Patriotism and the Führer Principle

By Walker Wright

On February 1, 1933, two days after Adolf Hitler's election as chancellor, German theologian and professor Dietrich Bonhoeffer gave a radio address entitled "The Younger Generation's Altered Concept of Leadership." In this speech, Bonhoeffer criticized the popular Führer Principle. Prior to Hitler's rise to power and his embodying of the term Der Führer ("The Leader"), the morale of postwar Germany had been waning. The lack of confidence in traditional authority led the German Youth Movement to develop the concept of an independent, autocratic leader; a kind of political messiah. "[Hitler] insisted on being called der Führer because he wished to fully exploit this principle for political gain. But in February 1933 the idea was not yet uniquely associated with him. Still, the timing of Bonhoeffer's speech, two days after Hitler's election, was uncanny."[1] In his speech, Bonhoeffer attacked this ideology as misguided and idolatrous. Explaining that the German youth were desperate for order and meaning, Bonhoeffer distinguished between the mentoring nature of the true leader and the self-justification of the false one. A true leader, Bonhoeffer proclaimed, understood his limitations:

He must radically refuse to become the appeal, the idol, i.e. the ultimate authority of those whom he leads...He serves the order of the state, of the community, and his service can be of incomparable value. But only so long as he keeps strictly in his place...[H]e has to lead the individual into his own maturity...Now a feature of man's maturity is responsibility towards other people, towards existing orders. He must let himself be controlled, ordered, restricted.[2]

For the pastor, true authority came from God alone. Unfortunately, Bonhoeffer's speech was cut short.[3] Upset, the professor sent the full speech to influential family and friends, published it in the politically conservative Kreuzzeitung, and gave an extended version of the speech at the College of Political Science in Berlin the following month. Bonhoeffer's opposition to the Führer Principle and the Third Reich eventually led to his co-founding of the Confessing Church, his participation in conspiracies against Hitler, and his hanging at the hands of the Nazis a few weeks prior to Hitler's death.[4] During his imprisonment and final hours, pastoral services and prayer sustained him.[5]



Nowadays, one cannot mention der Führer, fascism, or socialism without the claim of reductio ad Hitlerum.[6] The terms have been so overused as well as misused that they have been nearly stripped of all discussion power. However, the Führer Principle is alive and well in American politics. This is perfectly demonstrated by the infatuation with Obama this past election. With absolutely no shame, the would-be President presented himself as the savior of America: the very Führer Principle Bonhoeffer warned about. This is not to make the ridiculous moral comparison of Hitler to Obama (or to any U.S. president for that matter). Instead, it is inspired by the upcoming 2012 election, the current GOP primaries, and the messianic message of "saving America."

One's patriotism is often connected to one's party affiliation, candidate vote, or views on policy. However, love for one's country is difficult to determine. One may want to fundamentally transform America due to love for country, while another may want to restore it.[7] Here at "Present Day Patriot" we follow the secondary definition (and, in our view, the one closest to that of the original British/American colonists) offered by English author Samuel Johnson in the fourth edition (1773) of his influential A Dictionary of the English Language:

It is sometimes used for a factious disturber of the government.[8]

The purpose of this site is to offer information, commentary, and discussion that disturbs the increasing expanse of government. This is not done by attaching our hopes and dreams to various government leaders or candidates, but by embracing universal principles and concepts of freedom, rule of law, private property rights, and sound money. These principles can be found in various fields, including economics, history, philosophy, psychology, theology, etc. Their proper application is determined through open discussion and consistent debate, including criticism and reevaluation through trial-and-error. These ideas not only have and will benefit America, but nations worldwide that embrace them. The U.S. president is not the king or der Führer, but an executive leader. The government is not an omnipotent god, but a limited number of individuals with a limited role to play. By cutting back the crippling overbearance of both, we can potentially stand on our own feet and increase the life, liberty, and happiness we all desire.





1. Eric Metaxas, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy (Thomas Nelson, 2010), 139. A few useful, brief articles on the historical background can be found at the website for Journey Film's documentary Bonhoeffer.

2. Quoted in Metaxas, 2010: 141. For reading on the dark side of leadership, see Barbara Kellerman, Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters (Harvard Business Press, 2004).

3. It is unclear as to whether or not this was due to Nazi censorship. The most plausible answer is that it was not, but instead due to Bonhoeffer running out of time.

4. The failure of Operation Valkyrie exposed the web of conspiracies to the Nazis, leading to their discovery of Bonhoeffer's involvement. He had already been arrested for his attempt to smuggle several Jews into neutral Switzerland. Mark Thiessen Nation, Professor of Theology at Eastern Mennonite University, argues for Bonhoeffer's pacifism in his lecture (and eventual book) "Dietrich Bonhoeffer the Assassin? Challenging a Myth, Recovering Costly Grace."

5. It may be worth noting that significant growth in Bonhoeffer's spirituality came during his stay in the U.S. and attendance at New York's Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. Bonhoeffer was deeply moved by what he called the "negro spirituals" (Bonhoeffer was a virtuoso pianist whose parents thought he might pursue a profession in music).

6. For a polemical, yet highly informative reading on the usage of fascism in political rhetoric, see Jonah Goldberg, Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning (Doubleday, 2007).

7. The differences between political liberals and conservatives in patriotic manifestations could stem from differing moral visions. See Jesse Graham, Jonathan Haidt, Brian A. Nosek, "Liberals and Conservatives Rely on Different Sets of Moral Foundations," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 96:5 (2009); Ravi Iyer, Spassena P. Koleva, Jesse Graham, Peter H. Ditto, Jonathan Haidt, "Understanding Libertarian Morality: The Psychological Roots of an Individualist Ideology," Working Paper 2010 (Submitted); Thomas Sowell, A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles, Revised Edition (Basic Books, 2007); Sowell, The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy (Basic Books, 1995). For video versions, see Haidt's TED talk, Sowell on Uncommon Knowledge, and Sowell on Charlie Rose.

8. For those interested, Johnson's address "The Patriot" is worth reading.