germany's former greatness.

並承諾恢復德國的昔日榮耀。

Mainstream parties proved unable to handle the crisis

主流政黨無法處理危機，

while left-wing opposition was too fragmented by internal squabbles.

而左翼反對派因內鬥已支離破碎。

And so some of the frustrated public flocked to the Nazis,

所以一些失意的民眾湧向支持納粹，

increasing their parliamentary votes from under 3% to over 18% in just two years.

使得納粹的議會席次，在兩年間 從少於3%躍升至超過18%。

In 1932, Hitler ran for president,

1932年，希特勒競選總統，

losing the election to decorated war hero General von Hindenburg.

輸給了戰爭英雄興登堡將軍。

But with 36% of the vote, Hitler had demonstrated the extent of his support.

但是36%的得票率， 展示出希特勒受支持的程度。

The following year, advisors and business leaders

次年，顧問和商界領袖

convinced Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor,

說服興登堡任命希特勒為總理，

hoping to channel his popularity for their own goals.

希望藉由導引他的聲望 達到他們自身的目的。

Though the Chancellor was only the administrative head of parliament,

雖然總理只是議院的行政首長，

Hitler steadily expanded the power of his position.

希特勒不斷擴張總理的權力。

While his supporters formed paramilitary groups

他的支持者形成準軍事集團

and fought protestors in streets.

在街道打壓抗議者。

Hitler raised fears of a Communist uprising

希特勒利用人們 恐懼共產黨崛起的心理，

and argued that only he could restore law and order.

宣稱只有他才能恢復法律和秩序。

Then in 1933,

在1933年，

a young worker was convicted of setting fire to the parliament building.

一個年輕工人因在國會大廈 縱火而被定罪。

Hitler used the event to convince the government

希特勒利用此事件說服政府

to grant him emergency powers.

授予他緊急權力。

Within a matter of months, freedom of the press was abolished,

短短幾個月內，廢除新聞自由，

other parties were disbanded,

解散其他政黨，

and anti-Jewish laws were passed.

和通過反猶太人的法律。

Many of Hitler's early radical supporters were arrested and executed,

許多希特勒早期的激進支持者

和潛在對手，也被逮捕和處死。

along with potential rivals,

and when President Hindenburg died in August 1934,

當1934年8月興登堡總統去世時，

it was clear there would be no new election.

很顯然不會有新的選舉。

Disturbingly, many of Hitler's early measures didn't require mass repression.

令人不安的是，許多希特勒的 早期措施並不需要大規模鎮壓。

His speeches exploited people's fear and ire

他的演講利用人們的恐懼和憤怒

to drive their support behind him and the Nazi party.

驅使他們支持他和納粹黨。

Meanwhile, businessmen and intellectuals,

與此同時，商人和知識分子

wanting to be on the right side of public opinion,

選擇站在輿論那一邊，

endorsed Hitler.

擁護希特勒。

They assured themselves and each other

他們說服自己和彼此，

that his more extreme rhetoric was only for show.

希特勒的極端言論只是作秀而已。

Decades later, Hitler's rise remains a warning

幾十年過去了， 希特勒的崛起仍是個警告：

of how fragile democratic institutions can be in the face of angry crowds

在憤怒的群眾面前 民主體制是何等的脆弱，

and a leader willing to feed their anger and exploit their fears.

以及曾有個領導人毫不遲疑地 灌輸和利用群眾的恐懼。