Would Hitler's Rhetoric Work Today?

Hitler practising public speaking poses. Img: Bayrische Staatsbibliothek / Fotoarchiv Hoffmann / USHMM

You’d be surprised how often Hitler comes up in conversation in Germany. Earlier this week, I found myself sitting in a cafe in Weimar, right next to the house where Germany’s most famous poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once lived, deep in discussion over whether Hitler’s speaking style would still be effective today.