Ben Wilson

It gave people an idea of sort of directionally the kinds of things they were thinking about.

Mein Kampf was deliberately broad.

The details were left pretty fuzzy so that different people could project their own hopes onto the movement.

Farmers, workers, veterans, small businessmen, urban workers, the rural, women, men, the poor, aristocrats, whatever.

The vision was big enough to hold all of them.

And because the vision was stable, because it didn't shift with every political wind, it gave Hitler enormous tactical flexibility.

Having said that, everyone knew what Hitler stood for.

Everyone knew what National Socialism meant.

The vision may have been intentionally vague, but it was clear in the ways that it needed to be.

And not only was it clear, it was incredibly inspiring to the right people.

And then number four, build for the future.

In 1928, the NSDAP won 2.6% of the German vote.

Nobody was paying attention to them.

The good times had made them irrelevant.

But

They were building, they were preparing for when their moment might come.

Organizing local branches, creating this kind of quasi-governmental party structure where people would be ready to step directly into government.

And when the depression hit and people were looking for new voices and fringe ideas and should we give someone else a try?

the National Socialist Party was ready.

Okay, so the lesson is you have to build when it seems like the world still isn't ready for your message.