Hitler’s public speaking transformation began with a breakthrough performance before one hundred people

Evidence

Hitler was the little known, second speaker in the evening’s lineup, which had attracted a crowd of about one hundred (still more than the organizers had expected). The lengthy opening speech hadn’t gotten much of a rise. Then it was Hitler’s turn. He had not yet perfected his art, but this would, nevertheless, be a break-out performance—the first time a group of any size had been exposed to his intense, emotionally charged style, punctuated by unwavering certainty and unremitting bile. Hitler later wrote, “I spoke for thirty minutes, and what formerly I had felt in my mind, without knowing it somehow, was now proved by reality. I could speak.” — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 396

Categorization

• SEED: The arc of Hitler’s career as a ‘break-out performance’ before small crowds is material for an essay on how charismatic speaking styles launch political careers.