Führer

The term leader was and is used for several politicians - especially for absolute ruling by the exercise of violence Heads of State - needed. Originally a purely pragmatic designation, the word usually represents today a cult of personality. In analogy to the "leader", the notion of party leaders was coined.

Etymology

For contemporary ears, of course, was the name of a ruler as a " leader" in antiquity, the Middle Ages and in early modern times, often using the Latin word dux (Latin for " leader" ) and the respective rulers name suffix of honorary titles, such as Robert, dux Francorum, ie " Robert, leader of the Franks ". A translation is linguistically equivalent German word prince. In addition, the commander of armies as a military leader were (Latin dux belli, " warlord ", MHG hervüerer ) denotes that corresponds to the German Duke of OHG herizogo, " which runs in front of the army ."

The word itself, OHG Forari after Grimm " demonstrable only in the sense of rewarding carrier, roof rack, bajolus ", and only MHG füerære, vüerære, füerer, vüerer only in the meaning " one who leads " obtained, and widens latter day to the current field of meaning including " leads an animal ", especially " Fuhrmann " and " a weapon, Insignia " "leads" and the like.

The analogous word usage is also found in other languages ​​instead, but then even without the military context, in the sense of "ladder" translated " leader" in German:

• In the Republic of Venice and other northern Italian city republics, the heads of state to the northern Italian dialect word Doge were named for " leader."
• The Supreme Leader as the highest representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran is Persian faqih as ولی فقیه wali -e or رهبر rahbar, " Supreme Leader ", "guide", respectively.

Sociology

The sociologist Theodor Geiger Führertum made ​​the subject of a sociological study and included the following features together:

" The leader leads the group, not a herd of people; his power as leader also does not extend to the people who listened to the group as a whole, but to him only insofar as he is emotionally engaged by the group, so only a game of his being. It is the organ of himself supported by a confining people plural we in the visible world. "

Adolf Hitler

During the period of National Socialism, the dictator Adolf Hitler as "Führer and Chancellor of the German people " (accordingly, in his political testament as " leader of the nation " ) refers to or just simply as " the leader " or " our leader" (see also: leader decree).

In an early biography Konrad Heiden represents the word " leader" as the name and epithet for Hitler had been in use in the NSDAP since 1925. Knaurs encyclopedia A-Z of 1934 explained under the heading "leaders ": ". The leader called Adolf Hitler as the pioneering and decisive personality [ ... ] " A decree of August 2, 1934 ( Reich Law Gazette I, p 751 ) should be " for all future " rules that Hitler only as the official and extra- official dealings " am approached Fuehrer and Reich Chancellor ".

The operating range of the label guide for positions outside the NSDAP was limited in the aftermath. Instead of the term " leader of the German Labor Front " appeared as " chief of staff of the DAF ". The already widespread " reinterpretation of the official title of leader in a proper name for Hitler" should pave the way. Were sent to the press 1939-1942 multiple instructions to call the " leader" Adolf Hitler instead of " Fuehrer and Reich Chancellor " just yet. As a conclusion of this development of 26 April 1942 ( Reich Law Gazette I, p 247 ), the " Decision of the Greater German Reichstag " viewed. There, the " leader" claimed rights are confirmed with multiple the term " leader " is used, however, not even the name "Hitler". In a statement dated 22 January 1942, there already was said that in the future should the term leader and supreme command Lord of the Wehrmacht during meetings in military Abgelegenheiten " occur more and more into the background " in favor of the concept of leader.

Originally also the proto -fascist Austrian politician Georg von Schönerer had had considered "leaders ". Many other senior officials in Nazi Germany contributed the word " leader" also in their title, such as the " Reichsführer- SS " and the " Reich Youth Leader ", besides also the higher ranks of the SS based on these designations was the leader principle and reference to medieval - feudal hierarchies allegedly " ancient Germanic " origin ( feudalism ).

Today, because of the use of the word leader is avoided in the German language, provided that in each context there is a danger that a connection with Hitler and National Socialism could be made. This is especially true for the use of the word leader without any further attributes or additives. It is often replaced by other words such as leader, boss, manager, or the English equivalent leader leader. Nevertheless, it is common in German to describe party leaders in general as party leader or leader of the opposition; it is also in the police and military use ( police leader, section leader, hundred leader, platoon leader, squad leader, squad leader, but: leader ) to use. In the parlance of the Italian has after the historic period of fascism, the British foreign word leader the original word duce today largely replaced.

The German word "leader" has been found in this regard as a loanword also input into other languages. In the absence of umlaut in many fonts, it is written there often " leaders " or " Fuhrer ".

Other "leaders" called personalities

Other rulers, mostly dictators, who described himself as a " leader" in the course of an exaggerated personality cult in their own language or will be referred to as such were, and still are:

• Benito Mussolini as dictator of the then fascist Italy ( Duce ).
• Subhash Chandra Bose, freedom fighter in the Indian independence movement, known as Netaji.
• Josef Stalin, the Soviet dictator ( generalissimo ), could be officially called " leader" since his fiftieth birthday in 1929 (Russian: вождь, Vožd or vozhd ) call.
• Francisco Franco as dictator of Spain to let Caudillo call, which was originally an honorific for a military leader. Through the organ of state law of 1967 and the revised version of the previous constitutional laws in the same year, the title came to signify "leader". General Franco was thus head of state for life as well as commander in chief and head of the Movimiento Nacional.
• Ion Antonescu and Nicolae Ceauşescu, former heads of state of Romania ( Conducător ).
• Jozef Tiso, President of the First Slovak Republic, 1942 rose ( slovak: Vodca ) as the leader.
• The socialist ex-president of Cuba, Fidel Castro ( Máximo Lider, ie " Greatest leader "). In official documents it is also referred to as Commander in Chief.
• Kim Il-sung, who died in 1994, founder of the state of North Korea is still considered 위대한 수령 widaehan suryŏng - called - " Great Leader ".
• Kim Jong -il's already too late son, Kim Il-sung was, after taking office 친애 하는 지도자 ch'inaehanŭn chidoja, such as " beloved leader" called; now " Great Leader " as his father.
• Kim Jong-un has described as " supreme leader " inherited his father's position after his death in 2011.
• Ante Pavelić called himself as dictator of the Independent State of Croatia 1941-1945 Poglavnik, which means as much as the head or leader.
• Ferenc Szálasi called himself as dictator of Hungary from 1944 to 1945 leader of the nation (Hungarian: Nemzetvezető ).
• Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan since 1991, was granted by Act of Parliament the title of leader of the nation ( Kazakh Ұлт Лидері / Ult Lideri ) in June 2010.
• Muammar al - Gaddafi, President of Libya from 1969 to 1979, and 2011 revolutionary leader.
• Saddam Hussein, 1979-2003 President of Iraq, called al - Kaid al - Daruri ( " irreplaceable leader ").