Bonhoeffer's 1933 Warning: True Leadership vs. Hitler's Dominance

Bonhoeffer's speech predicted the dangers of Hitler's self-worship. His vision of leadership remains a beacon today.

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2025 November 2 . 5:03 PM

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Bonhoeffer's 1933 Warning: True Leadership vs. Hitler's Dominance

In February 1933, theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, then 26, delivered a radio address challenging Adolf Hitler's concept of leadership. His speech, cut short, foreshadowed the consequences of Hitler's dominating leadership style. Bonhoeffer believed true leadership meant guiding people towards maturity and responsibility. He envisioned it as self-effacing, clear, and acknowledging God's authority. In contrast, Hitler saw his goal as dominance, willing to destroy his people for his own power. Hitler's understanding of God was a blend of self, the German nation, and the Aryan race. Bonhoeffer, however, believed that if our God is God, power may tempt, but we have a higher allegiance and should point people away from ourselves. Bonhoeffer's views were recorded by Eberhard Bethge in his book 'Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Resistance and Devotion', published in Munich in 1970. Bonhoeffer's speech highlighted the dangers of self-worship in leadership, predicting that power would manipulate and hurt people if our God is self. Bonhoeffer's radio address, though cut short, stood as a stark warning against Hitler's dominating leadership. The central difference between the two leaders lay in their understanding of God and the role of power. Bonhoeffer's vision of leadership, as recorded by Bethge, remains a beacon of responsible, self-effacing guidance.