Do Great Men Make Great Events?

This question has been asked throughout the ages, whether it comes to the Civil War, World War II, or even The Indian Independence Movement. All of these have great leaders behind them, or were they just bound to happen and that one certain man was there at that moment thus getting all of the credit. The one event I chose was World War II.

The man I’m focusing on is Adolf Hitler. Adolf before the war was the Nazi party spokesperson. He got up in front of the masses and told them what they wanted to hear. It is not known whether Hitler actually hated the Jews but I personally believe that he did not. He was just a power hungry monster; he used his already prominent social status as Nazi party spokesperson. He told the people whom to hate; the people in Germany were facing tough times and had no one to blame. Hitler gave them that someone. It just so happened to be the Jews. Most Jews at the time were prominent upper middle-class store owners who were very successful. Hitler told Germany that all of their problems came from the Jews.

I believe that Hitler personally did this as his own original strategy. However, some might say that Hitler was just a mere pawn for the Nazi party. I personally find that statement true. World War II was bound to happen, Germany was like a bomb waiting to explode with hatred on someone. Hitler just flipped the switch a bit early then what was going to happen anyway. Once Germany found its outlet for prosecution, it then just continued on a course that would have happened with any other person in charge. It just so happened to be Hitler.

I don’t feel however that all events were like the case of Germany. Some events we’re made by great men. In example, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, these men through their actions moved nations. Dr. King forced America to realize that it was wrong in its ways with segregation by showing people that it was outright wrong. Gandhi showed the Indian people that they didn’t have to be under any rule by another country. Both found means to settle the movements peacefully and without violence. Both, however, were assassinated. They are the true leaders of the world who brought nations to their knees for what they believed in, unlike the war leaders who “lead” people into victory or caused wars. Those people just used the events to make them into great people. A true show of being a great person is not being able to make a nation move hatefully, but being able to make a nation move peacefully. For anyone can manipulate hate, it takes a certain person to be able to move people to think towards peace. These people are the true great people of the world, not those who lead into war.