Was Hitler really talented at anything?

Chiropteroid

I've been thinking about Adolf Hitler as of late and sometimes it seems that he couldn't have been anything but a Führer (and even that he did poorly). He was poor at school, had no intention of following his father's footsteps in customs bureau, didn't have a future in painting and even his military career wasn't that great.

Was there any occupation Hitler could have succeeded in life, or was being a dictator something that just fit him?
 

tuxer

Chiropteroid said:
I've been thinking about Adolf Hitler as of late and sometimes it seems that he couldn't have been anything but a Führer (and even that he did poorly). He was poor at school, had no intention of following his father's footsteps in customs bureau, didn't have a future in painting and even his military career wasn't that great.

Was there any occupation Hitler could have succeeded in life, or was being a dictator something that just fit him?
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He was good at attracting mass-murdering scum.

Ok, he was decent at art, just those damn uppity Austrian art teachers had ridiculous high standards.
 

ggarner57

He was good at public speaking. In a short story I read a little aside mentioned Germany nearly completely quitting smoking because he became an activist about it.
 

RLBH

Chiropteroid said:
Was there any occupation Hitler could have succeeded in life, or was being a dictator something that just fit him?
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He displayed some talent for architecture, as I understand it, though getting him into the trade would be challenging.
 

aktarian

RLBH said:
He displayed some talent for architecture, as I understand it, though getting him into the trade would be challenging.
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His problem was that he had little in way of following through. Once he was rejected in school he could have applied harder to study and maybe pass exams but didn't. I believe he lacked ability to make long term plans and then follow steps to make them happen.

So I don't think he would be good at anything, any job with responsibility would be beyond his ability and anything less would bore him easily and he'd chaff at his talents not being recognised.
 
shiftygiant

shiftygiant

Gone Fishin'
Given his penchant to public speaking, I once toyed with the idea for him becoming the figurehead for a Major American/German Company, like Coca-Cola.
 

zoomar

Obviously he was a very talented orator and group motivator for the times (it really doesn't seem like his style would translate well today, though). He also had an excellent sense for the visually dramatic. Leni Reifenstahl's propaganda films, Speer's architecture and light shows, and the specific design of the Nazi German flag were all influenced or (in the case of the flag) designed by Hitler. I've always thought that in another time and place (or with different values) he could have been an effective head coach for team sport contests, preacher, motivational speaker, art director for an advertising firm, or art/set designer for stage, opera, and film.

As a political and military leader he was mediocre.
 

Johnrankins

Expat said:
Soldier? Not officer, obviously, just lowly rank-and-file type.
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He made all of corporeal , in a war that , sadly, gave ample opportunity for advancement up the ranks due to death. If he had any real talent at soldiering you would have expected him to at least make sergeant.
 

ppaul16

He would probably do well in sales or marketing. If you can convince millions of people to go off to war with the rest of the world you can probably convince people to buy life insurance or pay $999 extra for the undercoating on your new car.
 

schai

zoomar said:
I've always thought that in another time and place (or with different values) he could have been an effective head coach for team sport contests, preacher, motivational speaker, art director for an advertising firm, or art/set designer for stage, opera, and film.

As a political and military leader he was mediocre.
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I think he could be a good actor.

Does anybody know if Hitler spoke English?
 
Tripledot

Tripledot

He was very charismatic. The kind of charisma born of empathy (kind of odd, considering his rhetoric was based on othering people)- the kind of charisma that makes you feel like you came up with the idea yourself. He'd probably make a good salesman.
 
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