Hitler - Man of the Year?

On January 2, 1939, Time magazine published its article on The Man of the Year for 1938. Today, we often think of this recognition as an honor and an award that goes to a person who has made a difference in the world. We assume this difference to be good, but 1938's man of the year was Adolf Hitler. While much of it is simply background on Hitler's life and his rise to power, this article provides an interesting view on what people at the time of Hitler's rule who were not from Germany thought of Hitler. The writer portrays Hitler's actions as "ruthless, methodical" and shocking, but he also describes Hitler as the most powerful man in the world who achieved this status though determination and his incredible ability to speak. He talks about how Hitler was a "genius" for being able to so throughly suppressed all expressions of free will and for being able to develop an army strong enough to hold off the forces of an "apparently impotent world." So, while he does portray Hitler as an evil man, he also seems to almost admire Hitler's genius and his ability to cast a shadow over the rest of the world - a world unable to stop him. He closes the article on the note that Hitler will also probably be a prominent figure in 1939 and the years to come. Even during the time of Hitler's rule, people realized how impactful his actions were going to be for years to come.