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Old 03-26-2013, 08:41 AM   #50
Michele
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Udine, Italy
Default Re: [WWII Historians] Why did Hitler have WILL 18?

Will?
A case can be made that Hitler had above-average willpower. Superhuman will, however, is out of the question.
A German general said that the last one to speak with Hitler would get what he wanted. His laziness isn't a sign of strong will. And when things went badly, he refused to confront reality; as the war went on, he gave up visits to the front lines and sought refuge in his delusions.
On the other hand, he certainly managed to muster enough will when something really interested him, and then some, and provided things went well.
I'd give him Will 12, no more.
He might very well have had a Disadvantage, a Delusion concerning his superior willpower [-5 or -10].

Charisma?
Charisma should work on anyone. On the contrary, we know that people who did not share Hitler's views, and to whom Hitler could not or would not tell what they wanted to hear, were unimpressed with him. Impressing a German man-in-the-street who already seethed for Versailles, or wowing a humble secretary once he was Führer, or convincing a German general whom he was paying very hefty slush money is one thing. When it came to impressing peers to whom he couldn't make extravagant promises, say Chamberlain, Mussolini or Franco, or leading generals who wanted to have no truck with him, he did not come to much.
As further proof, we should look at him through the eyes of those who saw him before 1914. If Charisma is an innate gift, then one should have it from birth. You won't find anyone who was impressed with Hitler in 1913. You'll find plenty of accounts about truly charismatic persons who were so already as youngsters.
Additionally, I would not consider testimony before the IMT. If I were the minion of a criminal mastermind, how would I be better off: by admitting that he was just a mean, hateful, paranoid small man which I followed because it suited me, or by portraying him as having near-supernatural enthrallment powers?
That said, I would probably give him some Charisma, say 1 or 2, purely from a game-mechanics point of view. The reason being that he probably gets some/several negative reaction modifiers (OPH, Stubbornness, maybe an Unattractive Appearance etc.), and he probably deserves some way to reduce their effect.

Skills and skill-related Advantages
What remains is basically skill, which is remarkable anyway given that Hitler largely taught himself what to do on his own. Public Speaking, Fast-Talk, Intimidation, Propaganda, Politics and many other skills.
On top of that, the ace that GURPS 4e has and that the previous edition lacked is Talents, i.e. natural Advantages that support groups of skills. I agree with NineDaysDead, Smooth Operator is possible but Intuitive Statesman also seems likely. I'd mention Talker, too. Talents would represent, IMHO, what Hitler was unquestionably gifted with: skills to manipulate people.
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Michele Armellini
GURPS Locations: St. George's Cathedral
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