[WWII Historians] Why did Hitler have WILL 18?

[smurf]

There's the Hitler the role playing game version. What ever makes a good opponent.

Then there is the Nazi mook. That is, any film that uses nazis as the bad guy usually do it lazily and this allows for explicit ultra violence to ensue.

For my historical endeavours Hitler was not particularly special in any way but this doesn't fit in the great man of history persona. If you read Mein Kampf, you will need triumph of the will to do so, you will get a sense of a deeply embittered, reclusive and delusional individual who was a product of his time in Austro Hungary and later Germany. What is telling is his anger is based on a petty middle class of crushed ambitions. A hatred of the working class and seeing the need of the great man leadership narrative.

Hitler was a nobody until the Putsch, not even an original idea because it was a copy of the Kapp Putsch of 1920.

The interesting thing about Hitler was he as lazy. Seldom did wake before noon. Always late either on purpose or by design. His voice was scratchy, his stature was not brilliant and only stood 5' 9" which is not particularly tall.

What was key was the nazi party, the combat squads and print media propaganda and the high sense of indignation that the 'communists' had a revolution (1918-23) and the natural state had been over turned.

To condense this into an RPG is: Allies (party), reputation good and bad (party, communists, socialists, trade unionists, prussian Junkers etc). Delusions of the great leaderships principle. But his ego is boosted by his perception of popular support. Maybe include: public speaking, rhetoric, 'enthralment' or sway emotions. Administration, the ability to delegate and appoint (not necessarily brilliantly).

Like the Trojan Horse Hitler appears to be the one off trick.

“Do not rejoice in his defeat, you men. For though the world has stood up and stopped the bastard, the bitch that bore him is in heat again.”
―Bertolt Brecht
Read more at http://izquotes.com/quote/213079

The film/book 'Look Who's Back' brings Adolf back to the streets of Berlin and that is worth a read/watch to take this historical figure in some direction.

However, it depends if you want the nuanced historical Hitler or something easier to play.